Office of the Historian

Mr. Jackson to Mr. Hay.

Embassy of the United States,
Berlin, September 29, 1900.
No. 1416.]

Sir: Referring to the embassy’s dispatch No. 1284, of June 30 last, I have the honor to transmit herewith a memorandum report of certain military cases, mentioned particularly below, in regard to which action has been taken during the quarter ending to-morrow, and I am, etc.,

John B. Jackson.
[Inclosure.]
1.
Lawrence M. Metzger, writing from his home in Grafton, Ohio, informed the embassy in March, 1900, of his wish to visit his former home in Alsace. After considerable correspondence, in which the embassy informed him as to how the necessary request for permission to do so was to be made, a note (F. O., No. 721) was addressed to the foreign office on June 5 in support of the petition which Metzger had sent to the local ministry at Strassburg. On June 30 the embassy was informed by the foreign office that the desired permission had been granted and that Metzger would be allowed to sojourn for three weeks at his former home at some time before the 1st of September, action against him on account of his evasion of military service being suspended during that period. Metzger then made the desired visit, and after having done so, and having thanked the embassy for its action in his behalf, he requested its further offices to the end that it secure the cancellation of the order of fine which had been made in his case. The embassy addressed the foreign office on this subject on August 1 (F. O., No. 774), but has as yet received no reply.
2.
Francis Xavier Hossenlopp informed the embassy that he wished to be allowed to visit his former home in Alsace in a letter dated Brooklyn, N. Y., May 1, 1900, in which he inclosed a note of introduction from Senator Platt and a letter from the Secretary of State dated April 10. After certain correspondence the embassy, on June 11, addressed a note (F. O., No. 726), and under date of July 3 a reply was received from the foreign office in which it was stated that permission had been granted Hossenlopp to visit his former home for four weeks at some time before September 1, and that during that time proceedings against him on account of his not having performed military service would be suspended.
3.
Under date of July 11, 1900, the foreign office informed the embassy that the name of Albert Ganslen (Gänsslen)—see case No. 4 in the report accompanying the embassy’s dispatch No. 1284, of June 30, 1900—had been taken off the German military lists.
4.
Anton Esser brought his case to the attention of the embassy through the United States consulate at Cologne in May, 1900. Esser was born at Essen in 1875, and had been taken by his father to the United States in 1881, the father subsequently becoming naturalized as a citizen. In June, 1899, he had returned to Germany on a visit, with an intention to remain about two years. On April 26 he had received an order to leave Prussia within twenty-eight days. He claimed that he had been working in a factory as an apprentice, had earned no money, and must wait until his relatives sent him funds with which to return to the United States. On May 8 the embassy brought the case to the attention of the foreign office and requested permission for Esser to remain in Prussia until July 1 (F. O., No. 698), and under date of July 16 a reply was received in which it was stated that the permission had been granted.
5.
The case of Otto Graul was brought to the attention of the embassy by Mr. Graul’s father in December, 1899, and after certain correspondence the embassy addressed the foreign office in the matter (F. O., No. 660) on January 27, 1900. Mr. Graul is an American of German origin, residing in Boston, and he had been sentenced to pay a fine on account of his failure to present himself for military service. Attention was subsequently called to this case on May 1 and June 21. Under date of August 17 the embassy was informed that the fine complained of had been remitted.
6.
Fritz Hillens was born in Germany in 1853, and went to the United States in 1873, becoming naturalized as a citizen there in 1879. He made visits to Germany in 1880 and 1884 without being in any way molested. On May 10 last he came to Germany again, and a few days later he was arrested as a deserter and imprisoned in the military prison at Hanover. The case was brought to the attention of the embassy by certain of Hillens’s friends, and on May 21 a note was addressed to the foreign office (F. O., No. 710) in support of a petition for pardon which had been sent to His Majesty the German Emperor. Under date of August 20 a reply to the embassy’s note was received in which it was stated that pardon had been granted on July 27.
7.
Hieronimus Bayer was born in Wurttemberg in 1875, and in 1887 was taken to the United States, where he duly became naturalized as a citizen at Cleveland, Ohio, in 1896. On May 15 last, at the instance of the United States consul-general at Berlin, the embassy addressed the foreign office (F. O., No. 701) in Bayer’s behalf to the end that his name might be removed from the German military list so that it might be possible for him to visit his former home exempt from military obligations and consequently not liable to be molested on account of their nonfulfillment. Attention was again called to this case on June 21 and August 24, and under date of August 25 a note was received from the foreign office in which it was stated that Bayer’s name had been taken off the military lists.
8.
Simon Moeller was born in Lippe in 1873. In 1892 he emigrated to the United States, becoming naturalized as a citizen in South Carolina in 1899. Soon thereafter he returned to Germany, and after remaining for about five months, during which he was married, he returned to the United States. During his visit he was, however, compelled to pay a fine of 300 marks in order to avoid arrest on account of his having failed to perform military service. On June 15, at the instance of the United States consul at Hanover, the embassy brought the case to the attention of the foreign office (F. O., No. 733), and under date of August 27 the money was refunded to Moeller.
9.
Wilhelm Ritterhoff, who was born in Germany, emigrated with his father about sixteen years ago, and through his father’s naturalization during his minority, in 1890, at Dayton, Ohio, he became a citizen of the United States. As he did not report for military service, he was sentenced to pay a fine, and in consequence the sum of 228.56 marks was collected by the Prussian authorities from certain money which was due him. On September 15, 1899, the embassy called the attention of the foreign office to the case (F. O., No. 578), arid reference was made to it again on December 27, 1899, May 1, June 21, and September 10, 1900. Eventually, under date of September 22, 1900, a reply was received from the foreign office to the effect that the money collected had been ordered to be refunded to Ritterhoff’s representative.
10.
Alfred Knudsen (case No. 2 in report accompanying dispatch No. 1142, of December 30, 1899) submitted his American papers to the embassy and it forwarded the same to the foreign office, in accordance with its request, on May 2, 1900 (F. O., No. 672). Further attention was called to the case on May 1, June 21, and September 3, and eventually, under date of September 23, 1900, the money (209.52 marks) which Knudsen had been compelled to pay as a military fine was repaid by the foreign office and duly transmitted to him.
J. B. J.