The Detroit times., 1915-10-22
Bad Faith Implied In
Tale of Efforts to
Save Girl
WAVE OF WRATH
SWEEPS ENGLAND
Enjoys Effort On Be-
half of Humanity
Utter Failure
By UNITED PRESS.

LONDON, Oct 22.-British rage
and horror at the execution BY the
Germans At Brussels OF the Engiish
nurse. Miss Edith Caveil. fully re-
ported In a communication pub
Nshed In detail by tho London
press today, from Brand whitiock.
American minister In Belgium.
promises appreciably to affect war
sentiment In England.
Enlistments werc unusually brisk
today and In ofncial circles this was
generally attributed to the feeling
q rage against the Germans aroused
by the Cavell case.
What little talk there has been
in . few quarters lately Of the pos
s1bflity OF restored peace also has
been enectually si,encod. The
Csvsll incident appeared to have
done more than any previous event.
oven OF the highest international
importance. to crystalise sentiment
IN favor of waging the var against
the kaiser to the bitter end.
That. by helping Brttish and
French soldiers and Belgians Of
military age to get out Of Belgium
and across the channel TO England.
Miss Cavell had committed a tech
nical offense which exposed her to
the death sentence under the strict
letter OF military Law, wxS admitted
by the London hevSpapefS IN their
comments on the case. Her actual
execution. however, In vtew Of the
fact that no act Of espionage had
been established against her. and
Of her self-denying work for months
as head OF the Brussels medical In
stitute. where she had cared for
wounded Germans ~ readily as for
her own countrymsn, the Belyians
or the French, was denounced by
the entire press as beyond belief.
II the circumstances were not In.
oontrovertibly attested.
In fact. II was pointed out. the
story when first told on unofficial
authority was not very seriously
considered, the general impression
being that, IL not fiction, II has at
least been much exaggerated and
that the Germans would prove on
investigation to have a more or less
satisfactory defense.
The Whitlock communication.
however, provides uncomfortable
proof Of the truth Of the story.
How the secretary OF the Ameri-
can legation, Hugh g. Gibson.
sought out the German governor,
von der Lancken. late at night be-
fore the execution, and. with the
Spanish minister. pleaded with the
governor and the German oficers
for the English woman's life. is
graphically related In a memoran-
dunn from Mr.. Gibson to Whitlock.
This document makes reference
to an apparent lack OF good faith
on the part Of the German authori-
ties In failing to keep their prom
ises TO inform the American min
lister fully of the trial and sentence.
There was no indication that the
publics horror had been In the least
modified by the pardon granted by
the kaiser, who. according to the
Exchange Telegraph. has notified
the king OF Spain OF his action. to
the Countess De Belleville, Mile.
Thuliere and others condemned to
death on charges similar to the one
Of which Miss Cavell was found
guilty.
Indeed. II was the widespread be-
lief here that In the cases where
pardons were granted, morcy was
shown because the condemned were
French and Belgian, while that
mercy was refused to Miss CavelI
on account OF the Germans hatred
Of her az an English woman.
The best Informed circles. how
ever, did not incline to this view.
In such quarters the opinion was
more generally held that the Caveu
execution was rushed at the orders
OF the German military governor OF
Belgium because he feared the kat
ser would extend clemency In this
instance also. II given an opportu-
nifty. which II was thought the gov
crnor deemed likely TO weaken the
authority Of his court-martial.
There was considerable spec
ulation concerning the effect
publication of his report Will
have ON Minister Whitlocks
relations with the Germans.
The document is a plain statement
OF facts. unaccompanied by any ar
raisnment OF the German authori-
ties or by any conclusions OF the
ninisters. The presentation OF the