The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-05-17

present at that convention, remember
the refined, brilliant young fellow and
his aged father, who was SO deeply
moved by the recognition of his splen-
did young son, the child of his old age
and hope of his future Through the
Associated Press we learn that this
young soldier your United Daughters
of the Confederacy beneficiary, is now
a prisoner in the hands of the Russian
bolsheviki, and sentenced to 20 years
of hard labor.
After completing his course at the
University of Pennsylvania with great
credit. Professor fitzpatrick taught
school at Uniontown, Ala He volun
teered and served in France as lieuten-
ant of field artillery during the World
war, and after the armistice as chief
of the supply division of the American
commission to negotiate peace. He OBJ
tanned his discharge from the army in
Paris III September, 1913 and served as
one of the secretaries of the peace con-
ference throughout that conference at
Versailles. Your chairman had letters
from him during that period, In one of
which he enclosed the original copy Of
President Wilson's memorial address at
Surenes, France, May go 1912
when the commission was dissolved,
Fitzpatrick joined the Lithuanian army
other Americans, and saw several
months of active service on the Lithu
anian- bolshevik battle front When the
fighting ended, he asked for his dis
charge and returned to Paris to join
the American Red Cross in 1920. He
was first ordered to Constantinople and
then to south Russia with General
Wrangels army. For more than year
he has been held in bondage forced to
nd
clothed. 1t is said that the soviet gov
eminent is holding him as a hostage to
force American recognition of the new
Russian government.
Our government has been repeatedly
urged to secure his release, which they
claim Is most difficult, since this gov
eminent does not recognize the soviet
Surely. some way can be found, must be
found to release Captain Fitzpatrick
from this cruel bondage. With this end
in view, we would recomemnd the adop-
ton of the following resolution. to be
signed by our president and secretary,
and sent, without delay, to President
Harding:
Whereas, Capt. Emmett Fitzpatrick
has served his country faithfully and
efficiently in time of peace and time of
war and
Whereas, Captain Fitzpatrick was a.
worthy scholarship beneficiary of this
organization a young man of excellent
character and splendid promise, and is
now prisoner of the Russian bolshe-
wiki, and
Whereas, the conditions under which
this sentence is being executed. are
cruel and unjust and,
Whereas, the British French, and
all other governments, having subjects
and citizens held prisoner by the soviet
Russian government with the sole ex-
ception of the government of the United
States, have obtained the freedom of
their nationals by methods which did
not embrace recognition of the said
soviet government; therefore. be it
Resolved That the Alabama division,
United Daughters of the Confederacy,
in convention assembled, at Montgom-
cry, appeal to the Congress of the
United States to direct the department
of state to proceed Immediately with
such arrangements as will bring about
the release, repatriation and freedom of
Captain Fitzpatrick without further de-
lay; and that a copy of this resolution
be sent to each member of the Alabama
delegation in Congress.
"MOLLIE FILES CRENSHAW,
president.
'IALLA BLANKINSHIP FORMAN,
Secretary Ala Div. U. d. c.