Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-09-08
one SHOT MEANT WAR.
BUT THE GERMANS WISELY RE-
FRAMED FROM FIRING IT.
The Yankee Commander Leary Was
Ready for the Fray and Proved
Too Piucky and TactfuI for
His OppOnent-A Story
Samoa
of Samoa.

lees Magazine. in which the writer tells
how Commander Leaiy brought the
German naval force in Samoa TO terms
some years ago. He say>:
1t was at the outbreak of civil strife
that Captain Leary arrived AT Apia in
the American war>hip Adams. DR..
Knappe was then the German CONSUL
al Apia, and he and Commander Fritze
of the German war,hip Adler carried
on affairs with an mperl"uS hand.
Feeling ran high hctweru the Germans
un one hand nnd the Americans and
English tn the other rar Germans
bonn bal ded village, un vaiipnS preieXtS,
fired upon unarmed naive, AMI gay"
open aid To Tamasesc
Captain Leary at that time was
commander. and it was not long before
he and Captain Fritze had some lively
interchanges of compliments. On one
occasion the Adler steamed past the
American ship with native chief
bound to her foremast The German
saluted when she passed. but no an
swer came back from the American.
Soon the German came 10 a standstill
A boat was dispatched to ascertain
why the American had not answered
the salute. Commander Leary sent
the Teuton tins characteristic reply,
The United States does not salute
vessels engaged in the slave carrying
trade"
But an incident which best illustrates
Commander Leary's grit and determine
alton and which deserves 10 live in
song and story occurred IN the waters
near Apia on Nov. Is, 1888. Strained
relations came to crisis then and war
between the United States and Ger
many seemed inevitable.
On the day previous message came
from Mataafa TO inform Commander
Leary that the Germans had threaten
ed to attack Mataafa in his stronghold
on the morrow. Both Mataafa and
Tamasese had intrenched themselves
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 prop
erly under his protection.
According to the German program,
the Adler was to lombard at dawn.
Captain Leary quietly prepared 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 muilled his an
Choir chains with native mats, and at 4
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
tor the open sea. Noiselessly came mp
the Yankees anchors, and TO the
amazemcnt of the Adler the Adams
was close upon her heels. The Ger.
man had to turn to get out of the har-
Dor, and by the time she reached the
entrance the two ships were close to.
gether Again the German turned
and then headed toward the fort that
was to be bombarded. Commander
Leary ran his ship between the German
and the shore and when about SOC
yards from the Adler gave the order:
CLEAR for action!'
At once the decks were cleared, and
the guns were trained. The German
followed suit and the two ship:
r steamed along the coast ready for the
fray.
: A shot from either vessel meant wal
between the two countries. When OPP
J 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 not,
TO the German commander:
81 have the honor to inform yot
that, having received information tina
American property in the Latoga vi
= L 4 c. l.