William Franklin Sands
Encyclopedia
William Franklin Sands (1874–1946) was a United States diplomat most known for his service in Korea
on the eve of Japan's colonization of that country.
on July 29, 1874, the son of James Hoban and Mary Elizabeth (Meade) Sands, grandson of Benjamin Franklin
and Henrietta M. (French) Sands, and a descendant of Hobert Sands, who came to America in 1776 and settled at West River, Maryland. Members of the family played a prominent part in every war since the American Revolution
. William F. Sands was educated at the College de St. Michel in Fribourg
, Switzerland
, and at Feldkirch
, Austria
and then attended Georgetown College
(class of 1896). He went on to graduate from Georgetown University Law School, where he received the LL.B. degree, also in 1896. Following graduation, Sands was immediately appointed second secretary of legation at Tokyo
, and in the following year became the first secretary of legation at Seoul
, where he remained two years. During the years 1900-1904 he served as adviser to Emperor Gojong of Korea, succeeding Clarence Greathouse
and General Charles Legendre
, both of whom had died in Seoul in 1899. It was during this period, in 1901, that Sands received the Cross of the Legion of Honor of France and was made a chevalier of that order for protecting French missionaries during an uprising on the island of Jeju. He was also decorated by the Korean emperor for having assisted in stamping out this uprising without loss of life. At the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War
Sands was succeeded by Durham White Stevens, and reentering the U.S. diplomatic service, became first secretary of legation at Panama
under Charles E. Magoon in 1905. Two years later he proceeded to Guatemala
in the same capacity, and in 1908 became first secretary of embassy in Mexico
. From 1909 he became envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Guatemala. In 1911, Sands presented James Speyer & Co. of New York in Ecuador for the projected construction of the Guayaquil
waterworks as a safeguard against the last west stronghold of yellow fever
and bubonic plague
. While in Ecuador Sands made a study of the Alfaro-Estrada revolution. During the years 1915 and 1916 he represented George McFadden & Co.·of Philadelphia at London for the solution of the British naval seizures of non-contraband cotton. When that was settled, Basil Miles of the U.S. State Department sent him a cable asking him to help organize the relief of the German and Austrian prisoners of war in Russia - about 1,000,000 prisoners of war and over 500,000 interred civilians.
William Sands married Edity Gertrude, daughter of John M. Keating of Philadelphia on August 17, 1909. He died on June 17, 1946.
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
on the eve of Japan's colonization of that country.
Biography
William Franklin Sands was born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on July 29, 1874, the son of James Hoban and Mary Elizabeth (Meade) Sands, grandson of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin F. Sands
Rear Admiral Benjamin F. Sands was an officer in the United States Navy during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.-U.S. Navy career:...
and Henrietta M. (French) Sands, and a descendant of Hobert Sands, who came to America in 1776 and settled at West River, Maryland. Members of the family played a prominent part in every war since the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. William F. Sands was educated at the College de St. Michel in Fribourg
Fribourg
Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and at Feldkirch
Feldkirch, Vorarlberg
- Schools :* Bundesgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Feldkirch * Bundeshandelsakademie und Bundeshandelsschule Feldkirch* Bundesoberstufenrealgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Schillerstrasse...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and then attended Georgetown College
Georgetown College
Georgetown College is a small, private liberal arts college located in Georgetown, Kentucky, United States. Chartered as a college in 1829, Georgetown College was the first Baptist college west of the Allegheny Mountains...
(class of 1896). He went on to graduate from Georgetown University Law School, where he received the LL.B. degree, also in 1896. Following graduation, Sands was immediately appointed second secretary of legation at Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, and in the following year became the first secretary of legation at Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, where he remained two years. During the years 1900-1904 he served as adviser to Emperor Gojong of Korea, succeeding Clarence Greathouse
Clarence Ridgeby Greathouse
Clarence Ridgeby Greathouse was an American journalist, lawyer, and diplomat serving in Japan and Korea. In Korea he was most renowned for leading the investigation into the murder of that country's Queen Min in October 1895....
and General Charles Legendre
Charles Le Gendre
Charles William Joseph Émile Le Gendre was a French-born American general and diplomat, who served as advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Empire of Japan from 1872 to 1875 and as advisor to Emperor Gojong of the Korean Empire from 1890 to 1899.-Early life:Le Gendre was born in...
, both of whom had died in Seoul in 1899. It was during this period, in 1901, that Sands received the Cross of the Legion of Honor of France and was made a chevalier of that order for protecting French missionaries during an uprising on the island of Jeju. He was also decorated by the Korean emperor for having assisted in stamping out this uprising without loss of life. At the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
Sands was succeeded by Durham White Stevens, and reentering the U.S. diplomatic service, became first secretary of legation at Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
under Charles E. Magoon in 1905. Two years later he proceeded to Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
in the same capacity, and in 1908 became first secretary of embassy in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. From 1909 he became envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Guatemala. In 1911, Sands presented James Speyer & Co. of New York in Ecuador for the projected construction of the Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
waterworks as a safeguard against the last west stronghold of yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
and bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
. While in Ecuador Sands made a study of the Alfaro-Estrada revolution. During the years 1915 and 1916 he represented George McFadden & Co.·of Philadelphia at London for the solution of the British naval seizures of non-contraband cotton. When that was settled, Basil Miles of the U.S. State Department sent him a cable asking him to help organize the relief of the German and Austrian prisoners of war in Russia - about 1,000,000 prisoners of war and over 500,000 interred civilians.
William Sands married Edity Gertrude, daughter of John M. Keating of Philadelphia on August 17, 1909. He died on June 17, 1946.
Publications
- Sands, William F. Undiplomatic Memories. New York: Whittlesey House, McGraw-Hill Book Co, 1930.
- Sands, William F, and Joseph M. Lalley. Our Jungle Diplomacy. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1944.