Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-01-26
BELGIAN COURT MARTIAL GIVES
DEATH SENTENCE TO BEL
CIAN WOMAN ACCUSED
OF SPYING.

The following account Of the exc
cution under sentence by Belgian
court martial OF Belgian woman
accused of espionage before the Ger
man occupation, was found In Ant
wcrp after the surrender of that city.
IL indicates that, despite the outcIy
in the English press at the execution
Of Miss CavelI, Great Britain's allies
have not hcsitated, when compelled
by military exigencics, to visit upon
women punishment for infractiOns
Of military law that iluperil the fate
of the army. This narrative III taken
I'm part from the semi-official North
German Gazette of December 2,
1915.
The execution Of Miss Cavell, the
Englishwoman shot in Brussels for
aiding, contrary to her oath as
nurse, inyalided prisoners OF the
Allies to reach their own lines, was
made the occasion of q prolonged
and bitter newspaper attack upon
Germany which increased in rancor
when it became known that the
story given to the press and cred
tied to official sources was false.
The American Minister at Brussels,
to whom had been credited the first
account published, Indignantly de-
MED responsibility. But the story,
to which such melodramatic details
as weeping soldiers, brutal officers
and final death by pistol shot were
added, served its temporary purpose
in diverting attention from the Brit
ish blunders in the Balkans and at
the same time in stimulating enlist
ments in Kitchener's armicrs. Per-
haps best Of all, however, 1t served
as a vehicle for the oft-repeated as
pensions on methods alleged to be
exclusively German. Solemn horror
was expressed that in the twentieth
century a court martial should con-
denim woman for q military crime
and that that death sentence should
be executed.
The hypocrisy of this last is pat
cnt Has not England for months
imprisoned and starved women who
merely sought the franchise? Ber-
nard Shaw has pointed out the folly
of all this and has condemned the
shocking callousness of using this
woman's experience for advertising
purposes. But, despite all the
clamor, the facts of the legality--and
Miss Cavell's own demeanor is
strongest proof OF that--of the court
ihartiaPs action, its military necessi-
ty, and the precedents in cases OF
this nature set for Germany by her
enemies, still remain. Equality be-
for the law requires that all classes,
high and low, woman and man, must
answer for their deeds without ex-
pectation of leniency because Of
chivalry servillty, or political rea-
sons. And this rule is not only a
German rule, it is the universal
military rule.
Belgian Woman Executed.
Herewith is published facsimile
Of an official document signed by
the Governor Of Antwerp and coun-
tersigned by the Belgian Minister Of
War and the Auditor General, dated
before the period of the German oc-
cupation in pouch of mail which
was not delivered at that time. Here
is translation of this communica-
tion
Provincial Administration Of
Antwerp.
Antwerp. August 90, 1914
'Mr Mayor,
I'm the name of the General in
tOlllHldHO Oi tniS province nave
the honor to request you to make
public as soon as possible in your
community the following extract
from sentence which was pro-
nounced by the court martial or
the third army divisions
THE court martial OF the third
army division at a session in Lou
vain on August III, 1914
In matters against.
I'D Karl Troupln, journalist,
born in Liege on February
cath. 1878. resident of Brus-
sells, Noordlaan. no. 8;
~ Frederick William Romel
born in Verviors on April
18th, 1887. electrical en-
gineer resident Of Paris;
80 Julia Van Wauterghem, born
in Brussels on january 2eth,
1879, wife OF Eugene Hon
tang, resident Of Brussels,
NoOrdlaan no, S
"a verdict OF guilt having been
returned against tho first OF The
accused OF treason and espionage,
and against the two latter of es-
pionagc, the three accused were
sentenced to death.
"The sentence was carried ont at