New Britain herald., 1918-06-08

American citizen condemned to ten years penal servitude in Germany. The German government threatens measures Of reprisal if Rintelen IS not released or exchanged for Lon don.
 ''In reply, I have the honor to ad- viso you that this government can- not consider the exchange of Rinte- len for London nor can it consider tho release of RinteHn. nor any in reference with the due process of law in his case.
 The threat of the German gov ernment to retaliate by making Amer jeans in Germany suffer clearly inn plies that the government proposes to adopt the principle that reprisals oc- casicning physical suffering are le- gitimate and necessary in order to enforce demands from one belllger- ent to another. The government of the United States acknowledges 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 recip- rCcal action on the part of the United States with respect to the great num- hers of German subjects in this country.
 Lansing's Reply.
 'It is assumed that the German government before acting will give due reflection and due weight to this consideration. a"
 "I beg that you will be good enough to bring the foregoing state ment to the attention of the German government
 The German government contends that Rintelen should be treated as a prisoner of war and not as cr1m- inal. He was arrested in England when trying to get to Germany on a Swiss passport before the United States entered the war. The British government extradited him to the United States after this government became a belligerent, and he was tried here on the charges committed when the United States was a neutral nation.
 Ii the German government con- tends that the offenses charged against Rintelen in this country were com mitted in his capacity as an off, cer of the German navy. the United States government would be in a posi- ton to bring Rintelen before a trib- unal for trial as a spy with death as the punishment on conviction.
 The German government has dem onstrated it's cruelty in reprisal for the action of the British government ir treating members of a captured U-boat crew as criminals for their violation of the established principles of international law and humanity. In retaliation for confining these n stead of in camp where prisoners O. war are quartered, the German government selected twenty-nine British officers in German prison camps and placed them in solitary confinement on a diet of bread and water. The twenty-nine were chosen with references to their social posi- ton in England. Some of them bore titles and all of them were of noble or aristocratic families of great prominence.
 After learning of the suffering of these British officers the British gov ernment removed the U-boat crew to 8 camp for prisoners and the German government reported that it had re- leased the British officers from soli- tary confinement and a starvation diet.
 The latest FeCOTOS or the war uo- partment show that a total of 133 American soldiers have been located at German prison camps. There also are 216 American civilians, including sailors, who are interned in Germany. About 5000 Germans are informed in this country. This includes 1,310 prisoners of war at Fort McPherson, Georgia, most of whom were sea- men on German ships; 839 at Fort Cglethorpe, Georgia; 432 at Fort Douglas, Utah, and between 2,000 and 2,5OO prisoners taken from Ger man merchantme at Hot Springs, N. C., at present under the depart ment of labor.
 Five hundred Germans interned in this country are being sent to army camps to aid in cultivating gardens. One hundred of them go to Camp Devens, 100 to Camp Grant, 100 to | Camp Sevier, 100 to Camp Wads- l worth, and 100 to Camp Sherman.