The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-16
EDWARD is SORRY
England's King Didn't Mean to
Offend Kansas.
Clerk Used Wrong Form in Re-
plying to Message
CHOATE EXPLAINS n.
American Ambassador Tells
How It All Happened.
True Story Of That Famous
Weilep Resolution.

king Edward VII Acknowledges his
mistake in sending to the Kansas legis-
Iatute a message expressing thanks Tor
.he loyalty OF Kansas to the empire
when they rendered their sympathy upon
the death Of Queen Victoria Edward
has Oeen much panied" chat blunder
should have been made in his private
secretary's Office
Ambassador Choate took the matter
IN officially when the news reached Eng
land that Ed Weilep had the offensive
MESA &c expunged from the records OF rae
legislature and a letter has been recelN-
ed by TIE Joint committee from him IN
exclamation of the error Kansas ae-
cepts the apology and diplomatic rela-
tfons are again resumed with the Brit
ish empire. Ambassador Choate's letter
American Embassy. London, Feb. p.
1871
aIessrs. simons. Hoag. Ward, O'Don-
nell. Bowen. Joint Committee
Dear Sirs:-The kings private secre-
1ary has explained to me the cause Of
the unfortunate occurrence by which.
In response to the joint resolutions OF
the senate and house of representatlN rs
of Kansas expressing their profound
sympathy in the death Of the queen,
there was sent TO you the obviously IN
appropriate reply carrying the thanks of
the king for your kind expressions OF
loyalty and sympathy
AS you VIII readily understand, imn1e-
diately upon the death Of the queen VaS-
numbers Of similar messages of sylnoa-
thy poured in from all parts Of the Brit
ish dominions. as well as from all parts
of the United States and other c0ur-
tries. and. i'm order that prompt &C
acknowledgement might be made to all. the
private secretary prepared two printed
forms Of responses, one to be sent ia
answer to messages from the kings own
subjects. thanking them for their 10y
atty and sympathy" and tine other to
a1- f~ herr
the words loyalty and' were omitted.
Such was the number of these to be sent
out that the preparation and dispatch Of
them had necessarily to be entrusted 70
subordinate clerks in the private secre-
tary'S office It was by the mere mad
Nertance OF one Of these clerks that. in
answer to your resolutions. the Wroag
form was selected and sent, containing
the words loyalty and instead of the
proper form which conveyed the thanks
of the king for the kind expressions
Of your sympathy"
I have learned that the king was much
panied when he heard Of this blunder. as
ne greatly appreciated your kind mes
sage on behalf OF the senate and house
Of representatives Of Kansas. Yours
very truly, JOSEPH H CAOATE.
When King Edwards message was
received the legislature was in the throes
Of its busiest days. The committee did
not make A great show of the reply, but
offered it for record at the close OF a
days work when everything was in a
turmoil. It appeared in the printed
house journal next morning. yet few
knew It, Fred Vandegrift. the newsDa-
per correspondent ran his eye over the
page. saw the word loyalty" rose III
his seat. looked out over the tops OF his
eyeglasses with a keen, sweeping glance
over the assembled house then darte,i
down the side aisle to where Weilep sat
The hubbub that followed when Weile2
rose In his seat and demanded the strik-
ing out Of the message was exciting and
dramatic Weilep got flowers from tie
Irish-Americans for his patriotic action
and assisted his boom for governor Aud
Yandegrift was happy,-happy as only
2 news correspondent can be when he
has engineered something rich.