Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Address of the President to Congress December 7, 1915

File No. 702.6211/215.

The German Ambassador to Counselor Lansing.

German Embassy,
Washington, March 28, 1915.

My dear Mr. Lansing, With reference to my letter of the 23d instant¹ about the case of our Consul in Seattle, I beg to advise you that the local authorities of the State of Washington are still holding Mr. W. Müller and Mr. Schulz under bail of $1,000 each. This is the case, though the Federal public prosecutor himself told Mr. Müller that the local authorities had no jurisdiction at all in the matter.

Allow me further to bring your kind attention to Sec. 256 of the Judicial Code of the United States, in force January 1, 1912, which reads as follows:

The jurisdiction vested in the courts of the United States in the cases and proceedings hereinafter mentioned, shall be exclusive of the courts of the several states: * * *. Eight: Of all suits and proceedings against consuls.

I beg to suggest that the unpleasant matter may be settled as soon as possible and I am confident you will do all in your power in this direction.

Believe me [etc.]

J. Bernstorff.

1. Not printed.