New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-28
U. 5. CONVICTS :
IN BRITISH PLOT
Hiring Men for Foreign
Army Service Held Grim
inal Under Old Law.
FUNDS FURNISHED
BY KINGS CONSUL
Defendants to Appeal from Yer.
dict at Instance of Embassy
in Washington.

San Francisco, Oct. 27.-Ralph K.
Blair and DR.. Thomas Adds we're
found guilty to-day Of conspiring to
hire men in the United States for
British military service. The cases
against Lieutenant Kenneth Croft, Of
the British army, and Harry &. Lane
were not considered. The state wanted
them as witnesses. Give f. Lawrence
was found not guilty.
The verdict was returned under In
structions from Judge Maurice 7.
Dooling in the United States Court.
The stipulations filed with Judge
Dooling admitted that funds for re-
cruiting were furnished by A. Carne-
gle Ross, British Consul here; that l55
men were recruited; that headquarters
were maintained where the men were
housed and fed; that transportation
and 500 each for sustenance on their
journey were furnished, and that the
men were to be transported TO England.
The Murdoch Company was
found not guilty. Stipulations were
filed by prosecution and defence that
an instructed verdict should be given.
a Jury was empanelled as a matter
of legal procedure.
Counsel for the defence said an APP
peal would be taken. II was reported
that the British Consulate, which was
represented in court during the trial,
urged such course.
Judge Dooling's findings conformed
with the action Of John W. Preston,
attorney for the government, who dld
not press the cases against Croft ana
Lane. whom, he said, he considered
merely as tools" MIR. Preston stated
in court that he considered DR.. ADDS
and Blair the "ringleaders."
The penalty for the offence is I'M
prisonment for not more than two
years or a fine Of not more than slo,-
600. or both. The neutrality cases
came into prominence when nineteen
men bound for England were stopped
in Chicago and New York and brought
back here. The defendants admitted
that they had provided these men with
money, which, the government attor-
neys asserted in court, came from
British official sources, but maintained
they merely used it to send men 70
England, without any agreement "a 10
fighting.
Washington, Oct. 27.-Convictions
under the old statute making crime
OF conspiracy 10 eHlPlOy HSIi N'
lean soil for military service abroad
is regarded by State Department ON
Gals as likely to bring to an issue the
question Of whether the United states
shall permit to remain in effect a law
based on a policy which might oper-
ate to it's own serious disadvantage
in time OF war.
Tho statute under which Blair and
Adds were convicted does not AFFECT
the activities of representatives OF q
foreign power who arrange for the re-
turn of reservists, but imposes heaVy
penalties on the agents OF natioh
undertaking 10 send back home Tor
service citizens or subjects who are
not already on military rolls.
Sir Cecil Spring Rice, British Am
bassador, expressed surprise when he
learned of the convictions. Embassy
officials have conferred with the De-
partment of Justice, and it is under
stood that at the embassy's instance
the cases will be appealed, and that
if the result is then unchanged the
matter will be taken up diplonieticaiiy
between Great Britain and the United
States.