PUTTING THE GERMANS IN THEIR PLACE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 200, 13 May 1918, Page 6

PUTTING THE GERMANS IN THEIR PLACE

AN INCIDENT OF THE SPANISHAMERICAN WAR I HOW BRITAIN UNOFFICIALLY . HELPED General Younghusbiiiid iells, in a. Kcentlv-pubhslistl book, a good slory of liow the Germans were riuiclly and effectively snubbed during tlio blockade jof Havana bv Admiral L'ewey in the I Spanish- American War. Jiritain lit ■ I that tilut! was represented by u little ! second-'lass cruiser, the Bonaventure, i under Sir Edward I'hichnster. Yet AdI miral Dewey told General rounghusband that "that ' : tlle cruiser sand a European war iu this bay." The first international incident, soys the writer, occurred ivhen the German Fleet came failing in with neither- a "with-your-leave" nor "bv-your-Uave." ! 'l'his did not seem to Admiral Dewey a very correct procedure in a blockaded port, but, as he said, he was not very ivell up in the otiquellc of the ocean, so he semaphored across to his friend, Kir Edward Chichester, for idvice. Sir Edward, a stout o'd sailor of the best oid stock, 'immediately replied that undoubtedly th'J* German ' Pleot had no right to be there, except by courtesy of the blockading fleet. Tho Germans had no sea manners, he added. "What ought 1 to do!- , " asked Admiral Dewey. "Viva across his bows, replied Sir Edward Chichester with ?reat blnntness. J In the course of two minutes wliiz-z-z-z, bang! went a shot across the German's bows, und in an incredibly short spate of tints her iloet anchored hastily. Next was se:-n a- steam pinnace, evidently in si great hurry, pushing off from the German Admiral's flagship, and scurrying toward the Olympic. In the pinnace were seated some very angry He mans. They were escorted courtfously on board the Olympic, simply bursting with wrath and with their feathers fljins anyhow. . "Do you know, sir, exclaimed the in-, furiated German emissary, "that this action of yours might entail w.ar with : the great German Empire?" "I am perfectly awaro of the fact," replied Admiral Dewey with great cool- ! nes3 and courtesy. Then ho hospitably i invited his guests to assauge their wrath ! with a cocktail or a mint julep. I But the German was not to be pacified ; with, a cocktail, or even with a mint j julep, and flounced himself off to report ' the matter to Wilhelm 11. "And do you know," said Admiral Dewey to us, "I'd never , have risked it if it hadn't been for that little British I cruiser representing the British Fleet J at iny back?" I The next incident was equally lnnani- ' nmtory. A few Spaniards remained on ; a small island, just off the town of Manila, and their surrender only being a : matter of time and terms, the Americans did not trouble much about them. ! One morning, however, it was noticed ■ that 'i: German cruiser, the Irene, had shifted her bsrth, and was now anchored down alongside this island, as a sort of moral support to the Spaniards and menace to the. Americans. ~,,., "What ought 1 to do?" asked Admiral Dewey of his friend the English cap'"Do?" replied Sir Edward. "Why ■ just clear two of your battleships for action and bear down on the Irene, and h>ll her that if she isn't oirt of that in five minutes you 11 eink her. "And I acted like that," Admiral Dewev remarked with great relish. "I cleared the Boston and the Raleigh for action, and hove down on tho Irene, and would you believe it, she | was in such an all-fired hurry to clear away that she slipped her cable! He is a line fellow, that Captain Chichester ot vows."

I " There was yet one other occasion ou which the spirit of comradeship between the British and the American fleets was . shown. Admiral Dewey gave the bpaniards up to eleven o'clock on a certain morning to surrender the town of Man- ■ ila; and if not surrendered at that hour and on the date settled, ho would bombard the town. A lot of busy neutrals, led by the Germans, thereupon _ began fussing and fuming around, trying to \ formulate language to express his baseM'*i This makes curious rending nowadavs! Finally, these neutrals had a meeting, and, headed by the German Admiral, ' went to interview Sir Edward I Chichcster, with a view to ascertaining Ins views on Hie fiibject, and further to inquire what Hie British intended (o do. Sir I'Mwnrd listened to them with great patience and afiiibiliry, and heard unmoved the blood-curdling story of the atrocities which the Americans were about to commit. With the help of his steward he uvon soothed them witli hi* national drinks. But when pressed as to his views and intentions, he blandly replied: _ "Thn?o. sirs, are knnw.n oiu;: to Admiral lli'wey and myself. gentlemen, good-morning."