New-York tribune., 1909-02-14
Honduras Krupp Guns


! OCCASIONS when rebel band. of consprra-
~ tor nav- received not only rifles ana
swords. but artierv winch ilsmayeC alid de
| fed them e. transport. mount. and handle,
| have been numerous and -unny. One such N
eiieut might t4le tle ,.t.e o: Little Hon
They were k-tpp make. They were pur-
chased n gt.4r fashion uE the Government {.
This had iu itself m-t1tug e. DO with the
-ttrtinF et thc revolution t'r rEc.pur- chase o.
thc gun, had long been denounced a~ wildly
cxt-lvaIsu, and wholly unnceeS~arE eNPrndl-
tt;~e. There were other causes ot al-cyutert,
and while feeling Nt- running hot Two -N-ler1-
can Ipu-uaii.t- arrived The assignments o.
one ut them nave been such that he Is known
in almost every South American port lie wa>
Well known n Honduras. HIS companion Wie
q scandinavian Baron, but an American Jour
nalist uy profession. In early DAYS AT nome
he had received some military training
lust tlr tun. and wholly uui'rc~cc1DG the
IC1rnplicati.-z To arise. h,~ friend introduced
the Baron Q, the leader ~ the rebel camp as
military man IF rare 'upll,hiuentS and the
disinaved Baron found himself handed a Ten
erai's Commission l- the spot and assigned t.
io what none ot the other rebel commanders
knew how to do.--iireot the nrIng ot the
kr,1pD guns. The p1nierou- artillery had
been seized by the rebels aUd removed IRON
the palal- ard alter short. VICIOUS hght with
the regular soldiers Rebels had enthusiast
caliy dragged the guns - the top of a hill from
which under proper guidance they could read
ilv sweep the titv Thi, done they had paused.
una bic = enjoy the splendid advantage gained.
The Baron knew As much about krupp guns
aS he dji about making an oyster cracker. lie
would have stepped uJdcStly aside, but So
earnestly did thcE plead and urge that he IN
SpeCted the big weapons concluded ne h,id
solved the manner 4 firing them had the dozen
or more shells that had been captured with the
guns brought forward and two OF them IN
serted He pointed the guns 1t an angie de
signed to send the shells over the city, the con-
spiratprs having declared 1t would not De nee
es-arY t. kill ANYBODY. that aS soon a. the
President and populacr below realized that they
could FIRE the cannon. surrender would mime
iiately follow Then IN hI- best military VOICE.
the Baron gave the order - tlrc.
OF the three hundred and fifty rebels IN the
vicinity when the word was given, some three
hundred and forty-one We're able to recall the
incident. The others We're stretched on the
ground. The guns had gone of IN all dlrec-
tions,-e,tst, west. north, and south, ana III the
The new ' general found himself surrounded
by a mob ClamorIng Tor his hte. lie took u
tiIght-and he a good runner. They chased
him until he plunged INTO a marShy jungle.
His purSuers stopped then and shrugged their
shoulders and lit cigarettes and walked away
smilingly. Persons touring that rnarShy jungle,
especially strangers. seldom come out OF II
with their lives And tOr fourteen days the
Baron roamed about in it. plagued by insects,
threatened By deadly snakes. burning with
thirst, Yet not daring t. drink the stdgnant
fever laden water, and with only here and
there rank wild fruit to stay starvation.
When he did find his way out. It with
the certain belief that the Government OF Hon
duras would catch him and assassinate HIM for
his bluniering work with the guns. He found
shelter in a little village where he remained
FOR weeks before he found that he had come
out on the Costa Rica side OF the jungle.
Then he told his story. Public officials waited
on him. They were smiling. They had come
to lionize him He was taken in a carriage IN
state to the Presidents palace and quartered
there.
Costa Rica, you see, had long been afraid OF
Honduras for no other reason than its possession
of those two krupp guns. They had nothing
but gratitude and honor TOR the man who had
DESTROYED them. Costa Rica did all it could 70
honor him and when he tired Of being feted
and said he'd Ike 70 g home, they engaged
the finest steamship suite available for his &C
and he left the country with
bands playing. down rose strewn thorough
fares
Assembling the Army
HOWEVER we SHOULD return TO Senior Her