New-York tribune., 1918-06-08
Berlin Threat
Fails to Free
Capt. Rintclen
Continued from page 1

ceedings against him took place only
recently.
Up to the present time the efforts
OF the German government to effect
an Improvement in the situation of
Captain-Lieutenant Rintclen, who
passed into the hands Of the Ameri-
can authorities by reason Of acts of
the British government contrary to
international law, have been unsuc-
cessful. The attempt to bring 10
halt the criminal proceedings
brought against him in America and
to secure his release has likewise
been without result.
In order to lend greater emphasis
to the protests which have been
lodged with the American govern
ment. the German government con-
templates some appropriate meas
ures of reprisal. 1t would, however,
prefer to avoid the contingency that
persons be taken and made to suffer
because the government Of the
United States was apparently not
sufficiently cognizant of its 'nterna-
tional obligations toward a German
subject.
Before making a definite decision
the German government believes it
should propose to the government of
the United States that Captain-Lieu-
tenant Rintelen be set at liberty by
exchange for the American citizen
Siegfried Paul London, who vas con-
demned to death for espionage and
whose sentence was later commuted
to ten years penal scrvitude, and
that Captain-Lieutenant Rintelen be
permitted forthwith to return to
Germany. Should the government
of the United States agree to this
proposal the German government
would take steps that London's un-
completed term of Imprisonment be
RENTED and that he be set at lib
erty in order that he may jmmedi-
ately leave the country.
The State Department ignored tn
German demand for a month and
half, replying under date of June 4
with this governments answer to tn
German threats.
The State Departments reply to tn
Swiss Minister was as follows:
l have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your mem morandum of
April 13, 1918, communicating a
translation of note vnrbale from
the German government, transmitted
by the Swiss political department,
proposing the exchange Of Captain
Lieutenant Franz Rintelen for Sieg-
fried Paul London, an alleged Amer
lean citizen condemned to ten years
penal servitude in Germany. The
German government threatens meas
ures of reprisal if Rintelen is not
released or excnanged for London.
In reply l have the honor to ad-
wise you that this government cam
not consider the exchange Of Rinte-
len for London, nor can it consider
the release Of Rintelen nor inter-
ference in the due process Of law in
his case.
The threat of the German govern
mont to retaliate by making Ameri-
cans in Germany suffer clearly i'm
plies that the government proposes
to adopt the principle that the re-
prisals occasioning physical suffer
ing are legitimate and necessary in
order to enforce demands from ,ne
belligerent to another. The govern
ment of the United States acknowl-
edges no such principle and would
suggest that it would be wise for the
German government to consider that
if it acts upon that principle it will
inevitably be understood to invite
similar reciprocal action on the part
O1 tHc " Hlttu StateS WIN respect TO
the great number of Germane sub
jects in this country. 1t is assumed
that the German government before
acting will give due reelection and
due weight to this consideration.
I beg that you will DE good enough
to bring the foregoing statement to
the attention # the German govern
ment.
Arrested at Sea
The reference in the German not
to the part taken by the British go,
ernment in bringing Rintelen to ju
tice refers to Rintelen's arrest on tt
high seas by the British and his retur
to the United States to stand trial O
pending ng~indictments.
Another reference is made in tn
German note to efforts to halt tn
criminal proceedings against Rintele
in America. Germany tried repeated
to have Rintelen considered as
prisoner of war by the United State
by reason of his rank in the Germa
army, but this the State Departmer
consistently refused to do because Ril
tclen was convicted not of militar
offences, hat of crimes against tn
neutrality of the United States Will
this nation was at peace.
Rintelen, Kaiser's