The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-14
ANE. BUTTERFLY
N REAL LIFE
Story of Leavenworth's SOL
dier'S Filipino Love
SAYS SHE'S NOT HIS WIFE
Something of the Customs in
the Orient
SAYS SHE'S NOT HIS WIFE

NINE. Butterfly, OF have seen il on the
stage in the wonderfully artistic setting
provided for it by Mr.. Belasco. will have
no difficulty in tracing an analogy be-
tween its plot and the real story OF
Lieut.. Sydney Burbank. of the United
States Infantry.
The romance of Lieut. Burbank has
been limited at briefly in the newspaper
dispatches recently and has been the
basis of a rather remarkable decision,
just announced. by the Judge Advocate
General at Washington.
The Lieutenant. who is a handsome.
gallant young fellow. quite the type OF
the hero of Nine. Butterhy'-if a man
who plays part like that can under
any circumstances be called a hero-re-
turned few months ago from the Phil
ippines, where he has been serving for
several years. TO his home in Leaven-
worth. Kan. He had left a sweetheart
behind when he was sent TO the Philip
pines. and when he came back he left
another in the far eastern islands, Fill
Pine girl the Nine Butterfly OF actual
life. He evidently did not find it hard
10 take up the old love when he was OF
with the new for his engagement TO his
Kansas sweetheart was announced not
long ago after his return from the Phil
ippines.
In the book and the play Nine. But
ter1y" sits in her bamboo home, with the
lonesome rice fields stretching as far as
her eyes can see. and. with her baby and
the faithful woman attendant who never
her ~ d.U first
cheerful with wistful hopelessness. and
at last with dumb grief for the return
of the man she loves-the American on
Ger whose wife she imagines herself 10
be- He has leased their little home TO-
999 years, as he playfully told her, making
a joke in his American way of this Jap
anese business custom as he did most
other things, and in her untutored and
ingenious mind this is strong proof that
he will ultimately return. Surely he
would not have rented the pretty cottage
for so long a time II he had not meant 10
come back to her. But this strand in her
rope of sand fails like the others. He does
not come and at last she dies suicide.
The NINE. Butterfly" OF the Philip
pines appears rather different in the Sc
quel. The countries of the east (espec
tally the Philippines have been some
what Americanized-we call II civilized
since Mr.. John Luther Long book was
written That she waited, like her pro-
totype OF Japan. many days In the
matched cottage OF bamboo which they
had shared together for the homecoming
of her lieutenant Is not to be doubted
But at the end she was not so resource
less as her japanese sister had been. She
did not kill herself She had learned
perhaps. that tragedy is old-fashioned in
America. She came to San Francisco In
search Of her lieutenant. She failed, OF
course. TO find him there. and the journey
across the great country that spread out
east of her for thousands Of miles was
too much for her waning courage. She
started back for the Philippines, 10 walt
again for his coming. but before she left
San Francisco she found a friend, who
advised her 10 lay her case before the
War Department at Washington. This
she did
The Judge Advocate-General has just
announced a provisional decision. II
shows that the War Department is not
romantic Lieut. Burbank contended IN
his defense that he had not married the
gill OF the Filipinos. She had sent 10 the
Department a copy Of a marriage certit-
cate The Judge Advocate held that the
certificate was not properly witnessed and
that the case must be further investi-
gated. He also took occasion to declare
that in all cases ike tbs land there are
said 20 De many or record the War De-
partment would do nothing for the WON
en- Of the Philippines. or 10 punish the
recreant American soldiers. unless legal
marriage were actually proved.
John Luther Long. writing for the New
York World. says:
Another score OF our army officers have
deserted their Filipino wives. and good
people from Olympia to Tampa Will be
duly shocked By the news Don't worry.
The Taslio girls wont All mUch-trav-
eled people know that Japan Is the home
OF hundreds OF women who have been
the wives OF one or tSo or three officers
OF the American Navy who now have
sons at Annapolis o. daughters al Vas
sar and wives IN New YORK or some
WrFTe aADuE me N4arL -te+sIAAsAH ~
Oriental IDEAS. 10 great wrong was done
these japanese girls by their sailor lovers
and no great wrong has been doae the
girls By their solder boys.
In New York moroEzuy T. Al sstsb-
lished institution in theory ~ not n prao-
tice. In the Philippines and IN Japan
morality = not essential % good reputs.
what Is grossly immoral o. Broadway
Is quite correct II Toxic. u Toxic I'M
morality - not protected BY the police IS
n Sez YORK Custom makes Ire lsT
n Tckio The police make q r. SeS
Yorx for a consideration TIE girl Of ths
yosh!wsra after : year Or two MARES
ana lives happy ever afterTard. sust
ike the giri n th- story Tie girl from
the tea gardens IN Toxic differs IN 70
way from n. Filipino Es.i -h0 hss :akea
,-to herself al American solder hus-
hs-d II neither csse - immortality. as
Americans understand g. pracfised- ~
customs - japan premise 20 establish a
standard Or morals n Philippines. ~hs-s
ther. hzs uexs- ben any. zrcoreiag %
the Testimony q al historians ard frzT-
e.ers
FttsI 1etv lad May FHipinS Esri- -
take husbands Who practically by ;hrra
out-tsh;. IN Japan = Ezkoso. c. marriage
broker. co-crcts The bsrrsiE. nrt - n
The Phalrpizes Tie fstks- Who asecs