Show M FITZGERA T Chicago sHerald A small contingent of American in infantry infantry infantry fantry under a second lieutenant re recently ref f guarded a British woodpile in China from the threatened attack of tome some Russian troops This little international courtesy courtes while hile it threatened to precipitate a fight was thoroughly appreciated w by the English Englishmen men The incident brings to mind an another another another other case of international courtesy be between between between tween American and British troopers which however so far from having connected with it even ever a suspicion of lighting fighting ting resolved itself some ome me sat satisfactory satisfactory and substantial feeding Some of the elders will wUl that it was not ant until shortly after the close of the controversy between Great Greit Britain and the United States over territory In the northwest passed away When the th line at 49 4 degrees was wa Battled t upon as the boundary the question of the owner ownership ownership ownership ship of the islands between Washing Washington ton territory and Vancouver was still unsettled The United States by terms of the treaty was as to have the lands islands i east of the channel There were ere two channels and the question as to h was meant was left to the Sm m peron peroz of Germany to decide If the western passage a m meant nt there be belonged belonged belonged longed to the t tbt tes s several veral s is islands islands islands lands which would w uld be lost if the treaty treat were wee construed in its wording to mean the lire passage to the tle east Oa s While this matter was in abeyance the two governments felt it necessary in order not to lose prestige to main maintain maIntain tain tam th the disputed ground The Th United U ned States s represented by byone byone byone one coi th tI Ninth Infantry Infantry infantry try while there t tw Q companies of British regulars ana aita several officers representing the rival power In com corn command command mand of the little American contingent was Second Michael J T Fitzgerald Fitsgerald who had been through gh the civil ehn war as a a noncommissioned officer officer officer and who had ben been b n given his step stepin in the th regular service s for gallantry When the young oung officer was about to leave San Francisco General McDow McDowell ell eLI th el in the t he division of ot the Pacific sent for t Jh and Impressed upon him the delicate e nature of his mission As a matter of fact Mc Dowell Dowen was afraid from Fitzgeralds name that there might be in him enough hereditary feeling the British soldiers to make It very easy for him to find an excuse to precipitate trouble S Above all an things Lieutenant Fitz Fitzgerald Fitzgerald Fitzgerald gerald said tire the tb general ge elal observe the rules of international courtesy Ill Tn do that same s me general answer answered ed Fitzgerald promptly Therell be beno beno beno no war growing out of my treatment of the redcoats The Th p next day he set sail for his north northern northera ern era post p st ith his little band of fol followers followers lowers 0 The American and British garrisons were only an hours trip apart When Lieutenant Fitzgerald l was installed finally in his quarters and was feeling the weight we ht of being not only company commander but commanding officer of ofa ofa a United States garrison garrion garri n he was called upon in turn by each of f the half halt dozen officers stationed a 8 f r v miles beyond the hill bill Fitzgerald returned the calls promptly and shortly thereafter was invited to dine with six Englishmen as hosts At that dinner the American Am rIcan lieutenant nant was entertained royally There was nothing in the British gar garrison risen rison that was too good for him As Ashe Ashe Ashe he put it afterward to his comrades in inthe Inthe the states It was a wet night When Fitzgerald Fitzg had returned return d to his quarters and three weeks had passed away he it was about time to prepare to return in some way the hospitality of the Englishmen The supplies at his disposal were a jug of whisky and the ordinary army rations There was nothing good barring that which was in the British possession po nearer than San Francisco Fitzgerald was a R aman man manof of expedient The next boat carried d some Borne commissions ions to the California metropolis Three weeks afterward six British officers and the handful of civilian officials both American and English that were on the island re solved each a communication Lieuten Lieutenant ant Fitzgerald FItz was no mere dinner giver Upon opening the envelope con containing taming his communication each recipient ent fourth a handsomely engraved invitation tation surmounted by the arms of the I United States in colors It reads as asI I f fellows follows THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF FORT SAN JUAN RESPECTFULLY REQUESTS THE PRESENCE OF CAPTAIN MAURICE FITZHERBERT AT A BANQUET B BANQUETS S GIVEN THANKSGIVING THAN S EVE 1886 1866 e A week afterward a round hundred large packages pac ages arrived from Crom San Fran Francisco Francisco Francisco cisco Fitzgerald erald told about twenty of his M h soldiers s that It would not do for an i American officer to be outdone in hos lios hospitality He forthwith proceeded to instruct the twenty in duties as wait waiters waiters ers em He picked out of the command four tour or five musicians and had them provided with instruments When the British officers and the civilian con contingent Contingent arrived and preliminary cour courtesies tastes w were re exchanged they were shown into a banquet hall hail with a table glit gut glittering with cut glass and silver They ate of delicacies and that none of them hem thought could be found nearer than New York and they drank of wines that none other than the cel cellar Jar lar of a connoisseur could have h ve con contained I There was a waiter for every evOry eV ry guest IDlest and the music lagged not until I pie th speaking began bega It was all aU over I however about three hours after the host had excused himself hims lt lf temporarily to attend reveille roll call 3 Q v Lieutenant Michael J Fitzgerald looked at the th pile of tf Mils DIns rendered In amount they were 1469 The banquet had cost 75 76 a plate late He looked at his monthly pay Day account In three weeks he would have cash c in hand to the amount of Lieutenant all attl passed the night in thought In the morning there was a ft l lok ok of relief upon his face In an hours time there was ready for transmission to headquarters in n San fan an Francisco some official envelopes marked In red ink and nd large letters International Courtesies were bills for pate de fole fote gras rare old Burgundy and other things With rUh the inclosure v it this Excerpt from Ma Major Major jor br General Instructions Above all things Lieutenant Fitzgerald aId ald observe the rules rul 8 of international I courtesy McDowell fumed d and tradition lath It that he swore hut he ordered the bills paid out of the contingent fund I and the memory of that banquet in the wilds of one of the islands which now forms part of San Sad Sa Juan Tuan county of the state of Washington lives Jives to this day in inthe Inthe inthe the minds of several of her bel soldiers EDWARD B CLARK |