Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-23
MISS CAVE[L CALM
IN FACE OF DEATH
Chaplain Tells of the Last
Hours of Executed Eng
IiSh Nurse.
MOVEMENTS INAUGURATED
FOR NATIONAL MEMORIAL
Dutch Correspondent Tells of Organ
ization for Assisting Ger
many's Enemies.

many's Enemies.
LONDON, October 23.-The British
foreign Office has made public the re-
port of Rev. H. S. T. Gahan, the British
chaplain in Brussels, who visited Miss
Edith Cavell just before her execution,
and letter from Brand Whitlock, the
American minister to Belgium, to Wal
ter Hines Page, the American ambas-
sador in London. In his letter Mr.
Whitlock says he requested that the
body of Miss Cavell be delivered to the
school for nurses of which she was
the directress, his request being re-
ferred to the ministry of war in Berlin
Rev. Mr.. Gahan, in his report, said:
"On Monday evening, the 18th of Oc-
tober. was admitted by a special pass
port from the German authorities to
the prison Of St. Giles, where Miss
Edith Cavell had been confined for ten
weeks. The final sentence had been
given early that afternoon
Calm and Resigned.
ITO my establishment and relief. 1
found my friend perfectly calm and
resigned. but this could not lessen the
tenderness and intensity of feeling on
either part during that last interview
of almost an hour.
Her first words to me were upon a
matter concerning herself PERSONAL
but the solemn asseveration which ac-
companled them was made eXpreSsedly
in the light of God and eternity She
then added that she wished all her
friends to know that she willingly gave
II have no fear nor shrinking. 1
have seen death SO often that it is not
strange or fearful to me-
She further said:
Died Without Bitterness.
I thank God for this ten weeks of
quiet before the end. My life has al
ways been hurried and full Of difficult
ties; this time the rest has been a
great mercy. They have all been very
kind to me here. But this 1 would say,
standing as 1 do in view of God and
eternity: l realize that patriotism is
not enough. l must have no hatred
or bitterness toward any one
We partook OF holy communion to-
gether. and she received the gospel
message of consolation with all her
heart. At the close of the little service
l began to repeat the words abide with
me- and she Joined softly in the end.
We sat quietly talking until it was
time for me to go. Sne gave me part
ing messages Tor relations and friends
She spoke of her souls needs at the
moment and she received the assurance
of Gods words as only Christian can
DO.
Then 1 said goodbye, and she smiled
and said, We shall meet again.
"A German military chaplain was with
her at the end, and afterward gave her
a Christian burial. He told me:
She was brave and bright to the
last She professed her Christian faith
country. She died IKE a heroine"
Body Buried Near Prison.
Mr.. Whitlock, in inclosing the letter
he wrote to Baron Won der Lancken,
the German governor, at the request of
President Faider of the court of ap-
peals in Brussels and the president of
the Belgian School for Nurses, asking
that Miss Cavells body be delivered to
the School for Nurses, of which she was
the directress, says:
Il have not received a written reply
to my note to Baron Lancken on the
subject, but he came to see me yes
terday afternoon and stated that the
body had been inferred near the prison
Of st. Giles, where the execution took
place, and that under the regulations
governing such cases it was impossible
to exhume the body without written
permission from the minister of war
at Berlin.
He added that he had no authority
to ask for permission to exhume the
body, but that Immediately upon the
return of the governor general he
would request him to take the matter
up.
Il shall hope to be able to tell you
that we have at least been able to
accomplish this small service"
For a Memorial Statue.
The Daily Telegraph with a donation
of 1000 shillings ts25o) has started a
shilling fund to provide a memorial
statue to Miss Edith Cavell, Sir George
J. Frampton. the sculptor. has promised
to execute the statue as "a labor of
love-"
There are many suggestions in the
tional memorial be erected for Miss
Cavell. The Daily Mail suggests the
foundation of an institution for trained
nurses.
Mrs. Humphrey Ward, the novelist,
proposed that the queen take the lead
in the name of women of England in
the formation of national committee
to erect a memorial tablet to Miss
Cavell in St. Paurs Cathedral or West
minister Abbey.
A memorial service for Miss Cavell
will be held in st. Paurs next Monday.
Had Extensive Organization.
AMSTERDAM, via London, October
23.-The Vossische lettings Brussels
correspondent, describing the trial of
Miss Edith Cavell and the other per-