The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-03-28
FITZPATRICK INCIDENT
IS LEGITIMATE CAUSE
FOR WAR, SAYS HELM
State Department Has Begun
Investigation of Report That
Albanian Has Been Con-
victed and Sentenced to 20
Years by SovietS

sot SNsses0h ohuNs"t
Washington, March 27.-(Special.)
The state department has initiated an
investigation into the report received
by the American Red Cross in its
Washington headquarters that Capt.
Emmett Fitzpatrick, an Alabama sol
der, has been convicted of high crime
by the soviet government of Russia
and sentenced to hard labor for 20
years.
Senator Heflin of Alabama, deep
~ incensed, declared to the Off
ciaIs of the department this after
noon, that II the report is verified,
the kirkpatrick Incident will be
transformed into n Legitimate cause
for war.
Charles Z. Hughes. Secretary of
State, admitted that after long effort.
he had been able to get into commune
cation with the soviet government re-
garding Captain Fitzpatrick. and to Sem
ator Helm quoted from a commune
cation by that government. received
yesterday, paragraph stating that the
Albanian looks as well as he did
when first captured
The Secretary intimnted, how
ever, that there was something
connected with the Fitzpatrick incl
dent delicate or 80 serious that
he did not feel Justified in stating
Ii over telephone or In letter. He
invited the senator to confer with
him privately tomorrow.
The report that Fitzpatrick had been
tried, convicted and sentenced came to
the Red Cross from a refugee out of
Russia.
1t was said that he was sentenced
to hard labor in retaliation for the
American attitude regarding Russian
communism, for the deportation of the
soviet agent Ludwig C. A. K. Martens,
and the continued confinement of Eu-
gene Debs.
Fitzpatrick is a native of Uniontown.
He served against Germany, and sub
sequently connected himself with the
Red Cross attached to the army off
General Wrangel. He was captured
following the defeat of that comman-
der 1t was limited some time ago that
his captors suspected that he had served
as a soldier against them. This would
complicate the case. obviously, and 1t
is possible that such contingency will
his conference with Senator Helm to-
morrow.
The American Legion throughout the
United tSates has interested itself in
the Alabamian's plight
CONDITION DESCRIBED
Mobile, March N.--Additional informa-
ton of the condition Of Capt. Emmett
Fitzpatrick, now serving 20 years in a
Russian prison on charge OF condemn
ing a Russian communist in America,
was received here today by Dr. G.. C.
Fitzpatrick. his brother, from Solomon
Conn. a former prisoner of the bolshe
visits at Moscow, who was released.
Conn was we'll acquainted with Cap
tain Fitzpatrick. He described the con-
dition Of the American prisoner, who is
confined with several other Americans.
and a number of Czecho-Slovakian pris-
oiers, in a cemetery structure. The MAJ
said the prisoners had every opportunity
to exercise. but the food was not suf-
ficient for an able-bodied man.
The reason for the, sentencing Of Cap
tain Fitzpatrick, the letter states. is that
the soviet government wishes to hold
this as club in forcing America to
recognize the new Russian government
{ In writing to DR.. Fitzpatrick to inform
him that Captain Fitzpatrick had been
sentenced to hard labor by the bolsheviki
Earnest p. Bickwell, acting director Of
foreign operations American Red Cross.
gave the following opinion on the out
come.
THE 20-year sentence might be begun.
but relations between the United States
and Russia, it seems to me. are certain
to undergo important changes before a
great while. When such changes occur.
Il is reasonable to believe that njustices
(Centinued ON Page Two)