Ministry of Munitions of War,
Whitehall Place, LONDON, S.W. 11
th December, 1916.
Sir,
I am directed by the Ministry of Munitions to refer to
your letter (…) of the 15
th
. November, transmitting a
note from the United States Ambassador relative to the
case of Dr Robert Le Rossignol, who has been released
from internment at Ruhleben.
I am to inform you that the Minister understands that the
gentleman in question, who it is understood has married
a German lady, is a Fellow of the Chemical Society and
that he is an expert on the processes employed in the
production of synthetic ammonia which is urgently
required in the production of explosives. He has carried out much work on synthetic ammonia in conjunction
with Haber at Karlsruhe, and it is considered probable
that this may represent the ‘former occupation’ which
he is resuming. If this were the case, he would doubtless
be employed to assist in the production of German military requirements. In these circumstances, Mr.
Montague is of the opinion that a reply should be forwarded to the effect that His Majesty’s Government
would view with strong disapproval the resumption in
Germany by Dr Le Rossignol of his former occupation, and
he must be prepared to face all the consequences of such
disapproval in the event of his eventual return to
England.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant
R. V. Vernon.
To the Controller, (Prisoners of War Department),
Foreign Office, S.W.
By 19 December 1916, the Prisoners of War Department—subject to
approval by the Home Office and the Army Council—had decided to err on
the side of caution and reply to Robert much in the terms suggested by the
294
D. Sheppard
Whitehall Place, LONDON, S.W. 11
th December, 1916.
Sir,
I am directed by the Ministry of Munitions to refer to
your letter (…) of the 15
th
. November, transmitting a
note from the United States Ambassador relative to the
case of Dr Robert Le Rossignol, who has been released
from internment at Ruhleben.
I am to inform you that the Minister understands that the
gentleman in question, who it is understood has married
a German lady, is a Fellow of the Chemical Society and
that he is an expert on the processes employed in the
production of synthetic ammonia which is urgently
required in the production of explosives. He has carried out much work on synthetic ammonia in conjunction
with Haber at Karlsruhe, and it is considered probable
that this may represent the ‘former occupation’ which
he is resuming. If this were the case, he would doubtless
be employed to assist in the production of German military requirements. In these circumstances, Mr.
Montague is of the opinion that a reply should be forwarded to the effect that His Majesty’s Government
would view with strong disapproval the resumption in
Germany by Dr Le Rossignol of his former occupation, and
he must be prepared to face all the consequences of such
disapproval in the event of his eventual return to
England.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant
R. V. Vernon.
To the Controller, (Prisoners of War Department),
Foreign Office, S.W.
By 19 December 1916, the Prisoners of War Department—subject to
approval by the Home Office and the Army Council—had decided to err on
the side of caution and reply to Robert much in the terms suggested by the
294
D. Sheppard