Mr. Day to Mr.
Tower.
Department of State,
Washington, May 10,
1898.
No. 105.]
Sir: Awaiting your report in reply to the
Department’s instruction No. 75, of the 19th of February last, relative
to the case of Ignatz Gutman, an American citizen, who was lately
impressed into the Hungarian army, I inclose for your information a copy
of a further letter from Messrs. McKinley & Gottlieb, in which they
state that their client is now imprisoned in Vienna.
You will observe that it is alleged that Mr. Gutman is now worse off than
he was before the intervention of the legation in his behalf.
Respectfully, yours,
[Inclosure in No. 105.]
Messrs. McKinley &
Gottlieb to Mr. Day.
Honorable Sir: Last February we received a
letter from your office wherein you acknowledged the receipt of the
papers in the matter of Ignatz Gutman, an American citizen doing
military duty in Hungary.
[Page 39]
We were also informed by same letter that the papers have been sent
to our minister in Vienna in order to obtain his release.
Since that time we have not heard anything from your office, but have
received a letter from Ignatz Gutman that he is worse off now than
he was before we took any steps in the matter.
That the steps taken by us having come to the knowledge of the
Austrian Government, the soldier in question has been removed from
the town of his nativity in Hungary and taken to Vienna and there
kept under surveillance as a quasi prisoner.
We are also informed that our minister resident at Vienna, to whom
this soldier’s matter was referred, has informed this soldier that
he is remediless and must serve out the full term of his military
obligations to the Government of Austria. This is not the law.
Our treaty with Austria exempts American citizens from military
service. His right to that exemption would be found in our former
correspondence with your Department.
We kindly ask you to give this matter your earliest attention.
Yours, most respectfully,
