Mr. White to Mr. Hay.

No. 1237.]

Sir: Referring to Mr. Jackson’s dispatch, No. 1142, of December 30, 1899, I have the honor to append hereto a memorandum report of certain military cases, more particularly mentioned below, which have not as yet been referred to in the embassy’s correspondence with the Department, and I am, etc.

And. D. White.
[Inclosure.]
1.
Joseph Gresser was born in Uissigheim, Baden, March 16, 1866, and when about 17 years old emigrated to the United States, where he subsequently became naturalized as a citizen in Indiana. Upon his not presenting himself for military service at the proper time, certain property coming to him by inheritance was attached. The embassy was informed of this fact (by his attorney, Carl Burger, of Karlsruhe), on November 16, 1899, and intervention was at once made (F. O., No. 612) in his behalf. Attention was again called to the case (F. O., No. 640) on December 27. To the embassy’s notes the foreign office replied under date of January 12, 1900, in a note in which it was stated that the attachment complained of had been removed, and certain money paid to Gresser’s father on account had been ordered to be refunded.
2.
Rudolph Teutsch’s case was brought to the attention of the embassy by the United States consul at Cologne, in September, 1899. After considerable correspondence it was ascertained that Teutsch was born at Venningen, Rheinpfalz, on September 20, 1865, that when about 18 years old he had emigrated to the United States, where he had become naturalized as a citizen in 1889, and that he had returned to Germany in June, 1897; also, that he had been ordered to leave Prussia by the police at Cologne in September, 1899, but the order had not been put into execution. Upon the representations of the consul, intervention was made in Teutsch’s behalf (F. O., No. 595) on October 17, 1899, and after correspondence in regard to the reasons for Teutsch’s wishing to be allowed to remain longer in Prussia, the foreign office replied, in a note dated January 16, 1900, that he would be permitted to remain until the 1st of the next April.
3.
Jens Cornelius Andersen informed the embassy, under date of November 11, 1899, that upon returning to his home in the province of Schleswig-Holstein, after an absence of about nine years, he had applied for permission to remain two months. He had, however, without formal order of expulsion, been given to understand that permission would not be granted him. Andersen had in his possession a passport (No. 12347) issued to him by the Department of State on October 5, 1899. He had returned to Germany for the purpose of visiting his aged mother and expected to be back in the United States, for business reasons, by the end of January. Intervention was made in his behalf (F. O., No. 614) on November 18, and the case was referred to again on December 27. Under date of January 16, 1900, the foreign office informed the embassy that Andersen, who appears not to have been molested in the meantime, had left Germany of his own accord.
4.
August Dalesch, a naturalized American citizen, was arrested at Greifenhagen on January 23, 1900. Upon his case being investigated by Consul Kehl, of Stettin, it was ascertained that Dalesch had deserted from the German navy in 1893. Under the circumstances the embassy declined to intervene. Attention was paid to the case, however, by Consul Kehl, and under date of March 13 he informed the embassy that Dalesch had been released from imprisonment, but had been ordered to report for military service. In December Dalesch had broken his arm and it is said that he will never have the full use of it again. It is therefore probable that he was not found fit to serve, as nothing further has been heard of the case.
5.
George Von Staden, a naturalized American citizen of German origin, informed the embassy, under date of August 22, 1899, that his papers had been taken from him by the local military authorities at Bremervörde. Intervention was at once made in his behalf (F. O., No. 594), and a few days later, September 1, Staden informed the embassy that his papers had been returned. The foreign office informed the embassy of the same fact under date of February 9, 1900.
6.
Siegfried Zehden called at the embassy on December 27, 1899, and stated that he had been ordered by the local Berlin police to leave Prussia by the 15th of that month and that subsequently permission had been granted him to remain two weeks longer. He was born in Berlin in 1858, and had emigrated in 1877, becoming naturalized as an American citizen in New York, October 27, 1882. He had made a short visit to Germany in 1883, and had been residing in Berlin since September, 1899. He desired to be allowed to remain for three or four months longer. Intervention was at once (F. O., No. 639) made in his behalf. Under date of February 22, the foreign office replied to the embassy’s note in this case, stating that Zehden and his family had gone to Prague on January 4, and that consequently further consideration of his request was useless. Efforts subsequently made by the embassy to communicate with Zehden at his Berlin address and in Prague were without result.
7.
Siegmund Wollenberg called at the embassy on December 23, 1899, and stated that he was born in Posen in 1839; that after performing military service he emigrated in 1864, and that, as shown by the certificate in his possession, he was naturalized as an American citizen in New York in 1883. In 1890 he had returned to Germany and had since resided in Prussia, without molestation, until a few days before, when he was ordered to leave by the 29th of December. Wollenberg said that it would be impossible for him to comply with this order without serious loss and inconvenience for himself and his family, but declared his readiness to return to the United States in the spring. Intervention was at once made in his behalf (F. O., No. 635). On March 3, 1900, the foreign office informed the embassy that, to their regret, the Prussian authorities did not feel at liberty to allow Wollenberg to remain in Prussia until May 1, as he had been punished for fraud (betrug), but that out of consideration for the embassy’s request he would be permitted to remain until the 1st of April.
8.
Frederick H. Kruse emigrated to the United States when about 14 years old and resided there continuously for more than ten years. In November, 1899, after naturalization in New York, he returned to Germany for the purpose of spending a few months with his mother. He was at first ordered to leave Prussia at once, but subsequently, under date or December 7, permission was granted him to remain for six weeks from the 30th of November. The case was brought to the attention of the embassy by the American consulate at Bremen, and on December 30, 1899, intervention was made to the end that Kruse might be allowed to remain in Prussia until the spring (F. O., No. 643). As the consul at Bremen reported that Kruse had subsequently received a notice to leave Prussia before January 11; that he had complied with the same by moving to Bremen, and that nevertheless his mother continued to be annoyed on his account, the case was again referred to in a note dated January 20, 1900 (F. O., No. 654). Under date of March 5 the foreign office replied that to their regret the Prussian authorities did not feel at liberty to permit him to remain longer in the country as an exception had already been made in his case in allowing him to remain as long as he had.
9.
Julius Burger’s case was brought to the attention of the embassy by the consul at Nuremberg on December 22, 1899. Burger was born at Trunstadt, Bavaria, March 3, 1875, and had emigrated to the United States when about 18 years old, having there become naturalized as a citizen, at New York, December 29, 1898. He returned to Germany on a visit in December, and on the 14th of that month had been compelled to pay a fine of 200 marks to the local authorities at Nuremberg, against his protest as an American citizen, and in order to avoid arrest and imprisonment on account of his not having performed military service. Intervention was at once made in his behalf (F. O., No. 632), and under date of March 16, 1900, the foreign office replied in a note in which it was stated that the repayment of the money collected from Burger had been ordered.
J. B. J.