River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-05-18

ff$& 80 the second war WIFI
~ England Thus the
~ one hundredth anniver-
W sary of the beginning
1890 of the war of 1912"
lGAAE is not in 1912, but fell
low W. on May 16, 1911! 1t
S2&SSs1 was the beginning Of a
naval engagement off
the coast of Virginia, and the thunder
of the opening gun has been referred
10 as THE second shot which was
heard around the world" Indeed the
battle might well be known as the
Lexington of the war Of 1872" Yet,
strange to say, both the American
and British governments have per-
sistently endeavored to eliminate
from history's pages this unique
naval combat, and apparently tried to
keep the people in ignorance OF what
actually transpired on the high seas
on that memorable occasion. Though
nearly a score of sailors were slain,
the affair was hushed up as far as
possible through governmental 1nhu-
ence on both sides of the water, not
withstanding that the incident helped
to change the geography OF the West
ern Hemisphere and marked red
letter day in our naval annals. 1t
was the awakening of the new Amer
lean spirit, the Inauguration of the
real foreign policy of the United
States, the beginning of our interna-
tional influence.
The war Of the Revolution ended in
1888. England withdrew her troops
from New York city and reluctantly
admitted the independence of the
United States, but in spirit refused to
accord the young republic respected
place in the household of govern
ments. She constantly sought oppor-
tunities to humiliate her conqueror,
and assumed an especially aggravat-
ing attitude in insisting upon the
right to take from our vessels, mer-
chant or naval any sailors who
were supposed to have been born I'M
der the British flag. Men made cap
tive thus were forced to enter and
serve upon British ships of war. This
was a very practical illustration of
the edict promulgated by the Eng
lish cabinet: "Once an Englishman,
always an Englishman." A most dis
tressing situation for America grew
out Of the British kidnapping policy,
and such Of the impressed men as
endeavored to escape, or manifested
discomfort with their seizure, were
severely punished according to the
naval standards of the day which
were not remarkable for gentleness.
For a score of years the young re-
public endured these high-handed
outrages on the persons of its citi-
zens. Our statesmen, among whom
were Adams and Jefferson, seemed
unable to handle the problem, and
their endeavors to enlist European
sympathy against Great Britain's
drastic proceedings were in vain.
But what a whole nation seemed pow
erless to accomplish was at length
achieved by a single person equipped
with the necessary amount of nerve
and a fine disregard of consequences.
1t was a plain case of 1.-THE right man
in the right place at the right time"
On May .16, 1911, this unusual COM
bination of qualities and circum-
stances was harmonized to cope sue
cessfully with a national emergency.
Our histories lay little stress on this
really important event, and a close
investigation of the nations unpub-
lished archives reveals certain salient
facts concerning it which are now
,1II1 e.,
time
The British frigate Guerrero
stopped an American vessel, the Spit
fire, about fifteen miles from New
York. English officers went aboard
her and arrested for impress a young
sailor, whom they declared was an
Englishman by birth The American
captain protested in vain.
II have known this lad personally
from childhood" he asserted, "and
know him to have been born in the
state of Maine"
"All that may be So" responded
the British captain, "but what can
you do about it-he has no protec-
tion?"
Under the circumstances the argu-
ment was unanswerable, and the lad
was carried off in the Guerrero. The
Washington authorities were duly
notified of the occurrence. but appar-
emily they had become so accustomed
to such happenings that little or moth
ing was done in the matter, and the
documents relating to the inquiry
rested in dusty pigeonholes of de-
partmental desks. Finally a genuine
sea captain CHANGED to assume the
duty of the hour, and the war depart.
ment, acting under some pressure the
details of which are not made clear
in the official records open to the
public, gave orders for the frigate
The President, to cruise on the Allan.
tic off Chesapeake bay.