Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 94, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 April 1914 — THE FLAG WAS SALUTED BEFORE [ARTICLE]

THE FLAG WAS SALUTED BEFORE

And In All. Cases When a Flag is Saluted There Must Be a Return Salute. . National salutes are not made lot or iby any individual. It is nation to nation, and must be according to custom 21 guns, and if a warship is present she always does the saluting as she always represents tlrt entire nation. Forty-six years ago, just about this time of the year, while the U. S. S. Iroquois was at Kong Kdng, China, for repairs of damage suffered in a typhoon on the coast of Japan during the Japanese civil war. The Pacific and Oriental mail ship came to Hong Kong from Manila and the mail to the Am rican consul-general, at Hong Kong brought news that an American merchant ship had been detained and her captain and crew imprisoned at Maaila and the American consul refused the right to defend. The Iroquois, then the most available American warship, went to Manila, arriving there on the morning of May 1, 1868, and strange to say just thirty years before Dewey’s fleet entered Manila harbor on another mission of honor. The following account is from my recollection of the occurrence: When we arrived in Manila harbor there was a Spanish warship there and we saluted the Spanish flag, which was returned, by the Spanish warship. After an hour or so a boat went ashore and the American consul came on board and after council between he and our officers, a plan was decided upon. First an officer went with a message to hand to the proper authority, demanding that the captain and crew be given a fair trial and that the American consul be permitted to be present according to treaty rights. The officer returned and in the afternoon a message was received to the effect that the Captain-General, who was the head of the Philippines, gave notice, touching on several points and declined to interfere. Thgn there was another meeting of our officers and another officer of higher rank went ashore with an ultimatum. The time given to comply was 48 hours. After this Officer returned on board otir ship we weighed anchor and went three miles further out in the harbor, for military purpose, there to await the honored time given, 48 hours meridian time, 12 noon.

At just 9 a. m. the day the time was up and no reply *we cleared our decks for action, got everything in shipshape as ig always done on board warships in such cases, as if ready for battle. I will state right here, our object was to bear down on the Spanish warship and just at 4 bells, 10 a. m., the Hpanlsh flag was coming toward us and our military boat or picket as you may call it, met the Spanish boat and received the reply which was delivered by our officer to our Captain. The Captain-General agreed to our demand. Thgp there was a delay of several days until finally the court met and after two days’ trial the Spanish authorities could not establish a case against the Americans, there being no contraband of war at all found on the said American merchant ship. Then same the real issue. Our government made a demand from the government of Spain to indemnify the owners of the ship .at Boston, Mass., United States of America. Also to idemnlfy the officers and crew of the ship for Imprisonment, and last but not least, salute the American flag, to all of which they agreed except the salute. Again the limit t,hne of 48 hours was giv-

en. All this time our decks were cleared for action. Again, as is almost always the way, wait until the last hour, they came to time, paid the bilk and saluted Old Glory. Then we raised the Spanish flag to the main topmast and saluted it with 21 gun*. The time between shots is, or used to be, 5 seconds. Saluting is always blank shots. Then, after this ship bad discharged some of its cargo, she put to sea again for a Chinese port, after which we again returned to Hong Kfing and again back to Japan. This was the year of the Japanese civil war. They wanted to close their ports against ns. and the. world in general and also they were exterminating the Christian* 1 Japanese converts, which we also stopped as an aet of humanity. Up to this time Japan had ijgp emperors, the Mikado, or temporal head, and the Tycoon, or spiritaal head. Later the Tycoon’s army and navy (junks) were defeated on land and sea and he took refuge on an American man of war. Thus the war ended. Your valuable spaee and the patience of the publie prevents a more extended article at this time; but in conclusion will say It is unfortunate there is any telegraph wires between our Navy and Washington at this time. If there were no wires the President would not have to worry and the flag would be saluted just the same. Yon can always depend on your navy to uphold the dignity of Old Glory. Let us all Stand by the President JOHN O’CONNOR. Note-John O’Connor, former, sheriff of Jasper county, served for six years in the U. S. Navy, having on the occasion described above, made a trip around the world. Probably there are few men In the country so well posted in naval history as he and we are sure his article, which Is especially filling at this time will be, greatly appreciated by readers of The Republican. The situation in Mexieo is almost a parallel to the one he describes in Manila harbor. He speaks with knowledge In the matter of the return of salutes after another country his fired 21 guns as an apology. It will be pleasing to have other articles from Mr. O’Connor, from time to time.—Editor.