New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-04
WHITLOCK COMING
HOWE ON LEAVE;
HEALTH BROKEN
Cavell Case Not a Factor,
Announces the State
Department.
MINISTER HELPED
STARVING BELGlANS
Tried to Save British Nurse and
Rumors of Recall Demand
Came from Berlin.


Washington, Nov. 3.-Brand Whit
lock. American Minister to Belgium,
who has greatly aided in Belgian re-
lief work. and who tried unsuccessfully
to prevent the execution of Miss Edith
Csvell, is coming home. The State De-
partment announced tonight that Ill
health impelled Mr.. Whitlock to ask
for leave. The departments statement
follows:
There Is nothing political In the
fact that Mr. Whitlock is coming home
on leave Of absence. There is no con-
nection between this fact and the case
of Miss Edith Cavell. The depart
ment has known for two months that
Mr.. Whitlock was In i'll health and
that his physician in Germany advised
that he take rest. He was there
! fore given the leave of absence and
solely for the purpose stated In the
announcement by the department this
evening"
Mr.. Whitlock has been in poor
health for some months, due largely,
IL has been reported, TO overwork. He
was in bed at the time Miss Cavell was
killed, but since was said TO have re-
covered somewhat.
Berlin Resented Protest.
His return at this time is opportune.
however, in that il removes another
possible cause Of strain between this
government and Germany. The reports
published in London Ioiiowing Miss
/ Cavell's execution Of the treatment ac-
corded the protests made by the Amer
/ lean Minister, caused much resentment
in Berlin. -,
There we're ruuors that his recall
would be asked by Germany, but the
State Department recently denied that
this had been done, and II was stated
that full reports from Mr.. Whitlock
had removed the tension. 1t was ex-
planned, however, that Mr.. Whitlock
was IN Belgium merely "on sufferance,"
since the government to which he was
accredited had been driven out, and
that he would be obliged to leave In
case Germany asked It..
An attempt by the administration 70
pour more oil on these troubled waters
was seen in the publication this morn
ing OF an unofficial version OF Mr..
Whitlock's report on the Cavell case.
The version was handed out ~ q
White House employe to press asso-
citation in such form as to throw blame
on Great Britain instead of on Ger
many To-day the administration had
sealed the lips Of all who have knowl-
edge of the case, and there is no lndl-
cation Of any intention TO make puollc
Mr.. Whitlock's actual report and thus
permit the United States to decide for
itself where the blame lies. No one
either at the White House or State De-
partment would make any reference to
the subject.
L. s. Avoiding Friction.
This policy is in line with the re-
cent actions of the administration in
minimizing every possible cause OF
friction with Germany. The Lusitanla
case has apparently been dropped
without either disavowal or apology
The Hesperian case has been shelved.
in spite of he official report that ne
fragments of metal found on the
steamers deck came from torpedo
The government is making no efforts
to trace the responsibility OF Germany
in the cases of the New YORK "nn-
spirators, and the evidence Of i'm
proper acti ,ity by. Captains Won
Papen and Boy-Ed is reposlng IN
pigeon nOle at the sboNc DNP"'
Mr.. Whitlock's services in Belgium
have been notable. When appointed
he was worn by the work of several
terms as VI yor of Toledo, Ohio. He
needed rest and wanted an opportunity
TO write a book Quiet and leisure Ter
literary work he expected in Brussels.
He reached his new post only short
time before the outbreak the war,
and from that time to this has occu-
pied a position of such difficulty and
delicacy as few men have had to face
in diplomatic life.
His position has been an anamalous
one, as he has not actually held the
official status of American Mini ter
since the German occupation of Bel
gium. He has remained in Brussels
because the German military and civil
authorities have liked him, and have
found him extremely helpful in the
arrangement and conduct of the great
relief operations carried on by Ameri-
cans. Many times Mr.. Whitlock has
been the medium through which stra n
ed and menacing relations between he
German authorities and he Belgian
community have been adjusted and
made more tolerable to all concerned