Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-09-24

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| 1888.
From The Criterion.
1t is undoubtedly true that, while
other nations may excel the Germans
in the refinement of courtesy, no peo-
pie ever approached their official class
in the ability to be Extensively boorish at
will. The petty-or, rather, the gross
annoyances heaped upon Admiral
Dewey in Asiatic waters are we'll
known. But Dewey had definite
programme understood and approved
at Washington. While no praise can
be too high for the swiftness of decis-
ion and deed, after all, his act was
only the removal of an obstacle.
There was time when an Ameri-
can officer, far from cable communica-
tions, and without advice, felt it his
duty to act on his own responsibility
as an obstacle to definite German
programme.
The man who represented us at
Samoa in 1888 was Commander (now
captian) Richard P. Leary; better
known among his friends as "Scrappy
Dick" He is one of the grittiest men
in the navy, and has decisiveness
and fearlessness of character that
make him potentially a national hero
needing only the large opportunity.
Everyone remembers that little tea
pot tragedy in Samoa, when the Ger
man effort at land-grabbing was foiled
by it's own smallness and timidity.
There was material for marionette
epic in the abdication and exile of the
old kinglet Malietoa, who sacrificed
everything to preserve his people in
peace and succeeded only in bringing
on a bitter war. For Germany de-
ported Malietoa on a fimsy pretext
and set up toy pretender, Tamasese,
a choice 80 rank that almost the whole
nation rose against him and supported
Mata'afa, the legitimate successor.
The Americans tried to remain neu-
traL, but they could not stomach Tam
asese. Commander Leary represented
us there with the obsolete vessel, the
Adams. His ship was the only foreign
warship in those waters, except the
German Adler. The Adler, much
more powerful ship, was commanded
by a captain overzealous in his work
and even more offensive in doing it
than Dewey's neighbor, Diederich.
On one occasion he steamed past the
Adams with a native chief tied to his
foremast. His salute was not answer
ed. He stopped ship and sent off a
boat to know why. Back came the
particularly Learyan answer:
"The United States does not salute
vessels engaged in the slave-carrying
trade"
This pleased the German immensely
and his fondness for Captain Leary
Increased, when, after bombarding and
burning villages occupied only by
women and children and towing the
war canoes of the puppet Tamasese
hither and yon, the following epistolary
vitriol was received from the Amer
ican.
"Such action, especially after the
Tamasese party had been represented
as strong government, not needing
the armed support of foreign power,
appears to be violation of the princi-
Piles of international law as well as a
violation of the generally recognized
laws of humanity"
Now the foreign representatives met
and agreed on neutrality and the es-
tablishment of a neutral zone. Soon
after the Germans advertised for bids
for the removal of bridge partially
wrecked by storm. The destruction
of this bridge would give the Germans
certain strategical advantage. Cap
tain Leary read the notice, tore it
down with his own hand, set guard
of marines and had the bridge built by
his own carpenters.
A few days later the Germans paid
another tribute to common humanity.
The crew of the Adler fired two rifle
volleys into a canoe party of naked
and unarmed natives. The fact that
several of the shots struck about the
houses of foreign residents only ag-
grayated the wantonness of an act
which Captain Leary characterized, in
his report to the secretary of the navy,
as "a most dastardly disregard for the
safety of human life, as we'll as
cowardly breach of faith and neutrali-
ty." He wrote practically the same
thing translated into only slightly
more formal terms) to the German
captain.
But "Scrappy Dick" was more than
a ready letter writer. He showed that
neatness and dispatch, that cuteness
mixed with absolute fearlessness that
makes the American matchless as a
fighter.
The evening of November IA, 1888,
a runner came from Mata'afa, inform
ing Captain Leary that the Germans
had threatened to attack stronghold
which Mata' 'afa had established on land
under American protection. The Adler
was to lombard at dawn. Captain
Leary quietly ordered all his officers
aboard, and, knowing that if the Ger
mans saw him get steam up, they would
postpone the attack until some time
when the Yankee was unprepared,