Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-07-13
Won ON HIS BLUFF
How an American Consul Brought
a Dictator to Terms.
A THREAT AND A SURPRISE.

THE Venezuelan Despot to Whom Uncle
sam,s Official Had Issued a Come
Opera Ultimatum First Got on his
| H;rh Horse and Then Stepped Down.
4 great many years ago Phil Hanna
was consul at La Guayra, Fenezueia'
whom q little revolution broke out. a
military martinez in command Of the
+ov.n announced himself dictator and,
nsadinr money to carry on his actVl-
] +,os sajzed Il bunch of American, Eng
! ,ish and German residents in the place
and locked them in the town jail
They we're informed that they Would
| be released when they had made GER
toin cash contributions to the reVolu-
tionary war chest.
Hanna was notified Of the situation,
and. looking up the consulate and leaF-
ing an extra sized American flag n.y.
inc. he marched up to the headQuar-
ters of the dictator.
MIR. Dictator" said Hanna, Il note
that Won have locked up number Of
Americans. Permit NE to introduce
myself as the American consul"
The dictator asked what interest that
fact had for him.
1T signifies that / am here in the
name of my government to demand
that these Americans be released In.
stantly," replied Hanna.
Cant do Il thing for you," replied
the general They've been told that
when they cough up they'll be turned
loose"
They'll be turned loose without
coughing and without delay" retorted
Hanna. Il desire. in the name Of my
government, to say that if the AIneri-
cans and all the European citizens
whom you hare locked up are not re-
leased by G o'clock this afternoon l
shall proceed to shell the town."
ITO shell-what'll you shell it with?"
snorted the dictator. 'Why, you
haven't an American ship within a
thousand miles, and you know it"
What said" replied Hanna with
frozen faced dignity, twas that if those
people are not released by 6 o'clock I'll
she'll the town" And he marched out
again.
Hanna knew perfectly well that there
! wasn't an American ship nearer than
New Orleans, and he knew the dictator
knew it. But he had something up his
sleeve He went back to his office and
waited patiently. meanwhile sending a
clerk down TO the water front to watch
things
The day wore on to midafternoon.
Hanna was getting nervous. He must
make good somehow. at last his mes.
| senger returned.
1.-TWO British cruisers are coming into
the harbor, SIR he reported.
81 knew they were due today" re-
piled Hanna. "Now, you get word to
the commander about what we've done
here and tell him it's very important
| for him to come and see me-"
At 5 o'clock that afternoon three very
impressive officers in the uniform Of
the. British navy came ashore and
maEchel straight to the American con-
sHate.1; - 5i.;.a -.
g!EannaI slouchcd out Of his chair,
sheoks bands all round and explained
his stfaTte The naval man wanted to
know how lie could best serve the
necessities Of the moment.
Just go back on shipboard and begin
clearing those vessels for action in
the 7most ostcntatious way you cam"
replied Hanna. ''I'll do the rest"
AS soon as the necessary time had
elapsed to assure that these facts would
have duly impressed themselves on his
dictatorship Hanna started for the
palace again. He didn't have to wait
for ddmittance.
Have the American and European
prisoners been released?" he asked.
They have not yet" replied the die
tator
Then permit me to say that at 6
O'Clock sharp, as mentioned this morn
Ing, / begin Smelling this town"
where's your American ships:" per
sisted the dictator.
The two British cruisers that have
entered the llarbor today are under my
ORDERS" replied the American consul,
"and well blow you and your town off
this coast before morning if you don't
perform. DO you get it,
The dictator didn't know whether 1t
was bluT or not. but at $50 o'clock the
prisoners were turned loose.
Hanna GOT Il promotion for the job
New York SIN.