The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-11-29
TEDDY SAVED HIM
Young Triest Brought Back to
Z. S. by Father.
England Held Him on a Charge
of Espionage.
COL. ROOSEVELT INTERCEDED
Case Against Him Warranted
His Execution as Spy.
Marked Contrast Between This
and Famous CavelI Case.

New York, Nov. 29.-Kenneth w.
Triest, the Princeton graduate, arrest
ed by the British authorities on a
charge of espionage, arrived here sun
day. He was accompanied by his
father, Wolfgang G.. -Triest, who went
to England to get his son. They ar
rived on the American liner New York.
He was greeted at the pier by his
/mother with touching affection.
His arrival reveals the remarkable
efforts that We're made to obtain his
release. These efforts were instituted
by Colonel Roosevelt and received the
active assistance of the British am
bassador, Sir Cecil Spring Rice. The
sued by former State Senator j. May
haw Wainwright, counsel for the
elder Triest, and a letter written by
Colonel Roosevelt At the pier the
father said:
I'VE are under the greatest obliga-
tions to the British government and
there are certain phases OF TINS I'M
fortunate case we are not at liberty
to discuss.
Father to Rescue.
MY son ran away from home and
enlisted in the English army. He went
to England by way of Canada. He
was placed aboard a British warship.
While there he was induced to write a
letter to Germany by a fellow sailor
said to have been a German. In this
letter he asked for information as to
the best way to reach Germany. The
letter was intercepted and his arrest
followed.
Il left New York on November
after arrangements had been made to
secure my boys release. In London |
was met by Captain Hall of the naval
bureau. He told me that my son
would be delivered to me on Friday,
November 10. He would not say
where Kenneth was confined. we
were reunited on the day promised"
Both father and son refused to di-
vulge the name of the place OF incar-
ceration.
said:
Several persons or prominence
gave US generous aid. We have been
particularly indebted to Sir Cecil
Spring Rice, the British ambassador,
and Capt. Guy Gaunt, the British
naval attache for their sympathy, con-
sideration and assistance. That, how
ever. which really brought about the
result. in fact. saved this boys life
was the interceSsion of Mr. Roosevelt
I appealed to him. He responded with
directness and force. He wrote in his
own hand a statement OF the matter
as he saw it.
This letter was sent by the British
ambassador to Arthur ]. Balfour, first
lord of the admiralty and Sir Edward |
Grey, the foreign secretary, together
with n strong letter.
Roosevelts Letter.
Mr.. Roosevelt has consented to
permit me to publish the following
letter, which he sent me after we were
informed of the decision reached in
the case"
Colonel RooseVelt's letter reads:
I have received from the British
ambassador at Washington a letter
stating that Sir Edward Grey and Mr.
Balfour have carefully gone over the
facts about Mr.. Triest as set forth in
my letter. They tell me that they find
that Triest shows no signs of madness,
but may have an unbalanced mind and
that the British government is prepar-
ed to give him the benefit of the doubt. |
He continues: What they are pre-
pared to agree to is the following: II
the father comes over to England and
makes himself responsible for taxing
his son in his own personal charge and |
escort back to America the boy will be |
handed over without being brought to
trial. If he is brought to trial, the |
trial can hardly fail to end in cOndem- /
nation-the facts being as they are |
The only way to avoid a trial is the |
course which Sir Edward suggests.
Please inform the persons concerned |
Please show this letter to Mr.. |
Triest. I understand he has agreed to |
the conditions. That is, will make him
self responsible for taking his son in
his own personal charge to America !
with him. If the boy shall appear to /
be still of unbalanced mind my own |
judgment is he ought to be sent to
some sanitarium at least until this war
is over.
:" If he has in any way recovered
then Mr.. Triest should bring him to
me and give me the opportunity to
explain to him in the presence of his
father and of yourself the terrible
character of the offense he has COM
mitted and the heavy load of obliga-
ton he and his family are under to
the British government. I wish him
to understand that the offense is not
only an offense against the law of ma
lions but an offense against the law of
honor as understood by gentlemen. An
offense which-if it hadn't been COM
mitted when his mind was unbalanced
would unfit him for association with
any soldiers of high standard of pro-
fessional and personal probity and
honor
Moreover, he should understand
and appreciate the contrast between
the conduct of the British government
in his case and the conduct of the
German government in permitting and
sanctioning. what in order to be truth
full can only describe as the butchery
of CaveN
Miss CavclIs Case.
Miss Cavell was butchered for ac-
s4Ons such were taken by hundreds I
probably thousands of women in our
Civil war-and it never entered the
heads of the Union or Confederate
governments that it was possible so
much as to consider putting to death
these women. TIE execution of Miss
Cavell was a deed of black horror
and when I saw the account of it, 1
confess L did not believe the British
government would interfere in the
case of young Triest
g. OF course the British government
had a thousand-fold more justification
for insisting upon the execution of
Triest than the German government
had for putting to death Miss Cayell.
The boy should be made to understand
the mercy and magnanimity with
which the British government has
treated him.