Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-07-21

Supp0Se-n may De 1ar-IetCneor puI
Just suppose 1t, anyway-that the
kaiser's fleet, daily eonceding the SD
periority of the British, French ana
American fleets, should break through
the English and French and deter
mine to carry the war to American
shores. What manner Of men has the
American navy to stop it?
1t is not likely that anything like
this Is going to happen, but just the
same. who would stop the Hohenzof'
lern fleet?
The man the American people must
depend upon for that task is Rear
Admiral Henry T. Mayo, according
to O writer In the Philadelphia Ledger
Most everyone knows Mayo.
He's the fellow who demanded that
Huerta salute the Stars and Stripes.
He's the fellow who does not believe
that because q Mexican ruler Is not
supposed 70 have the standing similar
to that enjoyed by other rulers Of the
world, he can insult the flag and get
away with it withou. a scrap.
Mayo Is o sandy-haired product Of
Vermont He Is 100 per cent fighter
and 100 per cent American.
He will take care Of. the kaiser's
fleet, IL It ever comes this way, as
well as it Ia possible for any com
mander OF an American fleet to do 1t.
TWo.FIsted Fighter.
He IL heither short nor tall, has
bright blue eyes, q firm mouth and
Jaw that bespeaks courage. He
always 10 deliberate In speaking, and
the casual observer Of his manner
might get the impression that his
heart IL made of flint But among
officers Of the navy he is known as
the most mild-niannered and big.
hearted. He IL popular with officers
high and low, and that Ii q strons
recommendation. = - ~
Mayo was the American who more
| than any one else brought about the
downfall Of Victoriano Huerta. Mayo's
devotion TO the Stars and Stripes ana
his true estimation Of the respect due
| the uniform OF soldier or sailor fight
ing under that banner, his prompt de.
cision In cutting official red tape to
shreds when the honor Of the Amer.
lean people was ct stake, caused his
lame to be flashed around the world.
The world echoed back, There's q
fighter for you. Id 55s sf : e sf. :.
There il not much show about
Mayo. He Is just q plain and very
unassuming tRo-fisted fighter; he is---
well. lust about the very type Of an
American that the tountry wants TO
have al the head of its Sea fighters,
when the nation 10 starting out as
| President Wilson said recently, TO
do things IN this war that would 90.
| tonish all mankind" Il 10 safe 70 say
that II the Germans start ANYTHING
with Mayo. they are going TO know
they've been IN q scrap, despite any.
thing Won Tirpitz has been doing TO
the kaiser's navy or anything that
Krupp and Company have been put
ting on those ships IN the Kiel canal
| IN the way OF big guns.
There 10 nothing accidental about
Mayo,s career. He began at fifteen
and he has been working every day
since. He fought his way to the top.
Mayo put Tampico on the map and
rave Huerta the start that ended final
lly In that tyrant's death In an Amer
lean jail, because he IL strong on
action and not much on wire-pulling
or dilly-dallying, to use homely terms.
He impresses you that way at a first
meeting, and the more you study him
the stronger the impression becomes.
He does what he thinks Is right and
he does not waste time doing II.
Once he has made up hia. mind that
there Is only one way 10 soiye prob.
Hem and he IL satisfied he has the
right solution, he goes ahead.
The world has moved 90 fast with
! III battles and wars that the Tampico
incident has faded somewhat from
memory. II does not take much to
recall 1t, however. There was not
much to It, except the supreme import
ance attached to an insult to the
Stars and Stripes.
On April 9. 1914. the gasoline sup
ply Of the gunboat Dolphfn's launch
became exhausted in Tampico har
Dor. Mayo sent Assistant Paymaster
Charles G. Copp with boatload oil
/ marines ashore for gasoline. The
1 Dolphin. was President Cleveland's
yacht during his two terms In the
WulV0 11Oo1O, du0 IN S3S opI1uB Vi
1914 was one Of the vessels attached
/ 70 the fleet Of Vice Admiral Mayo In
Mexican waters. The Dolphin was
!. one Of the American vessels that
steamed close to Tampico when Am
erican property was threatened dur
ing the trouble between the federals
and the constitutionalists. The Am
erican flag was flying from Cops
boat as the marines left for the Tam
pico waters.
Copp and his men landed at Tam
pieo and were arrested by Huerta's
federals. The moment that May
heard that the keys of the jail had
turned In locks on cells for American
sailors, he decided there was one
thing to do. He did it He demanded
the instant release Of the marines
that an apology be made to the United
states of America for the insult and
that the federal gunboat Zaragosa-
named In honor of the Mexican com
mander to whom Mayo sent his ultima
tum-fre a salute Of twenty-one guns
before shutdown that Friday afternoon
1 The first two conditions were mel
without delay, but Zaragosa baked 81