Your letter of January 30th, which I have been waiting for with great
interest ever since I received your cable, arrived this morning. My son
arrived in New York on January 1st. He was in bad shape physically as a
result of his imprisonment: very much under weight, suffering from a
bad skin infection which he had acquired at the concentration camp.
However, in view of the extraordinary facilities which the detention
camp offered for acquiring dangerous diseases, he is certainly to be
congratulated on having escaped with one of the least harmful. The
medical treatment at the camp was quite in keeping with the general
standards of sanitation there; with the result that it was not until he
began to receive competent surgical treatment after his release and on
board ship that there was much chance of improvement. A month of
competent medical treatment here seems to have got rid of this painful
reminder of official hospitality. He is, at present, visiting friends
in New York. If he were here, I am sure he would join with me and with
his mother in thanking you for the interest you have taken and the
efforts you have made.
W—— S—— B—— is, I am happy to say, expected in New York this week by
the S. S. Niagara. News of his release and subsequently of his
departure came by cable. What you say about the nervous strain under
which he was living, as an explanation of the letters to which the
authorities objected, is entirely borne out by first-hand information.
The kind of badgering which the youth received was enough to upset a
less sensitive temperament. It speaks volumes for the character of his
environment that such treatment aroused the resentment of only one of
his companions, and that even this manifestation of normal human
sympathy was regarded as “suspicious.” If you are right in
characterizing B——’s condition as more or less hysterical, what shall
we say of the conditions which made possible the treatment which he and
his friend received? I am glad B—— wrote the very sensible and manly
letter to the Embassy, which you mention. After I have had an
opportunity to converse with him, I shall be in better position to
reach a conclusion in regard to certain matters about which I will not
now express an opinion.
I would only add that I do not in the least share your complacency in
regard to the treatment which my son received. The very fact that, as
you say, no charges were made and that he was detained on suspicion for
many weeks after the Commission passed on his case and reported to the
Minister of the Interior that he ought to be released, leads me to a
conclusion exactly opposite to that which you express. It seems to me
impossible to believe that any well-ordered government would fail to
acknowledge such action to have been unreasonable. Moreover, “detention
on suspicion” was a small part of what actually took place. To take a
single illustration, you will recall that after many weeks’ persistent
effort to secure information, the Embassy was still kept so much in the
dark about the facts, that it cabled the report that my son had
embarked on The Antilles and was reported lost. And when convinced of
that error, the Embassy cabled that it was renewing efforts to locate
my son. Up to that moment, it would appear that the authorities had not
even condescended to tell the United States Embassy where this innocent
American citizen was confined; so that a mistaken report of his death
was regarded as an adequate explanation of his disappearance. If I had
accepted this report and taken no further action, it is by no means
certain that he would not be dead by this time.
I am free to say, that in my opinion no self-respecting government
could allow one of its own citizens, against whom there has been no
accusation brought, to be subjected to such prolonged indignities and
injuries by a friendly government without vigorous remonstrance. I
regard it as a patriotic duty, as well as a matter of personal
self-respect, to do what I can to see that such remonstrance is made. I
still think too highly both of my own government and of the government
of France to believe that such an untoward incident will fail to
receive the serious attention it deserves. If I am wrong, and American
citizens must expect to suffer such indignities and injuries at the
hands of other governments without any effort at remonstrance and
redress by their own government, I believe the public ought to know the
humiliating truth. It will make interesting reading. It remains for my
son to determine what action he will take.
I am glad to know your son is returning. I am looking forward with
great pleasure to conversing with him.
I cannot adequately express my gratitude to you and to other friends
for the sympathy and assistance I have received. If any expenses have
been incurred on my behalf or on behalf of my son, I beg you to give me
the pleasure of reimbursing you. At best, I must always remain your
debtor.
With best wishes,
Sincerely yours,
EDWARD CUMMINGS
I yield to no one in enthusiasm for the cause of France. Her cause was
our cause and the cause of civilization; and the tragedy is that it
took us so long to find it out. I would gladly have risked my life for
her, as my son risked his and would have risked it again had not the
departure of his regiment overseas been stopped by the armistice.
France was beset with enemies within as well as without. Some of the
“suspects” were members of her official household. Her Minister of
Interior was thrown into prison. She was distracted with fear. Her
existence was at stake. Under such circumstances excesses were sure to
be committed. But it is precisely at such times that American citizens
most need and are most entitled to the protection of their own
government.