Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-11-21

Captain Persius, the German naval critic, has chosen the moment when the finest vessels of the German navy are about to be surrendered to the allies, to publish in the Berlin Tage- blatt, sensational article containing revelations regarding the German Feet. Captain Persius says the hope | that the German fleet would be able in a second Skagerrak battle to beat the British fleet rested upon the bluff and lies of the naval authorities. In August 1914, Germany had about one million tonnage in War ships, the writer points out while Great Britain had more than double that, and thanks to the mistakes of Von Tirpitz, the German material was quite inferior to the British. In the Skagerrag battle, he declares, the German fleet was saved from destruc- tion partly by good leadership and partly by favorable weather condi- tions. Had the weather been clear or Admiral Won Scheer's leadership been less able, the destruction of the whole German navy would have re- suited. The long range British guns would have completely smashed the Lighter armed German ships. As it was, the losses of the German fleet were enormous, and on June 1, Cap- tain Persius says, it was clear to every thinking man that the Skager- hak battle must be the only general naval engagement of the war
 On all sides. continues the writer, ] Adviral Won Tidpitz was advised to construct only submarines, but he re- mained obstinate. On October l., 1915, several members of the Reich stag made an earnest appeal to the army command-not to the naval staff-with the result that an order was issued terminating the construc- tion of battleships in order that the material might be used for the mak ing of U-Boats. In the meantime, so great scarcity of material had arisen that it became necessary to disarm q number of the battleships and take the metal. In this manner at the beginning of 1916, twenty-three battleships had been disarmed as we'll as one newly built cruiser.
 At the beginning of this year, Cap- tain Persius states. the German navy consisted only of dreadnaughts and battleships of the Helgoland, Kali ser and NIarkgraf types. end some few battle cruisers. All the hips which von Tirpitz had constructed from 1897 to 1916. at a cost of innu- merable millions, had been destroyed and the U-boats that had been con- structed had proved unable to fight against British warships.
 Admiral von Capelle during his period as head of the navy. says Cap 1 tain Persius, constructed very few submarines of the large type. but in official quarters it was still sta ted that Germany possessed an enor- nous number of U-bOats and that the losses were virtually nil.
 That was not true, the writer ad- mits. In 1917. he states. S3 subma- rines were constructed. while 66 were destroyed. In April. 1917. Germany had 126 submarines and in October 40. In February she had 136 and in June of the same year 113. ac- cording to Captain Persius' figures.
 Only small percentage of these submarines were actively operating at any given time. Captain Persius declares. In January. 1917 for 1n- stance, when conditions were favor able for submarine work. only twelve parcent were active. while thirty per cent were in harbor. thirty eight per cent were under repairs, and twenty perccent "incapacitated."
 Submarine crews he says. were not sufficiently educated and trained anu they looked with distrust upon the weapon. In the last months, he re- yeals, it was very difficult to get men for submarine work, as experi- anced seamen looked upon the sup marine warfare as political stupldl- ty. .,
 Captain Persius tells of the mutl- nv that broke out at the beginning ol this month when the German navy was ordered out for attack. Had the } seamen obeyed, the writer remarks, innumerable lives would have been lost. and he declares that every thinking man. therefore, is of the op' ;njon that the seamen on November ftfth rendered an invaluable servlce to their country"
 The Surrender.
 l The following account of the sur render of the first batch of twenty German submarines which was ac' complished this morning at sea. IS riven by an eye witness of the event