The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-24
THE GENTLEMANLY
 BATTLE OF GUAM

Scarcely had land faded from view" writes James F. Smith, former Governor General of the Philippines describing the first expedition to the Islands following the victory of Ma nilla Bay, when Captain Glass of the convoy opened his sealed orders, and with fine irony, enjoined secrecy, pub liShed the welcome information thai the expedition was to stop by on the way and capture Guam. Wheth- CT Guam was a city, island. or man. of-war was a subject of much debate All were agreed, however. that the intention to benevolently asslmilate 1t was a good thing which should be withheld from the press and regard ed as strictly confidential. A dot up on the charts supported by the 1pse dixit of quartet of master mariners finally convinced the doubting that Guam was a bit of land entirely sur rounded by water. And so, on June twentieth at daybreak, cruiser and transports, by virtue of a sacred compact and lack of wireless, steal upon it unheralded and unannounced. point crowded with men whose pull ses beat time to their excitement the transports take their place i've or six miles off shore and await the com ing conflict In plain view the Charles ton is creeping along the outer line of C with a bone in her teenth, great Spanish cruiser, ghostly in the haze, comes out to meet her. And then, just when everybody is on the tptoe of expectation, the haze lifts, and a whopping fighting craft Of nigh de- gree meltS into a poor little Japan ese fishing schooner gently bobblns to her anchor.
 What a. disappointm ent! But right beyond the cove is the headland that marks the entrance to the port of San Juan de Apra. The old broken locker by searchers hungry for infor- nation, declares in print that this, the safest anchorage of Guam (Whlch wasn't saying much, considering the fate of the Yosemite) is protected by a fort upon the bluffs and by a forti- fled island in the center of the har- bor Surely there will be something doing when the Charleston seeks to enter there And now the cruiser, dull as a misty morning in her clothes of somber gray, swings to port ana slips into the narrow channel direct ly under where the bold-faced type has said the fort is sure to be-and not a shot is fired. The garrison must be asleep. or maybe It IS per hitting the entrance of the vessel to make her destruction certain, or may be this or maybe that-anything to Keep alive the hope that the colos- scum of half-circled transports may not be denied the nerve-tingling spec tacle of battling men. Bang! Bang! Nine times hang go the guns of the Charleston. A hush of expectation, and then a great stiffness!
 What has happened? Why noth ing except that a dinlky little row boat has put off from shore with the Spanish colors gaily flying from the stern Not a bit of white is flutter- ing from it anywhere, and every gum ner is eager to potshot it as it mean ders through the coral reefs. Cap tain Glass won't have it that way, however and permits the flagship of Guam to come alongside without ob- jection. With great deliberation a boy in size but a man in dignity and years, glittering with the gold lace of a Spanish major, mounts the ladder lowered for his reception, gravely touches his cap to the com manding officer, and then, through the salute just rendered, and eXpres-
 es regret that he couldn't return it
 for lack of powder. Now, what do
 ou think of that? A silly grin
 roadens the faces of the circumja-
 ent sailormen. This is too much
 0r the big, kind heart of Captain
 lass, who takes the good major to
 'ry gently explains that Spain and
 United States have been at war
 ,r more than sixty days. The ma-
 who receives his daily paper as
 cen as twice year, is properly
 rry that such a thing should be l, rising. solemnly announces that
 der the circumstances he must re-
 re and prepare him for the fray.
 Why, my dear WaH, says the cap-
 GS