A letter in Monday's Times, signed by William Frazer, T.
Lauder Brunton, and Malcolm M. McHardy, the th.•ee doctors attending Dr. Herz, draws attention to the position in which their patient is placed by the operation of the Extradition law. Dr. Herz is a prisoner in charge of the Metropolitan Police under a warrant issued to the representatives of the French Government. But proceedings under Extradition wan-ants can only be heard at Bow Street, and Dr. Herz is too ill—say his medical advisers—to risk not only the appearance at Bow Street, but the possible remands. It is further alleged that the warrant was "illegally obtained." What, therefore, the doctors want is that the validity of the warrant should be argued in the absence of the accused ; but this, it appears, would not be legal. There are, they say, two alternatives under the treaty, (1), that the English Government by inaction should cause the death of Dr. Herz without the technical pro- ceedings under which he was arrested being tested; (2), that the English Government should cause the purely legal aspect of the proceedings to be investigated. If the second is adopted, the doctors declare that it can be shown that the warrant was obtained ultra sires. No doubt the case is a hard one; but at the same time the English authorities must do nothing to shield Dr. Herz, because he is in very bad health. Could not Dr. Herz's lawyers apply for a mandamus to prevent the execution of the warrant, and so get the case heard P That is only a layman's suggestion ; but surely there must be some way out of the difficulty.
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