The Washington times., 1906-05-05
TIGER SKIN ST|RS
OFFICIAL CIRCLES
Peirce-McWade Controversy
Over MOth-Eaten Rug.
FINDS WAY TO CONGRESS
One Denies Receiving 1t as a Present: !:
Other Says 1t Was
~.s,L a Gift. -

VIII an entirely innocent but magnifi-
cent Bengal tiger skin, valued bv IT'S
owner at $500, be the means of keeping
Herbert H d. Peirce, Third Assistant
Secretary Of State, out Of the diplomatic
service?
That Is question that has arisen in
ofhcial circles since Robert McWade. a
former Philadelphia newspaper man and
deposed consul general at Canton. has
gone before the Foreign Affairs Com
nittee of the House and told an inter-
esting story about Mr.. Peirce and this
same tiger skin.
The question naturally remains. TO
what extent, If any, did the receipt OF
the handsome rug by the State Depart
ment official from q. man whose Office
ne was inspecting, go toward gaining
immunity for an official who was sup
posed to be a subject for unfavorabIe
criticism.
Peirce Received Rug.
There is 10 question that Mr.. Peirca
received the rug. But how 1t came into
his possession is the point IN which the
statements of tho two men differ. Mr..
Pelrce has expressed his desire to 90
before the same committee and tell the
members his side of the story, but it is
understood that few OF the members be-
heve he is entitled 70 a hearing for the
reason that his confidential report con-
corning Mr.. McWade should have re-
ferred to the tiger skin, If IT was forced
upon him as he now claims IT was In
stead, there is no mention. whatever of
the incident in the now famous report.
Mr. McWade maintains that Mr..
Peirce, while in his office, admired the
rug in such a suggestive manner that
he felt compelled to give IL 10 him Mr.
Peirce maintains that although he saw
the rug while he was at the consulate.
and expressed polite admiration for the
same, declined it when offered TO him
as a present and souvenir OF the trip,
declaring that owing to their respective
orflcial positions and the particular ma
ture Of his mission to Canton. It would
he impossible for him to accent. Mr.
Peirce explains his possession of tho rug
IN this way: He had bought some curlos
In the nature of tea tables. which could
not be lettered by the time of his de-
parture; he arranged with Mr. McWade
to ship them to him; when he returned
to Washington he found the tables had
arrived, and neatly packed with them
was the rug.
If tigers could talk, the dispute might
be easily settled. But this one. particu-
larry, being represented only by ita
moth-eaten skin, is hOpelessly dumb and
unable TO aid in solving the problem
once the pride Of the McWade house
hold out in China, the acknowledged OBJ
1ect of admiration on the part of a State
Department official, and envy on the
part OF every person in Canton who saw
II, the rug Is today summing itself on a
line In the backyard of the McWade
home, at 1720 Fifteenth street north
west, endeavoring thus to rid itself OF
the moths. while its owner and late pos
SCISSOR are wrangling over the question,
as 70 how IL happened to precede Mn
McWade on his return trip to Washing
ton, and make its home for nearly two
years In the storage room of the Peirce
home.
Promises to Be Interesting.
To some persons the story Of the tiger
skin promises to be interesting, and it's
Il 1.