Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 3, 1900

Mr. White to Mr. Hay.

Embassy of the United States,
Berlin, June 30, 1900.

No. 1284.]

Sir: Referring to the embassy’s dispatch No. 1237 of April 30 last, 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. Peter F. Hinrichsen first communicated with the embassy in regard to possible trouble growing out of unfulfilled military obligations in January, 1900, and after certain corrrespondence intervention was made in his behalf (F. O., No. 671) on March 1. After a residence in the United States for about seventeen years, during which he had become naturalized as an American citizen (as shown by passport No. 13794, dated Washington, November 29, 1899, in his possession), Hinrichsen had returned, last autumn, to his former home at Wrixum auf Föhr. Soon after, his arrival he was notified by the local authorities that he must leave the country by March 15. Toward the end of February he informed the embassy that he was not in a condition to travel at that season of the year, and, his statement being supported by physician’s certificate, the embassy then made intervention to the end that he might be allowed to remain in Prussia until May 15, 1900. The attention of the foreign office was again called to the case (F. O., No. 692) on May 1—Hinrichsen having apparently not been molested in the meantime—and under date of May 2 the foreign office replied that the desired permission had been granted.

2. Max Abel informed the embassy, under date of August 31, 1899, that he had been in Germany—at or near his former home—for about a year, and that he wished to be allowed to remain for a year longer. After correspondence—from which it appeared that Abel was born in Germany in 1875 and had emigrated in 1891 to the United States, where he became naturalized as a citizen at Chicago on October 16, 1896; and further, that he desired to remain in Germany in order to attend the wedding of a brother in June, 1900, and on account of other private business until October, 1900—intervention was made in his behalf (F. O., No. 574) on September 11, 1899, as he had been given to understand that it would be impossible for him to remain longer in Prussia unless he renounced his American naturalization and declared his willingness to perform military service. The embassy again invited attention to the case on December 27, 1899 (F. O., No. 640), and May 1, 1900 (F. O., No. 692). On May 20 a note was received from the foreign office in which it was stated that Abel, from whom no further complaint had reached the embassy, had already left for America.

3. Frederick Paul Waggershauser and Eugene Frank Waggershauser were born in Württemberg in 1878 and 1879, respectively, and accompanied their father to the United States, where both eventually became naturalized citizens. Their case was brought to the attention of the embassy by their attorney, and on October 26, 1899, intervention (F. O., No. 600) was made to the end that no military fines be collected from property coming to them by inheritance on account of their not having performed military service. Their case was again referred to in the embassy’s notes to the foreign office of December 27, 1899, and May 1, 1900. On May 20 a note was received in reply, in which the foreign office stated that proceedings had been stopped and the names of the brothers stricken from the German military lists.

4. Albert Ganslen (Gänsslen) informed the embassy, in December, 1899, that an attachment had been placed upon certain property in Württemburg on account of his not having performed military service. After correspondence with him, the embassy made intervention (F. O., No. 668) in his behalf on February 19, 1900, with result that it was informed by the foreign office, under date of May 23, that the attachment had been removed.

5. Philip Enoch brought his case to the attention of the embassy in March, 1900, and on the 31st of that month intervention (F. O., No. 680) was made in his behalf, to the end that he might be allowed to remain in Prussia until August, 1901. Enoch was born in Russia in 1864, and had emigrated to the United States in 1885. He became naturalized as a citizen in 1890, and then returned to Europe and settled in East Prussia in 1897. He had been ordered to leave Prussia by June, 1900, but claimed that it would greatly endanger the health of his wife, who was soon to be confined, and that owing to investments he had made it would mean his financial ruin if he were compelled to leave Prussia at the time set. The case was again referred to in the embassy’s note of May 1, and under date of June 10 a reply was received, in which the foreign office stated that Enoch would be allowed to remain in Prussia until October 1, 1900, but that permission for him to remain until August, 1901, could not be granted.

J. B. J.