WWI United States Special passport

 

Vice-Governor of the Philippine Islands.

 

It is not that often that opportunity knocks on ones door. A few months ago I had the chance of finding an important document and was lucky enough to add it into my collection.

 

United States special passport number 800 was issued during the height of World War One and was made to use to an exotic location in the Pacific.

 

The passport was issued to Charles E. Yeater on July 17^th 1917 at Washington by Frank Polk (1871-1943) who at the time was counselor to the United States Sate Department, an appointment from September 16^th 1915. Interesting to note that according to his biographical history he became acting Secretary of State on 1920, but the document here singed by him indicates that he was already acting as Secretary of State…rather odd.

 

The document was issued to Charles Yeater upon his appointment to the post (June 29^th 1917) and used continuously up to his return back to the US in 1921, up to termination of his duty as Vice-Governor to the Philippine Islands.

 

In 1919 he was also acting as Governor General and in 1920 he even took a journey to Europe, Italy and Greece with a short brief visit to the British Mandate of Palestine, entering and exiting via Alexandria. His records also indicating he was in the above mentioned position from March 5^th to October 14^th of 1921.

 

The passport is full with exotic official visas including those to Japan and China and even to the Russian city of Vladivostok, with the visa being issued by the French Consulate in Manila.

 

I have added images of this well travelled official passport along with documents that came together with it in one lot.

 

 

Thank you for reading “Our Passports”.