1 36 Grosvenor Road, Westminster May 17th 1916 My dear Mr. Asquith, I desire to ask of you two favours - namely that the enclosed
letters may be allowed to pass to America; asking for financial help
for the defence of Sir Roger Casement in the High Court. One
letter is from myself to Mr. Shane Leslie, (who is at present doing
work for Mr. Redmond in New York) in answer to one I received from
him two days ago. The other is from Miss Bannister (the nearest
relation of Sir Roger in this country) to a lawyer in Philadelphia. My reason for asking are these.
1) Prejudices has overturned the honourable tradition of English
justice that every prisoner should have full opportunity for a fair
trial, more especially when his life is in question. Sir Charles
Russell, to whom the prisoner appealed as the only solicitor in
London of whom he had any knowledge, refused to see him, or to ad—
vise him. By counsel of his relations Mr. G. Gavan Duffy offered
his services, in a letter sent by hand tot the Governor of the Tower
on May 1st. On May 9th Mr. Duffy (by personal application at the
Horse Guards) was at least admitted to see Sir Roger, who even then
had not bee told of his name, his application, nor the object of
his visit. Mr. Duffy's undertaking of the prisoner's defence was
met by a request from his firm that the partnership should be dis- solved if he persisted in defence, and it was consequently dis—
solved. 2) The refusal to allow any communication with the prisoner till
May 9th raised most serious difficulties in arranging for defence.
The time was dangerously short. Sir Roger had no money for his
2 defence. His only relations here earn their living as school
teachers. Under martial law in Ireland no help can be safely asked
for there. I have indicated the affect of prejudices in England.
From America all access is cut off by the censor. Every source is
thus blocked by which a poor man can have the necessary facilities
for a fair trial, which England used once to think essential. 3) I must add some further details. The situation of the prison—
er has been such as to affect gravely his physical endurance. His
desire to have advice was met, as I have said, by a curt denial;
and by the refusal of the officials to let any other application
reach him. He was confined behind barbed wire in a cell, dark,
damp, gloomy and airless. It was in fact solitary confinement,
except for the interrogation of officials - a solitary confinement
particularly injurious to a man in his ill-health.
The early and immediate offer of his relations to supply necessary clothing was
not answered, and was withheld from him. He suffered much from cold,
as his warm coat had been taken away. It was not till three weeks
had elapsed, although his relations had offered to supply necessar—
ies as soon as they heard of his arrest, that he was allowed a change
of clothes and underclothing, from garments which had been worn for
a month, and saturated with sea-water. When his cousins were
finally allowed to see him on May 11th they were detained while the
parcel of clothes they had previously sent on the 9th was searched
for, so that the prisoner might see them in clean apparel. This is the only visit that has been allowed to him in nearly a
month's confinement, save for the last week's conversations with
his lawyers. 3 By whoever a treatment of this sort has been authorized and
carried out i feel that it justifies me in asking that at the
last stage there should be a vindication of the English traditions
of open justice. I remain Yours sincerely, (Signed) A.S. GREEN