Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-22

pose this conundrum to his pupils:
~ IT have in mind glorious shrine
to American valor-a bold, heroic,
shining page in our national life
that sounds almost incredible today, an epic
adventure against overwhelming Odds thou-
sands of miles away from our own shores,
that will make our race feel proud as long as
it exists
"It is not in either of the Americas nor IN
Elrope-this eliminates the World War-nor in
Asia.
met one American in 1000o-perhapS not
one in 100 O0O-has ever visited this sacred
spot and felt the thrill of his countrymen's ex-
ploits. Indeed, we never even think Of going
there. Our Government has forgotten mon
uments mean anything. Our fleet steams by
without dropping wreath Our liners san
past without deigning to STOP The tourist
agencies do not even show the place on their
maps The historical film companies have ap-
parently never heard of the episode. wonder
even, when Memorial day comes, II any one
thinks Of a few flowers for these heroes OF our
flesh and blood And yet, taking all things into
consideration, there Is probably not spot on
the face of the globe where we have risen to
such heights Of courage, where we should kneel
SO lowly today in remembrance. But just be-
cause 1t is q bit OF the beaten path-a bit
difncult to reach-we We utterly forgotten it.
Now how many Of you know what am talking
about?"
~ most Americans, young and old, have over
looked one Of the most sublime feats Of
arms Of their history, there Is q hard-thinking,
fast-acting italian down In Rome who has been
bordering over it.
Benito Mussolini, the italian prime min
lister, has conceived a tremendous idea He is
going to put Tripolitan, the old Barbary Coast,
on the map. He is going to make it easy for
millions of Americans to see where Stephen
Decatur, whom Cyrus Townsend Brady calls the
most glorious and brilliant American naval
fighter, performed his immortal action.
Who does not know this superb highlight Of
the American campaign against the Barbary
pirates?
At 1890 on the night of February &c. 1904,
Decatur sailed into the harbor of the City Of
Tripol in his little ketch Intrepid, camouf1aged
as Sicilian fishing boat, to destroy the 3S-gun
United States frigate Philadelphia, one historian
relates. The Philadelphia, second strongest
ship Of Commodore Preble's little feet, ran
onto a reef in the harbor on October 81, 1908,
and had been captured. Capt. William Balm
bridge and his officers and men had been taken
prisoners after desperate fighting, dragged of
to the BashawS castle In triumph and put to
work as slaves. The pirates had refoated and
refitted the Philadelphia, that, added to their
other ships 1t became serious menace to the
United States fleet
For months the blood of Commodore Preble
and his men boiled with fury and chagrin at
the thought of their comrades working as slaves
under the cruel Arab taskmaSters and there
was this score to be paid off, too. Unfortu-
bered. The little American Republic was the
only power that had spunk enough to even try
to clear out the pirates nest. The other powers
were still paying tribute.
NOUNG Decatur had suffered enough bad
| luck to daunt an ordinary man. Setting
out from the American base at Syracuse,
Sicily, on February 3, with 80 men and
Siciiian pilot in his 50-ton sailboat he ran into
heavy storms, so that he was six days in cross
ing this narrow stretch of the Mediterranean.
On top of that the limited amount of food
taken along spoiled and the men were half
starved. Arriving at Tripoli, the weather be-
came even worse, and he was obliged 10 lie
outside the harbor for another week. The brig
Siren accompanied him this far, however.
Finally at 1920 on the night of February
16, Decatur sailed into the harbor with
handful of his men on deck dressed as Sicilian
fishermen and the others hidden about. 1t
was hornets nest into which he was ventur-
ing. The impudent Bashaw Yusuf Caramelh,
heavy guns, several hundred smaller ones and
q garrison of IS 900 men along the water front,
and three smart cruisers, two large galleyS and
19 gunboats lying near shore. The Philadel-
phia, flying the Islamc white crescent on
green field, was anchored in the center Of the
harbor bare thousand feet from land, with
yellow lanterns strung along the sides. It's
crew of $50 fierce corsais1 slept little dreaming
Of the danger creeping down upon them.