The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-06-07
PRINCE HENRY's MISSION
A Piece of tnwriiten History Regard
ing His Visit Made Public. An Incl.
deni In His Intercourse with Our
nenaftfrrnt of State.

pro-GermAns IN the United states ana
elsewhere 10 explain and justify Ger.
man espionage and intrigue before
and during the war, give me the right
10 make in these columns disclosure
Of some historic and psychological in
terest Readers Of the Spectator in
England. and still more in America,
will remember the great interest
which attached TO Prince Henry Of
Prussias visit TO the United States IN
1902 As we are now learning, the
Kaiser was alarmed at the good feel
ing growing up between Britain and
the United States. He therefore made
n special effort to capture American
goodwill, largely in the hope of draw
ing of American sympathy from this
country. Accordingly he sent his sail
or brother to America 10 announce his
august and Imperial satisfaction with
the United States. The Americans
most kindly of hosts--gaye him the
best possible reception. At that time
Mr., Roosevelt was President, and Mr..
John Hay, one Of the ablest and most
far.sceking Of diplomatists and states
men, whether on this or the other side
of the Atlantic, was Secretary OF
State. Writing of Prince Henry's re-
ception on March lst, 1902, the Spec
tator pointed out what delightful
hosts the Americans had proved ana
were proving, but went on to express
very great doubt whether in the cir
cumstances and with the men then at
the helm the Kaiser would cut any po-
litical ice or gain any material adj
vantage by the visit or the attempts at
diplomatic bargaining sure to be con
nected with it. The article continued
as follows:
american photographers are tax
ing snapshots Of the Prince at every
turn in his progress; but the snap
shots we would like TO see would be
those of the President and Mr.. Hay
lust before and just after the Prince
had made some political request. They
would hardly look, If our view of the
American temperament is correct IKE
the faces Of some persons. The IN
finitely courteous hosts will in mo-
ment be hard business men, thinking
not of the pleasantest sentences to
say. but Of the permanent interests OF
the United States. Only the humour
might linger a little in the eye.
The article took some six days to
get to America, but as soon as 1t was
possible for return Of comments
received from MIR. John Hay, whom l
am proud TO be able to call one OF my
closest and best friends, the following
characteristic and laconic note;
Spectator March !, p. 3l7 End col
umn, halfway down.
My dear Strachey.
You are mind reader
J. H."
turned eagerly to the passage, for
I could not at the moment recoliect
what we had said, and found what
have given above. By a guess, or
(shall | say?) by piece of thought
transference, had had the good luck
to envisage exactly what had happen
ed at Washington. Prince Henry was
not merely social but political bag
man. He had asked for something.
He wanted tangible souvenir" OF
his visit He had made proposals to
the State Department Of the usual
Prussian type. By usual Prussian
type" | mean that he had asked for
concessions of territory and engage
mcnts in which all the real, and most
OF the apparent, benefit was on the
Prussian side. | do not now remem-
Der their exact nature, though later !
learned something Of their general
scope and character from Mr.. Hay.
NV only trustworthy recollection is
that Mr.. Hay referred to them With
that patient, well-bred disgust with
which he always received overtures of
this kind. He was a man Of very
factidious sense Of honor, and not
amused by the low side of life, or by
trickery even when foiled. And here
] may perhaps be allowed to interpoi-
ate another personal recollection /
remember his telling me twenty years
ago-that is, during the Spanish war
how a German diplomat in London
had approached him officially with the
request tina, portion of the Philip
nine Islands should be eeded-Heaven
tnows why-to the Kaiser can well
rccollect his contemptuous imitation Of
the manner Of the request You haf
$50 many islands; why could you mol
give us some y" asked Dir. hay
what he had replied. With some.
what grim smile he answered: ! ioid
him: Not an island--not one"
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