The Three Captains.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7716, 19 January 1905, Page 4

The Three Captains.

At a dinner given to the officers of the American Squadron on October 26th, at the Savoy Hotel, Lord Selborne, First Lord of the Admiralty, told the following story of naval cooperation : " Once upon a time, not very many years ago, three captains found themselves in a certain port. There was an Ameiiican captain, a French captain, and a British captain. The port they found themselves in did not belong to the United Stales', nor to France, not to Great Britain, and those three captains, each with his own ship, found themselves in that port, and—not a very unusual occurrence in that part of the world—they found civil war going on, and 'the situation with which they were confronted was one of great interest to, those who were on the spot. Therfi was a populous city in whfeh were the troops of one side^—who forgot whether it was the Government or the Opposition—and they found a small fleet entering the harbour of that port with the troops of the other side—they might call them the Opposition. They found that the purpose of the invadtng force was instantly to bombard and demoii.;h the city.

" Those throe captains got at once into co-operation, at naval captains had a singular habit vt doing. His experience of four vears at the Admiralty had led him to telicve that not only were navaj officers Singularly competent in their own profession but they were equally competent when thay wero called upon to take upon themselves the functions oi diplomatists. (Laughter and cheers.) They argued that in this qity much was American property, and much British property.. a nd much French property There were many citizens of tnese two countries in the citv It was cfcaily their duty, they thought to prevent that contemplated action dcmolltl on the city and the fighting of a bloody battle till their compatriots had had time, at any rate to remove themselves and their famines and to save what they could of their property* And accordingly they presented what was neither more nor l«<s than , a joint ultimatum both to the Government, and the Opposition stating that they \v o uld not allow any fighting before 96 hours had expire* There was a good deal of remonstrance-he thought he might almost call it blusler-*oth on the Part oif tho general commanding the troops of tho Government and the admiral commanding the forces of tho Opposition, but the three cap»!S PWailed-daughtcr a nd cheers) -and with many protests those two warriors agreed that no action should take place for 96 houss ° «w ,f pit V as thus secured,' and then those three captains put their heads together again J/ ™ l Oh, this is simple foolishness. How can we prevent this lighting V- And so successful avus their diplomacy not unbacked by naval menace SSt EST 96 h ° UIS had W night be deferred. (Cheers.) When that unanimity had been secured, l^ 6 Prevailed. a very serious w / su l*™ened. The admiral ami the general i>oinio(l out to those three captains that fhev had come representing two interests* that they had at their back armed forces, ;„£♦ ,' e w Wero faco tofaceiMend»ff to hght «nd that the captains had persuaded them not to do so They asked what about their honour. How could two such men as they were part without lighting -> Fhe naval captains were not defeated by that argument. They again put their heads together, and they points out to those two officers that although the conundrum was no donlrt a serious one, there were ways of answering it. Would fhev ■be prepared to put their reputation's in the hands of a court of honour ■> That satisfied both those officers •'The question, then, was where and how the court of honour could be found. The three captains were again equal to the occasion. They Stated that they were naturally a court of honour. (Laughter). Would the officers submit to the arbitration of that court ? Both parties agreed ; and in the captain's cabin of one of his Majesty's ships a remarkable party assembled. There was the American captain, the French captain, and the British captain, and two officers who were burning to fly at each other's throats, and during the whole course of a hot summer's afternoon those two officers argued their case. The two officers returned, and the three captains sat as a court of honour, and they would, perhaps, not be surprised to hear that at the end of their delMwralions those three cn]itains were able to draw up the protocol in which it was demonstrated beyond all possibility of doubt thad those two officers could separate without fighting—(laughter and cheers)—without any stain on their honour. (Laughter and cheers). That protocol was in due course submitted to the officers concerned ; they accepted it not only without hesitation, but he might almost say with enthusiasm. The admiral and his fleet departed, and the general and his troops went back to their camp. (Laughter and cheers),"