New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-24
Only Males, Says Homo
Secretary, Can Be Tried
by Military Tribunal.
MISS CAVELL'S CASE
HAS NO PARALLEL
Calculated Indifference OF Ger
mans to u. S. Inquiries
Arouses AstOnishment.

London. oct o. Sir John A. Simon
British Home Secretary and former
Solicitor General, in the course Of an
interviewed to-day declared that the
fate - Edith Cavcl. executed by The
German authorities AZ Brussels, had,
and could have, no parallel in the
records Of Great Britain's treatment Of
rcrsors accused Of military offences.
Even I'm cases Of clearly proved
c.o.orare. Great Britain has, accord
inc 20 thc Home Secretary. metcd out
go women no sentence Of death.
"No woman" said ne, "who has beeA
tres for any military offence IN this
country has suffered the death penalty
since the war began. or has ever been
.er+c-ced 10 death. In this country o
woman. whatever her nationality, -
always tried by a civil court
Contempt for L. s. and Spain.
"Tbe ching which strikes EngAshmeH
familiar with our procedure as most
Incredible in the Cavcl case is me
calculated indifference with which me
INQUIRIES Of the American and spanish
Minister were treated. II the excuse
h SUGGESTED that DO war time severe
or harsh measures have 10 be taken OUT
own oEperience is enough 10 show that
- is possible 20 combine regard for the
rights o. the accused and respect ior
humane considerations with ehectlNe
pi.riehmcrt Of hostile offences OF the
most serious KIND.
at would have seemed imNossloie
for the Germans 20 do anything 70 IN,
crease the horror they have produced
by their behavior in Belgium. u
would have seemed impossible also 10Y
them 90 do anything which could
cement more closely the bond OF
s,,,,natbv between England and the
Rclr,an population. But they nave ac-
cor,plishcd both seeming impossibilitie2
bv one horrible act Of brutality.
The minister admitted that differ
,nccs existed between conditions IN
Belgium and conditions IN England
and that IN occupied territory Ike
Belgium the administration Of the law
might be expected TO be 5llghtly
different.
Drumhead Procedure Not Necessary
Out" he continued, ",he Cavell
case was not some sudden discovery
calling for q drumhead court martial on
m. field Of battle. This was Brussels,
where the Germans claim 70 have
established an orderly government
comparable with their government at
home, and have appointed there
civil governor"
Irterrogated regarding the method OF
dealing with military accusations
against women 10 England, the Home
Secretary replied:
an the first place the accused woman
Is brought before tribunal which
holds a preliminary inquiry, taking a
summary Of the evidence. The accused
is always assisted by a lawyer, and
complete record Of the evidence, oral
and documentary. Is given 10 the &C
cused. who BE- then allowed an interval
20 prepare her defence.
Privileges 10 Accused Persons.
"The trial always takes place before
n civil tribunal When the accused is
a man. be has the right 10 claim trial
before civil court, instead Of by
court martial, II he is British sub
jcct At trial. whether military or
civil. the lawyers for the defence have
the same opportunities as those given
10 accused persons In the ordinary
course or peace times.
The Secretary said that there had
beer no cases in England precisely
similar 20 that OF Miss Caveli but in
cases Of espionage. where the proof Of
guilt was iudubitablc and overwhelm-
ing. the same traditional privileges
were allowed the accused.
I'm the last case involving woman
in this country" said he. the offender
was of German birth. though techni-
cally the subject Of another country,
owing 90 marriage. She was acting
in association with male spy, and
was detected travelling 20 various
points iu order 90 collect information
about the naval defcnces. The evidence
AGAINST her was overwhelming and did
not depend solely on witnesses. but
also ON documents i'm her possession
and letters written by her and her AS
sOclatc.
\ Tcn-Year Sentence.
Going through tho preliminary pro-
ccdurc. as previously described. she
was tried boz September by three civil
Judge of our High Court and jury,
and was convicted, not Of harboring
German soldiers. but OF deliberate.
persistent spying for the purpose Of