Mr. White to Mr. Sherman.
Berlin , July 6, 1897 . (Received July 23.)
Sir: Referring to previous correspondence, I have the honor to inform you that on May 22 last the embassy learned through the United States consul at Kehl that Casimir Hartmann, whose American citizenship had been recognized after certain correspondence between the embassy and the German foreign office, and who had been released from service in the German army in April last, after having been held thereto for about-three months, had been ordered to leave the country by the “Bezirks-Prasident” of Lorraine.
Hartmann, whose two older brothers emigrated to the United States after having performed military service in Germany, and who at the time of his own emigration, more than ten years ago, was too young for such service, came back to Germany with his mother, in order to assist her to reestablish herself in Altlixheim, in Lorraine, and it is his intention to return to America when this is done, and, acting upon his request, the embassy at once applied for permission for him to remain with his mother for a year.
On May 31 a telegram was received from Mrs. Hartmann, to say that her son was being taken to the frontier, and renewed intervention was thereupon immediately made at the foreign office, with the result that a telegram was sent to the imperial statthalter at Strassburg, on the same day, asking him not to allow Hartmann to be molested before a final decision in his case had been made, and on June 3 this information was communicated to Mrs. Hartmann, from whom nothing has since been heard.
To-day I am in receipt of a note from the foreign office, in which it is stated that the statthalter has granted permission for Hartmann to remain in Altlixheim for one year.
I am, etc.,