New-York tribune., 1907-10-06
/ O

that OF obedience.
The officers, looking at another. settled
INTO their seats and IN almost instant the silence
IN the room had grown painful The Governor,
still holding his papers before him, slowly con-
tInued.
Fearing trickery the part of prospective
enemy | doubted the authenticity of my mstruc-
tions | used a secret code which has never gone
beyond the hands Of the most confidential men III
my department, and to my surprise received abso-
lutte confirmation. To You of the army Will say
that before this verIhcatlon was received, Your
General and here he turned to his white haired
COnfrere had been the recipient OF a command from
the Secretary OF War of the United States couched
in almost the same terms
AT the conclusion OF his speech, this fine old
man sank back into his chair with bowed head as II
the disgrace Of his country was his own. There
was a more or less digniied discussion participated
in by the older officers present but interrupted
now and then by some of the younger men, who
favored totally Ignoring the orders, and defending
the islands to the death. The cooler heads among
them prevailed, and at last It recognized thst
there was alternative absolute and unQuali-
fed surrender.
Before the meeting could be officially dispersed
the sullen boom Of gun came heavily from the
sea, reverberatlng through the room. ne men
sprang 10 their feet and rushed toward the exit,
knowing that upon them, but that their
hands tied as hopeiessy as though bound with
manaCles of steel.
There, within range Of their own heavier guns,
foated a formidable fleet from Japan. Even while
their conference progress, cruiser after cruiser
and floating forts OF steel had crept up over the
horizon. The Japanese gunners We're testing their
range, but no damage had been done. saW a
procession Of crestiallcn men. gong as II to funcr
enter their fortress gates and silently gather round
the great flagstaff from which hoated a hitherto
unsullIed banner. \ grim old man grown gray IN
war and SCARED with the marks Of many battles,
walked to the halyards, gave them pull, and
brought huttering to the ground the flag under
which he had fought vahantly. \ Colonel Il
his staff took from the hands OF an orderly Cotn
Of white the emblem the world over of defeat with
without honor, fastened 1t into the idle loops, and
pulled It aott
1.,,. I..
broken old man, turned away from his colleagues,
walked across the parade, and the door 81 ms quar-
tcrs closed upon him. Several other members Of
his stan did likewise. and still others stood silent
on the rampurt>. watching the outcome OF this
event. The ships ceased firing, and AS Il pcrplcNcd
10y this unwarrantcd outcome, seemed I" he COM
nuncating with each other dcNtcrou-y "lgNaggng
signal after signal torpedo boat destroyer s"" "
separated itself from the fota and came suSpclousy
nos.ng rs way toward the land. winding IN and out
as fearing floating mines or sunNcn engines 81
destruction
- As it ncarcd the shore. it was seen that on its
black deck stood the Admiral OF the fleet, together
with his staff. They We're met 1T the landing by
dcpudtion of officers, both civil and military, Who
escorted them the tort. No can depict the
expressions, hall surprise and half inquiry, which
oVer~pread the Countenantes al tins insignltcant
invading force party ot less than ten men with
out arms was actually accomplishing the most rc-
,narkthle conquest in al history.
" At the entrance L. tins city Of masonry and steel
equipped with silent monsters Of warfare. cmbody-
.ug AL the latest and most formidable instruments
OF orcnsc and dctcuse, built to withstand the
saught of the Conltu:cd naVlcS and armies OF the
world stood the sullen, shamefaccd officers of the
Eanquished garrison, the gilt Of their full dress
uniforms uutarnshcd bv powder or smoke and
shining garshly . q midday sun. There drawn up
n line, men no would have fought to death
and gone eNultartly out into another world rather
than face the disgrace which had now been hcaped
upon them by an unworthy clique OF superors in
office
The japanese Admiral advanced to the sacri-
feed but not defeated General and extended his
hand offering the commonplace courtcsics Of the