PAHRC has
in its possession the papers of William Franklin Sands.According
to the 1911 edition of The American Catholic Who’s
Who Sands descended from one of the founders of Old
St. Mary’s Church in Philadelphia.A contributor to
the Messenger and Century Magazine,
awarded the Cross of the Legion of Honor of France and was a Chevalier
in the Legion for aiding the escape of French missionaries in
Korea during a rebellion.
The
Sands Papers at PAHRC consist of notebooks, manuscripts, and correspondence.The
bulk of his correspondence reflects his life as a career diplomat
in Japan, Korea, and Central America, 1896-1910; business man
with international connections, 1911-1922; teacher of history and
diplomacy at the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown
University, 1925-1937. Also he was the author of two books Undiplomatic
Memories, 1930 and Our Jungle Diplomacy,
1944 and many articles on both secular and religious subjects.In one typed manuscript Sands recounts, “… I
have dined, in white tie and tails with a .45 draped over my
shirt front and a Japanese saber leaning against my chair.And
for month I have slept that way: a revolver in one hand and a
drawn sword in the other.”
The 1902 passport from theUS Legation in Korea.
By this time Sands had become an advisor to
the Emperor of Korea and the passport bears the Imperial Seal in
red.The document also has Russian and Japanese text.As a Resident Minister to the Emperor while in court he was
expected to wear the traditional Korean uniform befitting his
rank.
He
was in Korea when the U.S., the Russians, and the Japanese were
contesting for power and he departed at the beginning of the
Russo-Japanese War.He wrote an account of the first battle
between the Japanese and Russian navies at Chemulpo, and when he
left Korea he saw the extensive damage to the Japanese ships
after the battle at Port Arthur (contrary to accounts of the
battle).
The Russian cruiser Variag which was
scuttled after the battle atChempulo.Sands writes
to his father, Admiral Sands, reminding him that he saw
the Variag under construction at Cramps Shipyard in
Philadelphia.
Later
assignments included: Central America at the time of the building
of the Panama Canal, Europe during World War I, and Russia at the
time of the March Revolution and the 1st
Provisional Government.
Initially
Sands was sent to Russia in 1916 to arrange for a prisoner
exchange between Russia and its enemies Austria and Germany, but
soon after his arrival the United States broke off diplomatic
relations with Germany and Sands was unable to complete this
assignment.Sands’ passport at that time states that
his reason for visiting Russia was commercial. Sands was an agent
for the American International Corporation in Russia, but what
his duties were for the company are not clear, although he does
mention in a letter that he was gathering information about
Russia’s resources for the company.
In
the 1920’s and 1930’s, he was increasingly concerned
with Catholic thought and education in the United States and
continued to write articles and lecture about foreign diplomacy.During WWII, Sands applied to the US government to act as an
advisor regarding the Japanese based on his years of contact and
observation but he was never granted a formal post.
Among
Sands’ many distinguished correspondents were the following:
President Theodore
Roosevelt, (1858-1919)
President William
Taft, (1853-1930)
President
FranklinDelanoRoosevelt (1882-1945)
Secretaries of State:
John Hay
(1838-1905)
Elihu Root
(1845-1937);
Philander
Knox (1853-1921);
Cordell Hull
(1871-1955).
Postmaster Gen. James A.
Farley (1888-1976)
American Minister to Panama
(later Gov. of Cuba) Charles E. Magoon (1861-1920)
Gen. George Whitefield
Davis (1839-1918)
British Ambassador to U.S.
Sir Esme Howard (1863-1936)
Prince Albert Radziwill (Of
Russia)
Frank Kellogg
Walter Lippman
Archbishop Michael J.
Curley (1879-1947)
William F. Buckley 1925
– 2008
“You
cultivate the essential virtues: high purpose, intelligence,
decency, humility, fear of the Lord, and the passion for
freedom.”
Halvey
Collection; PAHRC
William F. Buckley is being
interviewed by students for the newspaper at The Cecilian Academy
formerly in Mt.Airy.He was visiting Philadelphia to
deliver a speech entitled, “What Your Children are Being
Taught” at the Adelphia Hotel at 13th &
Chestnut on November 6, 1952.
Halvey Collection; PAHRC
“The
Bill of Rights guarantees to human beings certain protection
against arbitrary management, and I think people are human even
before the moment they are born.”
May 11, 1978 Mr. Buckley was
the speaker at the Dinner for Life hosted by Pennsylvanians for
Human Life.
On the reverse, the scroll has
the names of the bishops of Philadelphia from 1808 to 1908: Egan,
Conwell, Kenrick, Neumann, Wood, and Ryan. On the obverse are the
miter and the symbols for the Cathedral of SS. Peter & Paul,
and the two Pro-Cathedrals of Old St. Mary's and St. John the
Evangelist.
Click on Medal to go to PAHRC's
Centennial Page.
Philadelphia Archdiocesan
Historical ResearchCenter
manuscripts, and correspondence. The
bulk of his correspondence reflects his life as a career diplomat
in Japan, Korea, and Central America, 1896-1910; business man
with international connections, 1911-1922; teacher of history and
diplomacy at the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown
University, 1925-1937. Also he was the author of two books Undiplomatic
Memories, 1930 and Our Jungle Diplomacy,
1944 and many articles on both secular and religious subjects.
In one typed manuscript Sands recounts, “… I
have dined, in white tie and tails with a .45 draped over my
shirt front and a Japanese saber leaning against my chair. And
for month I have slept that way: a revolver in one hand and a
drawn sword in the other.”
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