The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-10-23
british RAGE
is GROWING
Execution Of Miss Cavell
Has Greatly Stirred
the Country
ENLISTMENTS TAKE
ON NEW ACTIVITY
The Possibility Of Restored
Peace Is No Longer
Heard

London, Oct. a3.-British rage and
horror at the execution by the Germans
at Brussels of the English nurse, Miss
Edith Cayell, fully reported in com
munication, published in detail by the
London press yesterday, from Brand
Whitlock, American minister in Belgium,
promises appreciably to. affect war SEN
timent in England.
Enlistments were unusually brisk and
in official circles this was generally at
tributed to the feeling of anger against
the Germans aroused by the Cavell case.
What little talk there has been lately
of the possibility of restored peace also
had been effectualy silenced. The Ca
veil incident appeared To have done more
than any previous event even OF the
highest international Importance, to
crystalize sentiment in favor of wag-
ing the war against the kaiser to the
end.
That by helping British and French
soldiers and Belgians of military age to
get out of Belgium and across the chan
mel to England Miss Cayell had com
mitted technical offense which ex-
posed her to the death sentence under
the strict letter of military law, was
admitted by the London newspapers in
their comment on the case. Her actual
execution, however, in view of the fact
that no act of espionage had been es-
tablished against her and OF her self
DENYING work for months as head OF the
Brussels medical institute, where she
had cared for wounded Germans as
readily as for her own countrymen, the
Belgians or the French, was denounced
by the entire press as beyond belief, If
the circumstances were not ineontro-
vertibly attested.
In fact, it was pointed out, the story,
when first told on unofficial authority,
was not very seriously received, the gem
eral impression being that, if not fic-
ton, it had at least been much exagger-
ated and that the Germans would prove
on investigation to have a more or less
satisfactory defence.
Minister Whitlock's account, however,
the papers emphasize, not only fully
verified the earlier version, but added
details which made the affair still more
shocking.
There is no indication that the pub
lies horror had been in the least modi-
fed by the pardons granted by the kai-
ser, who, according TO the Exchange Tel
egraph, has notified the king Of Spain
OF his action. TO the Countess de Belle
Vile, Mile. Thulier and Others con-
demned 10 death on charges similar to
A - s.l, n tan
guilty.
Indeed. Il was the widespread belief
here that in the case where pardons were
granted. mercy was shown because the
condemned were French and Belgians,
while mercy was refused TO Miss Cayell
on account Of the German hatred Of
her as an English woman.
The best informed circles, however,
did not incline 20 this view. In such
quarters the opinion was more general
w held that the Cavell execution was
rushed at the orders of the German mill
tary governor Of Belgium because he
feared the kaiser would extend clemency,
which, IL was thought, the governor
deemed likely TO weaken the authority
of his court martial.
There was considerable speculation
concerning the effect this report will
have on Wmtlock's relations with the
statement Of facts, unaecompanied by
any arraignment Of the German author
ity or any conclusions OF the minister's
own. IL presents the Germans In such
a light. however. from the very nature
OF the story. that il was regarded as
certain they viii see ~ once the harm
Il must do them in public opinion ey-
erywhere. The situation was not regard
I'd a. one in which complaint Of the
minister can very well BE- made, but
that his position viii BE- rendered diff
cult, II not impossible, was looked on a.
extremely likely.