Sir H. Howard, His Majesty's Envoy to the Vatican, to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received March 1.) (Telegraphic.) My telegram of 23rd February. Rome, March 1, 1915. I hear that I shall shortly receive official note from Cardinal Secretary of State informing me that the Pope has received a telegram from the German Emperor to the effect that, in deference to His Holiness's express wish, His Majesty accepts proposal for exchange of incapacitated civilian prisoners without reserve and independently of question of military age. Sir Edward Grey to Sir H. Howard, His Majesty's Envoy to the Vatican. (Telegraphic.) Foreign Office, March 3, 1915. EXCHANGE of invalid civilians. Please convey to the Cardinal Secretary of State the warm thanks of His Majesty's Government for the action of the Pope in obtaining the consent of the German Emperor, as reported in your telegram of 1st March. As soon as you receive expected official note from Vatican to the above effect we propose to inform United States Ambassador here. The United States Embassy had already been given the lists of British and German invalids before the negotiations broke down. It would therefore save time and be more convenient if the arrangements respecting the details of the exchanges could be made through Mr. Page. Cardinal Secretary of State would presumably see no objection to such a course. The arrangement should, in our opinion, be carried out as soon as possible. Sir H. Howard, His Majesty's Envoy to the Vatican, to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received March 3.) (Telegraphic.) EXCHANGE of invalid civilians. Rome, March 3, 1915. Official note confirming the information contained in my telegram of 1st March has now reached me from the Vatican. Sir Edward Grey to Mr. Page, United States Ambassador in London. YOUR EXCELLENCY, Foreign Office, March 18, 1915. I HAVE the honour to inform your Excellency that His Majesty's Envoy to the Vatican has reported that, in deference to the express wish of the Pope, the German Emperor has accepted the proposal for the exchange of incapacitated prisoners without reserve and independently of the question of the military age limit. His Majesty's Government are, therefore, anxious to give effect to the above-mentioned proposal without loss of time. and they assume that the principle regulating the selection of the incapacitated civilians to benefit by the present agreement will be the same as that followed in the case of incapacitated military or naval prisoners of war, viz., that the Government holding the civilians who are subjects of the other Government will, after due examination, select those who are to be repatriated under the agreement. In order to facilitate and to expedite the matter, I have the honour to forward herewith to your Excellency a list of British civilian invalids and persons who are incapacitated for military service and whose cases have already been brought to your notice by this Department. These cases have, in many instances, been supported by medical certificates. I also enclose a list* of further cases of a similar nature which have been brought to my notice since the cases referred to in the previous list were forwarded to your Excellency. A list of German civilian invalids and persons incapacitated for military service whose cases have been brought to my notice by your Excellency is being prepared, and will be forwarded to the proper Department of His Majesty's Government for the necessary action. The German medical certificates forwarded in support of any of the above cases will of course be carefully considered. I shall be grateful if your Excellency will bring the foregoing to the knowledge of the United States Ambassador at Berlin, and inform him that, on receiving an assurance from the German Government that they agree to the procedure indicated in the second paragraph of this note, His Majesty's Government will, on condition of reciprocity, at once take steps to release the German civilians in the United Kingdom who are found to come within the scope of the agreement, on their applying to the Home Office for permission to return to Germany, subject of course to the same reservations with regard to criminals and suspects, as in the case of the previous agreement * Not printed. with Germany for the exchange of other categories of persons. His Majesty's Government trust that the German Government will consider the agreement as applying to the mutual exchange of a category of persons, and will not interpret it to mean a man for man exchange. I have, &c. E. GREY. Sir H. Howard, His Majesty's Envoy to the Vatican, to (Telegraphic.) Following is translation of note dated the 2nd March from the Vatican: "The Cardinal Secretary of State hastens to inform Sir Henry Howard, His Britannic Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, that the Prussian Minister, in a note of the 26th February to the Holy See, states that, out of deference to the latter's proposal, the German Government have consented to exchange all persons unfitted to bear arms without any limit of age. "While asking the British Minister to be so good as to communicate this information to his Government, the undersigned has the honour to assure him once more of his sentiments of the highest consideration. You will see from the above that Germany's acceptance of the proposal was communicated through the Prussian Minister to the Holy See, and not, as was understood at first, by personal telegram from the German Emperor to the Pope. Sir Edward Grey to Mr. Page, United States Ambassador in London. YOUR EXCELLENCY, Foreign Office, April 7, 1915. WITH reference to the note which I had the honour to address to your Excellency on the 18th ultimo, relative to the acceptance of the proposal for the exchange of incapacitated civilian prisoners at present detained in the United Kingdom and in Germany respectively, I have the honour to inform your Excellency that I have received a further telegram from His Majesty's Envoy to the Vatican containing the translation of the note on the subject addressed to him on the 2nd March by the Cardinal Secretary of State. The translation is as follows: "The Cardinal Secretary of State hastens to inform Sir Henry Howard, His Britannic Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, that the Prussian Minister, in a note of the 26th February to the Holy See, states that, out of deference to the latter's proposal, the German Government have consented to exchange all persons unfitted to bear arms without any limit of age. "While asking the British Minister to be so good as to communicate this information to his Government, the undersigned has the honour to assure him once more of his sentiments of the highest consideration. Your Excellency will perceive from the foregoing that Germany's acceptance of the proposal was communicated through the Prussian Minister to the Vatican and not, as was understood at first, by a personal telegram from the German Emperor to the Pope. I have, &c. E. GREY. CORRESPONDENCE with United States Ambassador in London respecting Negotiations with the German Government for the Mutual Exchange of Military Medical Personnel.-November, 1914-March, 1915.* Mr. Page, United States Ambassador in London, to Sir Edward Grey. (Received November 28.) American Embassy, London, SIR, I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith, for such action as you may deem appropriate, the copy of a letter from the Embassy at Berlin in regard to the case of Major A. G. Thompson, R.A.M.C., and many other officers and privates of the Royal Army Medical Corps, held as prisoners at Torgau, who wish formal representations made to the German Government for their release. It will be observed that Mr. Gerard will be glad to take up the matter with the German Foreign Office if he receives instructions to do so from the Department of State at Washington. I have, &c. WALTER HINES PAGE. * From Parliamentary Paper, "Miscellaneous, No. 8 (1915)." SIR, Enclosure. Mr. Gerard to Mr. Page. American Embassy, Berlin, I HAVE the honour to inform you, for such action as may be appropriate, that a few days ago a letter was received from a British medical officer complaining of the imprisonment at Crefeld of himself and several other doctors, and that I am now in receipt of a letter from Major A. G. Thompson, R.A.M.C., who states that he, twenty-eight other officers, and five privates, belonging to the Royal Army Medical Corps, as well as a chaplain, are held as prisoners at Torgau. These officers wished to have their case brought to the attention of the German authorities, and this has been done informally. I do not feel at liberty, however, to make any formal request for their release, based on the provisions of the Geneva Convention, unless I should be instructed to do so by the Department of State. I have, etc., JAMES W. GERARD. Sir Edward Grey to Mr. Page, United States Ambassador in YOUR EXCELLENCY, London. Foreign Office, December 21, 1914. WITH reference to the note which you were so good as to address to me on the 26th ultimo, forwarding a communication from the United States Ambassador at Berlin in regard to the case of Major A. G. Thompson and other officers and privates of the Royal Army Medical Corps, I have the honour to request that Mr. Gerard may be asked to inform the German Government that His Majesty's Government are prepared to repatriate officers and men of the medical services of the German forces on learning that the German Government are willing to reciprocate, and will release them as soon as they are informed that the German Government have consented to the release of the officers and men of the Royal Army Medical Corps at present interned in Germany. I have, &c. E. GREY. |