DRASTIC SENTENCE ON U.S. OFFICER.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 April 1918, Page 8

DRASTIC SENTENCE ON U.S. OFFICER.

Xew York, Feb. 25. A drastic example lias been made of an American Army officer, Captain David A. Henkcs, of the 10th Infantry Regiment, who has been dishonorably discharged from the Service and sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment, with hard labor, for sympathising with the enemy. H[enkes was reaently brought back from France as the result of a series of letters he wrote to Mr. Baker, Secretary of War,-declaring that his wife was an Austrian and that his .parents were natives of Germany, and that consequently he felt unable "to make war on my kindred in a manner that would become my duty and station." % The charge upon whirl) Henkes was convicted was that of violating the oath under which he entered the Service. The sentence, however, was largely determined by the fact that while an active officer in the Army, before the United States entered the war, Henkes kept in close touch with agents of the German Ambassador, contributed to German funds, and worked for peace at any . price.

Washington, Feb. 25I Henkes, on being brought back from France, asked leave to visit his wife, which was refused, -but he was allowed | to" telephone to certain persons. The wire was tapped, and Henkes was heard to tell his wife to burn his private papers, but before his wife could carry yout this-order, .the papers were seized. These proved that Henkes had not only been in communication with Count Bernstorff, the ex-German Ambassador at Washington, but had also contributed to German, Austrian, and Turkish funds, i and had been an active propagandist—i .Beuter.