The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-10-25
BERLIN JUST|F|ES
EXECUTION Of
MISS CAvELl
Safety of Army Required II, Says
Or. Zimmerman
SEX CAN'T PROJECT TREASON
No Court Martial in the World Would
Have Reached Any Other
Conclusion.

Berlin, Oct. 25.-Dr. Alfred +. NJ
Zimmerman, German undersecretary
for foreign affairs has issued an Off
cial explanation of the recent execu-
ton in Belgium Of Miss Edith Cayell,
the British nurse He prefaced his
remarks by the declaration that he
had examined the evidence with the
greatest care and found the verdict,
though regrettable, to be just. His
statement follows:
81 see by the British and American
press that the shooting of an English
woman and the conviction of several
other women in Brussels for treason
have created a great sensation and
that we are being greatly criticized.
1t is, indeed. regrettable that wo'
man must be executed but remember
to what shall state come which is
in war if 1t allows to pass unnoticed
crime against the safety of its
armies because committed by wo,
men No law book in the world, least
of all those dealing with war regula-
tions, marks such differentiation,
and the feminine sex has but one pre-
ference according TO legal usages.
namely that women in delicate
condition may not be executed.
Otherwise man and woman are equal
before the law and only the degree
of guilt makes a difference in the
sentence for the crime and its conse-
quences.
"ln the Cavell case have reviewed
the decision OF the court and examin
ed the evidence down to the smallest
details The result is so convicting
and all the circumstances are so
clear and so convincing that no court
martial in the world would have
reached any other decision For it
concerns the acts of one single per-
son; rather it concerns we'll
thought-out. worldwide conspiracy
which succeeded for nine months, to
render the most valuable services to
the enemy to the disadvantage of
our army. Countless British, Belgian
and French soldiers, now again are
fighting in the allied ranks who owe
their escape from Belgium to the ac
tiyity of the band now sentenced at
the head of which stood Miss Cavell
With such situation under the
very eyes of the authorities only the
utmost severity can bring relief and
the government that does not adopt
the strictest measures violates the
most elemental duty toward the army
and its safety. These duties in war
are greater than any other.
"All those convicted were fully cog
infant of the significance of their ac-
tons The court went into just this
point with particular care and ac-
quilted several codefendants only be-
cause it believed doubt existed re-
garding the cognizance of the punish
ableness Of their actions. Those
convicted knew what they were do
ing Countless public proclamations
had declared that support of enemy
armies would be treated with the
seyerest penalties even that the life
of traitors would be sacrificed.
81 admit certainly that the motive
Of those convicted was not unnoble
and that they acted out of love for
the fatherland But in wartime one
must be ready to seal ones love for
the fatherland with ones blood. whet
her one opposes the enemy in battle
or whether one commits acts in it's
interest which Justly carry with them
the death penalty. Among our Rus
sian prisoners are several girls who
fought against us in soldiers uni
forms. Should one such have fallen
no one would accuse us of treating
women cruelty SO, why now that
another woman has met the death
which she rsked quite as thinkingly
as her battle comrades?
There are moments in the lives
cf people when the consideration for
the individual Is a crime against the
whole, moments that make severity.
yes, hardness, duty for those in
trusted with the safety of their own
countrymen Once and for always
the activity of our enemies had to be
stopped and sentence has been car
ried out to frighten those who might
presume on their sex to partake in
enterprises punishable with death
Should one recognize these presump-
tons it would mean to open the
door for the evil activities to women
who are often handler and more clev-
er in these things than the craftiest