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COPY
Fondosure 1.
3977
Hongkong, March 9th, 1916.
Detention Camp.
To the General Officer, Commanding Hongkong.
Most honored Sir,
Praying your forgiveness for intruding on your time,
I beg permission, to put the situation, in which I am, again before you, asking, most honoured Sir, your kind consideration.
and
I am borne 1870, 30 of June, in Strassburg, Elsass, by French parents. Four days after my birth the Franco Prussian war started. My father was fighting on the French side through the
whole war, and got four French medals for brave deeds. Shortly before Christmas 1870 my mother and me were relieved from the Prussian siege of Strassburg by a Suisse deputation, and were brought to Switzerland. After conclusion of peace, when Alsace became Prussian, our whole family moved to Beaumont in France. To save a bit of property, my father had to become German. In Autumn 1871 however he was imprisoned again because he was accused by the Prussians, that he was agitating in favour of France, and only released on condition, that he moved a thousand kilometer away from our homeland into Prussian territory. He did so, moved to a place, called Budingen. Oberjessen. A small farm was given there to him by the Government. After scarcely 3 months however he returned this farm, and moved with us all to Chicago. Since that time we considered Chicago our home. I was living there with my parents until I was 15 years, when my father died. Shortly after his death my mother, I and two younger brothers returned to Strassburg, where my mother re-married. As the treatment accorded to us three boys by our German stepfather was unbearable, my two younger brothers went over to Deaumont in France, and I went to Gymnasium in Strassbourg. I finished that with 19 years, and went there to University in Leipzig. Then I was called up to register
as soldier in my 20 year, I applied to the American Consul