Show EXCITEMENT AT GUAM The German converted cru ser Cor morant having put into Guam aud in terned in order to avo d capture or de struct on by the Br t sh Trench and Japanese warships the mhab tants of that dot upon the wide expanse of the Pacific ocean have doubtless experi enced more genuine excitement than has fallen to their lot s nee that fate ful day during the Spanish American war when a United States warship ap poared in the off ng and f red the shot wh ch the Span sh governor m stook for a salute and put off m a sma!ll boat to apologize for his mab 1 ty to return the honor on account of lack of powder Guam was more nearly isolated at that time than it s at present much more so Nowadays it is a cable sta tion and when the Cormorant took refuge there the newB was quickly flashed to Washington In the old days there was no commun cat on by cable and sh ps seldom called w th a budget of news Ab a consequence the first int mat on the people had that the United States and Spain were at war was vi hen they were summoned to sur render and the incident above described occurred Guam has been known to- the geog Taphers for nearly 400 years having been discovered by Magellan in 1521 It is the largest of the Ladrone islands and is situated about loOO miles east of Manila. The so 1 is fert le and sup ports a population of 12 000 or 15 000 The twenty two off cers and 355 men of the Cormorant could hardly have chosen a more retired or secluded spot in which to awa t the end of the war and be absolutely safe from attack at the same time Before being released however they may appreciate to the fullest extent the feelings of Napoleon when confined upon the island of St Helena if not the solitude of U exander Selkirk upon the island of Juan Fernandez The fleets of the allies are rap dly clearing the ocean lanes of German warships and it will not be long be fpre all of them that have been roam ing the seas will be destroyed or driven into a neutral port They did a great amount of damage while afloat much mo e in fact than it was suppoed they were capable of doing As an engine of destruction the Emden had no super or while the Karlsruhe still at large has almost as proud a recoid The Germans have no reason to feel ashamed of the showing made. |