The Billings gazette., 1899-08-11
ONE SHOT MEANT WAR
BUT THE GERMANS WISELY REFRAIN
Ed FROM FIRING 1T.


Ready For the Fray and Proved
Too Plucky and Tnctful For His
Opponent-A story of samoa.
The pluck and grit of American ma.
val officers are aptly Illustrated in an
article by Henry Collins Welsh in
Ainslees Magazine, in which the writ.
er tells how Commander Leary
brought the German naval force in Su.
moa to terms some years ago. He
says:
1t was at the outbreak Of civil strife
that Captain Leary arrived at Apia in
the American warship Adams. DR..
Knappe was then the German consul
at Apia, and he and Commander
Fritze of the German warship Adler
carried on affairs with IN imperious
hand. Feeling ran high between the
Germans on one hand and the Ameri
cans and English on the other. The
Germans bombarded villages on vari-
GUS pretexts, fired upon unarmed na.
tives and gave open aid to Tamasese.
Captain Leary at that time was q
commander, and 1t was not long be.
fore he anC~Captain Frtze had some
lively interchanyes Of compliments.
On one occasion the Adler steamed
past the American ship with native
chief bound to her foremast. The Ger.
man saluted when he passed, but no
answer came back from the American.
Soon the German came to standstill.
A boat was dispatched to ascertain
why the American had not answered
the salute. Commander Leary sent
the Teuton this characteristic reply,
'"The United States does not salute
vessels engaged in the slave carrying
trade"
But an incident which best illus.
trates Commander Leary's grit and de-
tern ination and which deserves to live
in song and story occurred in the wa
ters near Apia on Nov. Is, 1888.
Strained relations came to a crisis
then, and war between the United
States and Germany seemed inevita.
BILE.
On the day previous message came
from Mataafa to inform Commander
Leary that the Germans had threaten.
ed to attack Mataafa In his strong.
hold on the morrow. Both Mataafa
and Tamasese had intrenched them.
selves in fortified places about seven
miles from Apia upon land under
American protection. Mataafa asked
for advice, and Commander Leary told
him through the messenger to stand
his ground, that he would not allow
the German to make an attack upon
property under his protection.
According to the German pro.
gramme, the Adler was to lombard at
dawn. Captain Leary quietly prepar-
ed to foil the plan. at the same time
keeping his counsel. BY using some
hard coal he had aboard he was able
to get up steam without the telltale
smoke that would have warned the
Germans of his action. Then he muf-
fled his anchor chains with native
mats, and at in the morning all
hands were quietly called to quarters.
At daybreak the anchors Of the Adler |
were hauled up and with full steam |
on the vessel made for the open sea. |
Noiselessly came up the Yankees an
chors, and to the amazement Of the
Adler the Adams was close upon her |
uccIo luc 1SILuuu lluu W luEH W
get out Of the harbor and by the time
she reached the entrance the two ships
were close together. Again the Ger.
man turned and then headed toward
the fort that was to be bombarded.
Commander Leary ran his ship be.
tween the German and the shore and
when about 300 yards from the Ad.
Ter gave the order:
"Clear for action!'
At once the decks were cleared, and
the guns were trained The German
followed suit, and the two ships
steamed along the coast ready for the
fray.
A shot from either vessel meant war
between the two countries. When op.
posite the native forts. the Adler came
to anchor, and the Adams anchored
between the German and the shore.
So close were the vessels that no guns
could be fired from the Adler without
passing over or through the Adams.
Then Commander Leary sent this note
to the German commander:
II have the honor to inform you
that, having received information that
american property IN the Latogh VI
cinity OF Lauli, Lotoanuu and Solo
Solo is liable to be invaded this day, l
am here for the purpose OF protecting
the same"
For hours the men stood ut their
guns, but no shot came from the Ger.
mans. He was ready to war upon tho
Samoans, but war with the United
States was another matter.
At length the German started on
cruise along the coast, but he could not
shake off the persistent Yankee Final
iy he renounced his designs and TO.
turned to his anchorage In Apia bay
To her anchorage came also the Ad
ans. and Commander Leary had won
the game.
be Natural.