The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-04-02
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By -
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Fearing trickery on the part of
prospective e:emy, | doubted the al
thenticity of my instructions. used
a secret code which has never gone
| beyond the hands of the most conf
Dental men in my department, and to
my surprise received absolute con-
firmatiOn. To you of the army | Will
say that before this verifiCatiOn was
received, your general and here he
| turSed to his white haired confrere,
had been the recipient of command
| from tls} secretary of war of the
| United States couched in almost the
same terms
cat the conclusion of his speech,
| this fine old man sank back into his
chair with bowed head as if the dis.
grace of his country was his own.
| There was a more or less dignified dis
cussion participated in by the older
officers present; but interrupted now
and then by some of the younger men,
who favored totally ignoring the Or
ders and defending the islands to the
death. The coolers heads among them
prevailed, and at last it was recog-
nized that there was no alternative
save absolute and unqualified surren-
der.
Before the meeting could be official.
ly dispersed the sullen boom of gun
came heavily from the sea, reverberat-
ing through the room. The men
sprang to their feet and rushed to-
ward the exit, knowing that war was
upon them but that their hands were
tied as hopelessly as though bound
with manacles of steel.
There, within range of their own
heavier guns, floated formidable fleet
from Japan. Even while their con-
ference was in progress, cruiser after
cruiser and floating forts of steel had
crept up over the horizon. The Jap
anese gunners were testing their
range; but no damage had been done
| saw a procession of crestfallen men,
going as if to a funeral, enter their
fortress gates and silently gather
round the great flagstaff, from which
fioated hitherto unsullied banner A
grim old man grown gray in war and
SCARED with the marks of many bat
ties, walked to the halyards, gave
them a pull and brought fluttering tc
the ground the flag under which he
had fought so valiantly. A colonel oil
his staff took from the hands of an
orderly a cloth of white, the emblem
the world over of defeat with or with
out honor, fastened it into the idle
loops and pulled it aloft.
"The general, warrior no longer
but heart-broken old man, turned
away from his colleagues, walked
across the parade, and the door of his
quarters closed upon Him. Severa
, other members of his staff did like
. wise, and still others stood silent or
the ramparts, watching the outcome
, of this event. The ships ceased firing
and, as If perplexed by this unwar
ranted outcome, seemed to be com
municating with each other, dexter
! ously wigwagging signal after signal
A torpedo boat destroyer slowly sepa
: rated itself from the flotilla and came
y suspiciously nosing its way toward tn
) land, winding in and out as if fearing
floating mines or sunken engines o
destruction.
CAS- it neared the shore, 1t was seel
that on it's black deck stood the aG
miral of the fleet, together with hi
staff. They were met at the landin
!, by deputation of officers, both CIV
=, and military, who escorted them I
!, the fort. No one can depict the e.
pressions, half surprise and half IL
quiry, which overspread the cou1
tenances of this insignificant invadin
force. A party of less than ten me
:. without arms was actually accom-
y plishing the most remarkable col
quest in all history
81 "At the entrance to this city {
r. masonry and steel, equipped wit
silent monsters Of warfare, embodyir
: all the latest and most formidable IL
:. struments of offense and defens
= built to Withstand the onslaught of tn
combined navias and armies of til
:. world, stood the sullen, shameface
- officers of the vanquished garrison, til
:, gilt of their full dress uniforms III
= furnished by powder or smoke, an
shining garishly in a midday SUI
- There, drawn up in line, were me
- who would have fought to death an
=. gone exultantly out into another wor'
~ rather than face the disgrace whie
~ had been heaped upon them by an u
:. worthy clique of superiors in Office.
- The Japanese admiral advanced
9 the sacrificed but not defeated &c
- eral and extended his hand, oferir
= the commonplace courtesies Of ii
~ day. There was no need of an int