a day or two before a decision was reached."

The Director of the Political Department (Herr Conrad) gave a further

"_positive assurance that the [American] Legation would be fully
informed as to the developments in the case._"

Notwithstanding this direct promise and further "repeated inquiries in
the course of the day," no further word reached our Legation, and at
6.20 p.m. it again inquired as to Miss Cavell's fate, and the Director
of the Political Department again

"_stated that sentence had not yet been pronounced_,"

and he specifically renewed his assurance. Two hours later our Minister
_from unofficial sources_ heard that all that had been told him by the
Political Department was untrue, and that the sentence had been passed
at 5 o'clock p.m.; _before his last conversation with the Director_, and
that the execution was to take place that night.

Accordingly the Secretary of the American Legation proceeded at once to
Baron von der Lancken, and again asked as a favor to this Government
that clemency be extended. He brought with him a letter from the
American Minister, which reads as follows:

"My dear Baron:

"I am too ill to put my request before you in person, but once more
I appeal to the generosity of your heart. Stand by and save from
death this unfortunate woman. Have pity on her. Your devoted
servant,
"BRAND WHITLOCK."

Accompanying this purely personal note were two substantially similar
communications, the one directed to Baron von Bissing and the other to
Baron von der Lancken. These communications run as follows:

"I have just heard that Miss Cavell, a British subject, and
consequently under the protection of my Legation, was this morning
condemned to death by court-martial.

"If my information is correct, the sentence in the present case is
more severe than all the others that have been passed in similar
cases which have been tried by the same Court, and, without going
into the reasons for such a drastic sentence, I feel that I have
the right to appeal to your Excellency's feelings of humanity and
generosity in Miss Cavell's favour, and to ask that the death
penalty passed on Miss Cavell may be commuted and that this
unfortunate woman shall not be executed.

"Miss Cavell is the head of the Brussels Surgical Institute. She
has spent her