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Show MADE EXCHANGE oTsWOiS American Officer in Havana Was N to Be Outdone in Courtesy by Any Cuban. MaJ. E. Ormande Power, Cnltel States army, says the most emhnrrass lng moment of his army life was "hi Havana when he was a lieutenant k 1S0S. The United States 1U1 3'BS taken control of Cuba and Lieutenant Power was sent to Havana to se about taking over some property While in a restaurant he saw four Cuban Cu-ban officers, immaculately garbpd In true Latin manner they rose" bowed ceremoniously, and Invited hla to stf at their table. "Sir." said one of the officers, rising. ris-ing. "It gives us the honor very distinguished dis-tinguished to have an American officer offi-cer join us to have the valiant Americans Ameri-cans in control of our country, llv feeling is so great that I beg of you. to give me the honor of uccepting mr sword." With that he whipped out his beautiful beau-tiful Toledo blade, made of a steel the like of which no American ever possessed. As the young American awkwardly waited the Cuban stuck the point of his Toledo blade in the-center the-center of the table, bent It double, and ns It whipped back into shape graciously gra-ciously handed it to Power. Feeling it up to him to do something some-thing gracious, Lieutenant Power-begged Power-begged the Cuban accept his sword to-establish to-establish relations further. With that he whipped out his $10 blade, bought from a department store on the East side of New York, imitating the Cuban, Cu-ban, he stuck the point in the middle-of middle-of the table, bent it double and It stayed bent ! Without a tremor, Lieutenant Power-calmly Power-calmly handed the blade, now bent like a pretzel, to the Cuban, and made him a sweeping bow. From the Ara-aroc, Ara-aroc, New Official Newspaper of the American Army of Occupation. |