Show TOLD TOO MUCH TRUTH OBRIEN IS PERSONA NON GRA TA TO JAPAN Alleged Reason Why the American Military Attache at Pckln Has Been Ordered Home New York July 8A special to a local paper from Washington D C says Lieutenant M J OBrien of the army military attache at Peltln has j been directed to return home and the fact Is one which officers on duty at the War Department are discussing quietly but with much Interest Lieutenant OUrlen was attached to the legation at Ielcln shortly after the war between China and Japan began He was selected by LieutenantGeneral Schofield The course of the war would It was believed develop results i which for military reasons it would be necessary to observe and report upon up-on Other countries would have their army and navy olllccrs In China and Japan and the United States must be In a position to obtain the valuable Information on the Held and seas that these foreign representatives would secure se-cure Olllclals at the War Department will not speak frankly In relation to their unexpected action In recalling Lieutenant Lieuten-ant OBrien They say that the war in China Is at an end and there is little need of any army ollicer being retained In the Orient They say also that It has never been Intended permanently to keep an oillcer at Pekln Considering Consider-ing the circumstances this explanation < Is not considered satisfactory WellInformed subordinates at the department Intimate that the real reason 1 rea-son why the ollicer has been recalled Is a diplomatic one They speak of the case with much caution but one more talkative than the others hinted today I that Japan has Informed the State Department De-partment that Lieutenant OBrien Is i persona non grata It appears that a short time ago Mr OUrlen wrote to Minister Dun about the alleged Japanese atrocities at Port I Arthur in which letter while speakIng I speak-Ing In a complimentary manner of the general character and conduct of the Mikados troops during the campaign > he said he witnessed at that place J I shocking acts of violence and brutality jon Ion I-on the part of the Japanese The letter let-ter has not been published Besides Its 1 J signifIcance In the present connection i j It Is Interesting as the written testimony j testi-mony of an eyewitness of what took I I place at Port Arthur on the occasion about which so much has been said In press telegrams of Japanese cruelty h The letter Is dated December 28th J It reads In part As to the unfortunate circumstances at 1 > Port Arthur I can only speak of what 1 saw of course but I am sorry to say l 4 that even that little Is such as to lay the 1 < army open to the most severe cenmirejiIf Vj3p > t have seen a number of cases of the killing 1 kill-ing of men who not only could have been < made prisoners easily but who were plainly unarmed and hi a position of humble j hum-ble surrender I have also seen a number of bodies whoso hands wore tied behind I their backs Also bodies very much mutilated mu-tilated and having wounds that Indicated that they were killed with the bayonet when beyond question there was no le I 1 Blstunce I have seen these and other horrors In the ordinary course of my observations r ob-servations of tho battle while eolng to I the forts and main points of Interest i I saw no new acts of war or pillage on the 22nd and 23rd November except the loot j Ing of houses and stores hat went on l 1 until there was nothing left to loot J The letter goes on to assign a reason x for the Japanese atrocities that the army had expected greater resistance 1 than It met that with such an idea the troops began to clear the way by force J and that control over them was lost > The remark Is made I do not think this excuse Bulllclent Such acts have always met with censure and so must n this case Lieutenant OBrien says some pleasant 1 i pleas-ant things of the army which lessen but do not remove the sting of his words |