The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-12-27
FINAL FATE OF SHIPS
BRINGS DISCUSSION
Indications Already Seen That Sug
gestions That German Vessels
be Sunk Will Meet With OPP
position.

Washington, Dec. 19.-Press dis
patches from Paris, saying that the
American peace delegates, with Brit
ish support, will urge the sinking OF
the surrendered German war ships as
he solution of the problem of theil
disposition led to initiation Of steps
today in the senate to obtain an off,
cial statement of the facts and to
wide discussion in naval circles. tt
the state and navy departments no in
formation was available, Secretary
Daniels repeating his previous state;
ment that he had never heard the sug-
gestion officially, while at the state
department it was said that so far as
known there, no such project was in.
cluded in the American peace pro-
gram. 49,. .. Z o.. 49,.
The first published suggestion that
the ships be sunk came from London
several days ago but even before that
it was learned that this had occurred
to some naval authorities here as one
possible way Of settling vexing
problem. aJ.> ..... .
Admiral Benson, chief Of naval op-
erations, and designated as naval 'ad-
visor to the American peace delega-
ton, has been in Europe some time.
His views, worked out with Vice-Ad-
miral Sims and officials Of the British
and the French ministry Of marines,
will have great weight with the Am
erican delegates on naval questions
arising at the conference, but there
is nothing here to indicate what con-
.lusion he may have reached on the
isposotion Of the surrendered craft
There were many indications today
that appeal to sink the ships would
meet strong opposition in congress.
The Paris dispatch prompted Senator
Lodge-to introduce today a resolution
calling on the, state department TOR
information as to whether the Ameri-
can delegates are advocating destruc-
ton Of the enemy ships and if so by
what authority. The resolution was
left on the table without discussion
and Senator Lodge may touch upon
the subject in an address he announ-
ced today he would deliver in the
Senate Saturday. ~.
While the impression is given that
the navy department would probably
not look with favor on sending the
German ships to the bottom, some Of
fcers pointed today TO. practical OBJ
stacles to absorption Of the surren-
dered. vessels by the allied and Amer
can, nayies. They said that owing to
the differences. in design and equip
ment between the capital craft OF, the
German fleet and those of any other
naval power, the military vahe ef'the
4 -
ships to the victors. is far from as
great as might be thought: ~
Only in the4case Of the most mod
ern German .dreadnaughts Or battle
cruisers, one officer said, would the
extensive reconstruction necessary to
make them part of homogeneous
fighting fleets be justified. r.
As a peace time element Of the
navies of the associated powers, some
officers were inclined to think that
the chief value of majority 'of the
surrendered capital craft would be as
rophies of the victory, to be pointed
to as an object lesson to any other
power that might become, swelled
with ambition for world conquest.
1t was recalled, however, that some
of the Spanish ships sunk by the
American fleet at Santiago in 1898
were raised and used by the Ameri-
IN navy and that also Japan made
imilar use of Russian ships captured
in 1904 after rebuilding them.
CHRISTMAS. ...