Office of the Historian

File No. 344d112P59/11

The Ambassador in France (Sharp) to the Secretary of State

No. 533]
Paris, April 21, 1915.
[Received May 3.]

Sir: Confirming this Embassy’s telegram No. 699 of April 17, relative to the case of one Piepenbrink taken from the American ship Windber and held under arrest as a prisoner of war at Kingston, have the honor to enclose herewith a copy and translation of the note from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the substance of which was embodied in my telegram No. 699.

I have [etc.]

Wm. G. Sharp
[Enclosure―Translation]

The French Minister of Foreign Affairs (Delcassé) to the American Ambassador (Sharp)

April 15, 1915.

Mr. Ambassador: By your letter of December 11, 1914, your excellency was pleased to bring to my attention the case of a certain Piepenbrink, August, waiter on board the American vessel Windber, who was arrested by the French cruiser Condé and landed at Kingston, where the English authorities of that port held him as prisoner of war.

I have the honor to inform you that the case of the said Piepenbrink was duly submitted to the kind consideration of the British Government, and that the latter is in accord with the French Government to agree to release this prisoner of war, as a special favor, while reserving the question of principle. The British Foreign Office has addressed a note in this sense to the American Embassy at London and informs me that the necessary instructions have been given to the authorities at Kingston to liberate Piepenbrink.

Kindly accept [etc.]

Delcassé