Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-01-23
A CLASH WITH GERMANY
Critical Incident of the Late
Chinese War.
GEN. oHAFFEEs VIGOROUS ACTION
AmerisAA Ofiicer's Protest Against
Wanton Destruction OF Historic
Building at Peking Resulted In an
International Observation-Disclosures
Note Appeased Germans.

Building at Peking Resulted In an
International Dispute-Dtplomatis
Note Appeased Germans.
Former Attorney General Griggs In
recent talk let out some state secrets
regarding the ev,ntr which followed
the landing of the allied forces on Chi
nese soil in the summer OF 1901 and
told OF a clash between Germany and
the United States never uefore related.
says Washington special to the Chi
cago Tribune.
THE story which General Chafree is
now telling said Mr.. Griggs, about
how America saved SS0.0OO,0O0 for the
Chinese government reads almost like
romance, and yet there Is another
story In connection with our forces In
China which | am surprised American
newspapers have never learned OF, and
that Is about a letter General Chaffee
mander in chief of the allied forces In
China.
shortly after the entrance OF the
German forces into Peking the soldiers
of the kaiser entered into and de-
stroyed the great and historic observa
tory in that city. So tiagralt was the
outrage that General Chatfee wrote Il
letter of protest to Won Waldersee.
The letter OF General Chaffee was
read one morning at a cabinet meeting,
a h.. ,nnalYctpn ~ In n,
the members of the cabinet were found
applauding the sentiments therein ex-
pressed | can only remember the
tenor of the letter, and now that the
Chinese war is a closed incident and
our soldiers, as well as the soldiers Of
the nations, have been drawn from the
celestial empire it seems the incident
of the Chaffee letter should accompany
the story General Chaffee Is now tell
ing,
I'm substance the letter was pro
test against the destruction of so an
cient all observatory as that OF Pc
king. In the letter General Chaffee
said it was the act Of barbarians. and
he wanted TO protest as strongly as he
possibly could against such ruthless
demolition. In due course General
Won Waldersee returned the letter to
the German ambassador at Washing.
ton without comment. Speck Won Stern
burg, then charge d'affaires, presented
the letter to Secretary Hay and de.
manded an apology from the American
government.
ut was a serious moment in the Chi.
nese situation. General Chaffee's let
ter was not couched In diplomatic
language 1t was the letter of a stur-
useless and wanton destruction Of
property that should have been held
sacred.
"Speck Won Sternburg. who Is q
splendid fellow, is at the same time
the perfect embodiment of the I'M
perialism Of his august majesty. Stern
burg was greatly excited. and he was
rushing around demanding reparatiol
for the gross insult General Chaffee
had put upon the commander in chief
VI TIC III NbIHd W Nus
necessary for the cabinet to move In
the matter, and it was finally decided
to write q letter that would appease
the angry feelings of the kaiser and
Won Waldersee.
THAT letter was read to Mr. McKin
ley's cabinet before 1t was sent. l dc
not now recall who wrote 1t, but II
was read by Secretary Hay. l believe
that President Mckinley had some
thing to do with its preparation. Al
least it was satisfactory to the Ger
man government. 1t was a master
piece of diction, and 1t served Its pur
pose. If l were General Chaffee, moth
ing would give Inc more pleasure thar
to have the original of the letter he
wrote Won Waldersee and the letter OF
apology, so called, framed, so future
generations might see how an Ameri
can soldier conducted himself in for
eign war"