A Cool Appropriation.
In Tokio, before leaving tor Mau« churia, General Fukushima asked mo to bring my entire outfit to the office oi the Genera] StaiT, X spread it out on the ilocr, and, with unerring) accuracy, lie selected IVom it the three articles of greatest value. They were the gold medal cot, the Elliot chair,, and Preston's water bottle. He asked if he could borrow these, and, understanding that he wanted to copy thoin for his own use,* und supposing that if he used them, he »woulid, of course, make some resUtu- . tion to the ollicers who invented I them, I foolishly loaned them to him. Later, he issued them in numibers to the General Sta.fi. As X felt in a manner responsible, I wrote to the Secretary for War, saying X wassure the Japanese army did not wish, to benefit by these inventions without making Sonne acknowledgment or return to the inventors. But. the Japanese War OHico could not see the .point I tried to make, and thj General Staff wrote a letter in reply, asking why 1 had not directed my communication to General Fukushima, as it was not the Secretary of War, but he, who had teuken tho urticlfes. '1 he fact that they were being issued without any return being mado did not interest them. They passed cheerfully over the fact that the articles had been stolen, and were indignant, not because I had accused a Japanese general of pilfering, but because X had accused the wrong general. The letter was so insolent that I went to the General Staff Office and explained that tho officer whoi wrote il must withdraw it and apologise for it.. Both of which thingsl he did. In case the gentleman whoso inventions were "borrowed" might, if he w-ished, take further steps in the matter, I sent the documents in the case, with the exception of tha letter which was withdrawn, to the chief of the General Staff in .the United States and in England.—From "■ Kits and Outfits," by Richardj Harding; Davis in Scribfler's Magazine..
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Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7840, 5 June 1905, Page 4
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345A Cool Appropriation. Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7840, 5 June 1905, Page 4
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