The Psyche went boldly on ahead, and after the harbor had been swept for mines she steamed in, under a flag of truce, and delivered a message from Admiral Patey, demanding the surrender of Apia.  The Germans, who had been expecting their own fleet in, were surprised with the suddenness with which an overwhelming force had descended upon them, and decided to offer no resistance to a landing.  Capt.  Marshall promptly made a signal to the troopships to steam to their anchorages; motor launches, motor surfboats, and ships’ boats were launched, and the men began to pour over the ships’ sides and down the rope ladders into the boats.

In a remarkably brief space of time the covering party was on shore, officers and men dashing out of the boats, up to the knees, and sometimes the waist, in water.  The main street, the cross-roads, and the bridges were quickly in possession of our men, with their Maxims and rifles, and then, one after another, the motor boats and launches began to tow strings of boats, crammed with the men of the main body, toward the shore.  The bluejackets of the beach party, who had already landed, urged them forward by word and deed in cheery fashion, and soon Apia was swarming with our troops.

Guards were placed all about the Government buildings, and Col.  Logan, with his staff, was quickly installed in the Government offices.

Lieut.  Col.  Fulton dashed off to the telephone exchange and pulled out all the plugs, so that the residents could hold no intercommunication by that means.  The Custom House and the offices of the Governor were also seized without a moment’s loss of time.  An armed party was dispatched along a bush road to seize the wireless station.  Late that evening the man in charge rang up in some alarm to state that there was dynamite lying about and that the engine had been tampered with to such an extent that the apparatus could not be used until we got our own machinery in position.

Meantime the German flag, that had flown over the island for fourteen years, was hauled down, the Germans present doffing their hats and standing bareheaded and silent on the veranda of the Supreme Court as they watched the soldier in khaki from New Zealand unceremoniously pulling it down, detaching it from the rope, and carrying it inside the building.

Next morning the British flag was hoisted with all due ceremony.  In the harbor the emblem of Britain’s might fluttered from the masts of our cruiser escort, the Stars and Stripes waved in the tropic breeze above the palms surrounding the American Consulate, and out in the open sea the white ensign and tricolor flew on the powerful warships of the allied fleets of England and France.

A large crowd of British and other residents and Samoans had gathered.  In the background were groups of Chinese coolies, gazing wonderingly upon the scene.  The balconies of the adjoining buildings were crowded with British and Samoans.  Only the Germans were conspicuous by their absence.  With undisguised feelings of sadness they had seen their own flag hauled down the day before.  Naturally they had no desire to witness the flag of the rival nation going up in its place.