The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-25
American Wnrships Landed Blue
Jackets on British Isle of Trinidad,
Where Fire Swept Port of Spain,
and Received PFofuse Thanks from
Gov. BroOme-OmeiaI Statement.


public to show that precisely the same
things were done IN March, 1895, when the
city of Port Of Spain, In Trinidad, a Brit
ISL island. just as Jamaica, when more
than 200 men from the New York. the
Raleigh and the Cincinnati were put
ashore to fight a fire. An officer was
dispatched ashore to offer assistance, but
before his return the FIRE had assumed
such proportions that the fire parties
from the three ships were landed with
out waiting for any formal request
The attitude OF F. Napier Broome, the
governor of Trinidad, was most different
from that Of Gov. Swettenham. Gov.
Broome was profuse in his thanks for
the aid rendered and said that he would
be obliged if Admiral Meade. in command
Of the American squadron, would permit
the government Of Trinidad 10 pay for
any loss 10 the men caused by the FIRE
injuring their clothing or equipment This
is but one Of various incidents which fur
nish precedents for Admiral Davis action
In Kingston last week.
Make Request for Men.
II appears from the statement made by
the Navy Department yesterday after
noon that Admiral Davis sent six men
ashore % guard the consulate without
permission; at least il is not shown chat
he did make any formal request Later.
however. the colonial secretary and the
inspector Of police, speaking for the gov
eminent, made an earnest request that
fifty meH from the American ships be
sent 10 the peuitentiary TO guard the
mutinous prisoners. This was done. OH
Gals here believe that if the presence
Of the nifty men 70 guard the penitentiary
was permissible there could have been
no sensible objection 70 the six men who
were looking after the American con-
sulate. On the same day the landing
parties from the American vessels went
ashore Gov Swettenham requested Ad-
miral Davis 10 order their re-embark-
ment. This was done Immediately.
The Navy Department yesterday made
public the texts II jhe letters exchanged
between Admiral Davis and Gov SWEET
teuham. They do not differ materially
from the copies published in this c0uu-
try. There are some changes in Unim-
pOrtant words. such as cOnjunctiOns and
articles. due no doubt. 10 cable opera
tons but in all essential details Gov.
Swettenham's letter is just as distasteful
in this official form as il was when pub
lished in the newspapers.
The letters were forwarded to the Navy
Department by telegraph by Rear Adj
miral Evans at Guantanamo, to whom.
as commander Of the Atlantic fleet Ad-
miral Davis made his report. Il now
appears that Gov. Swettenham wrote two
letters 10 Admiral Davis on January is
one Of thanks and the other q tacit re-
quest for the Americans to get out. The
existence Of the first letter which was
very short, was not known until to-day
when Admiral Evans report came ir.
This communication merely said.
81 beg 20 thank your eXcelleucv for the
kind assistance which ycu have rendered
70 the government of this colony I have
the honor 70 be. sir.
Your obedient servant.
"A. J. SWETTENHAM, Governor.
The second letter. more important than
the first. was the one that caused the
trouble
Navy Departments Statement.
Following is the statement made by the
Navy Department:
The department has received the full
text Of the correspondence between Ad-
miral Davis. commanding the squadron of
naval vessels which recently visited King
ston. Jamaica, after the earthquake. and
SIR Alexander Swettenham, governor OF
Jamaica.
From this correspondence it appears
that Admiral Davis landed a party of six
men for the purpose of guarding and Sc
curing the archives Of the American con-
sulate. and another party Of ten men for
the purpose Of clearing away the wreck
age. Later, upon the earnest entreaty of
the colonial secretary and the inspector of
police. who spoke for the governor (the
governor being absent from the city and
at Kings House, some three miles dis
tanO, fifty men were landed under arms
from the Indiana 20 overawe an alleged
mutiny at the penitentiary. containing
five or six hundred prisoners. Admiral
Davis then proceeded by carriage to visit
the governor at Kings House, and found
him living with mis- family in tents. and
was accompanied back to the city by the
governor. That same afternoon, upon re-
quest Of the governor, the men were
withdrawn from shore and returned 10
their ships.
The action of Admiral Davis in land
ing, under the circumstances, is not with
out precedent, there being numerous
cases to justify it, and as an incident "a
copy Of a report by Rear Admiral r. W.
Meade. L. 5. n. in landing men at Port
of Spain. Trinidad. to suppress a fire, and
a letter by the governor of the Island OF
Trinidad expressing his gratitude for the
action Is shown herewith
Bishop Nuttan Cables Thanks.
| The Most Rev. Dr. Enos Nuttall, lord
archbishop of the West Indies and chair
/ man OF the Kingston relief committee,
yesterday cabled to President Roosevelt
/ thanking him for the prompt aid rendered
/ by the American war ships under Rear
/ Admiral Davis The dispatch follows;
we all appreciate deeply American
/ sympathy in our distress and the prompt
visit of your men-of-war for our sUcc0r.
/ Happily, the supply of food available for
/ the relief committee is sufficient After
meeting the cost Of this. our next great
want will be the means Of making small
houses habitable. Ali our people are be-
/ having splendidly.'
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