Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-09-04
ONE SHOT MEANTWAR
BUT The GERMANS WISELY REFRAIN
cd From FIRING 1T.

Ready For the Fray and Proved
Too PIucky and TactfuI For His
Opponent-A story of samoa.
! The pluck and grit of American ma
val officers are APPLY illustrated in an
article by Henry Collins Welsh in
Ainslee's Magazine, in which the writ
| er tells how Commander Leary
| brought the German naval force in Sa-
| moa TO terms some years ago. He
| says:
1t was at the outbreak of civil strife
that Captain Leary arrived ut Apia in
the American warship Adams. DR..
| knappe was then the German consul
| at Apia, and lie and Commander
| FritZe of the German warship Adler
! carried on affairs with an 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 uuarmed ma
tiyes and gave open aid to Tamasese.
Captain Leary at that time was a
commander, and it was not long be-
fore he and Captain Fritze had some
lively interchangcs of compliments.
On one occasion the Adler steamed
past l4lc All4cA4CdH sup Will Hdllhe
chief bound to her foremost. The Ger
man saluted when he passed, but no
answer came back from the American.
Soon the German came TO Il standStill
\ 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
IL,
trade"
But an incident which best Illus
trates Commander Leary's grit and de-
termination and which deserves to live
in song and story occurred in the wa
tiers near Apia on Nov. 10, 1855.
Strained relations came TO u crisis
then, and war between the United
States and Germany seemed inevita-
bic.
on the day previous a message came
from ATataafa 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 intrcnchcd them
selves in fortified places about seven
miles from Apia upon land under
American protection. Mataafa asked |
: for advice, and Commander Leary told
1hf4hJ through tie 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 Lcary 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 We're 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 amaZemcnt of the |
Adler the Adams was close upon her |
heels The German had to turn to |
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 500 yards from the Adj
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
\ shot from either vessel meant war
between the two countries. When OPP
positc 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:
Il have the honor to inform you
that, having received information that
American property in the Latoga vi
cinity OF Laulii, 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 at their
guns, but no shot came from the Ger
mans. lie was ready TO war upon the
Samoans, but war with the United
States was another matter.
At length the German started on n
cruise along the coast. but he could not
shake of the persistent Yankee. Final
~ he renowned his designs and re-
turned to his anchorage in Apia bay.
To her anchorage came also the Adj
ans. and Commander Leary had won
the game.