On Thursday week the Foreign Office issued the documents relating
to the trial and execution of Miss Cavell. As soon as Miss Cavell was condemned (on October 11th) Mr. Brand Whitlock, the American Minister at Brussels, sent an urgent appeal for clemency to Baron von der Lancken, the bead of the Political Department at Brussels, and another to Baron von Biasing, the Governor-General. No answer seems to have • been received from the Governor-General. The Political Department answered the American inquiries by a series of evasions. Mr. Whitlock himself was ill in bed, but Mr. Gibson, Secretary of the Legation, was persistent in his efforts. Ile was told that the Legation should be kept informed, but as a matter of fact it was told nothing. It learned, however, from other sources that sentence had indeed been passed.
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