The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-11-21
BARES FRAUD
IN FOES Navy

LONDON. Nov. .l.-Brittsh
Admiralty Wlrciessl-Csps. Per.
sius. the weii-snown German
naval critic. has chosen the mo-
ment when the finest vessels OF
the German navy are about to
surrruder 10 the allies. to pub
liSh In the Berliner Tsgeblxtf an
article containing sensational
revelations.
The hope that the German fleet
would be able. In n second Skager-
ack battle. 60 beat tho British ficet.
rested upon bluff and the lies Of the
naval authoritiea.- said Perxiun
In August 1914. Germany had
about one million tonnage In war
shipa, while Britain had double that.
and. thanks to the mistake Of Won
Tirpitx the German material was
quite inferior to the British
Tn the SkAgcrzck battle. the Ger
man fleet was saved from destrue-
ton partly by good leadership and
partly by favorable weather. Had
the weather been clear. or Scheer's
leadership less able. the destruction
OF the whole Germany navy would
have resulted.
Louses Enermous
Tho long range British guns
would have completely smashed the
lighter armed German ships. As IL
was. the losses Of the German feet
were enormous. and on June !. II
was clear TO every thinking man
that the skagerack battle must b.
the only one OF the war.
"On all sides Won Tirpitz was adj
viscd to construct only submarines.
but he remained obstinate.
ON October I. several members of
the rcichstag. by earnest appeal 20
the army command. obtained the IT,
suance OF an order terminating the
construction Of battleships in order
that the material might be used in
making U-boats. In the meantime
there was so great a scarcity OF ma.
terial that IL became necessary "a
disarrn a number Of battieshlps and
take the metal
Disarm g warships
Tn this manner. at the beginning
OF 1916, % battleships were dis
armed. and one newly built cruiser
At the beginning OF this year our
navy consisted only OF drcadnaughts
and battleships OF the Heligoiand
KAISER and Markgraf type, and some
few battle cruisers.
"All the ships which Won Tirpitz
constructed, from 1897 to 1915, at a
cost OF innumerable millions. had
been destroyed, and the U-boats were
never able to fight against the Brit.
ish warships.
Won Cappelle constructed very
few submarines. but In official quar-.
ters IL was stated that Germany
possessed an enormous number OF
U-boats. and that the losses were
practically nil.
66 Subs Destroyed
Tn 1917. 80 submarines were con.
structed, while ss were DESTROYED.
In April. 1917. Germany had 1926
submarines. In October she had 14s.
In February, 1918. she had 1856. and
in June, 1919. 1f3. Those were called
front" submarines, tho, as a matter
of fact, few OF them were actively
occupied.
In January. 1917. when condl-
tons were favorable for submarine
work. only IL per cent were active.
while 30 per cent we're In harbor. 3s
per cent were undergoing repairs
and 20 per cent were incapacitated.
"U-boat crews were not sufficient.
~ educated and trained, and they
looked with dlstrust upon the wea.
pom. In the last points. indeed, II
was very difficult to get men for
submarines, as experienced seamen
looked upon submarine warfare MS
political stupidity.
when. at the beginning OF No
vember. the navy was ordered out
for the purpose OF attacks. a mutiny
broke out. Had the seamen obeyed,
innumerable lives would have been
lost Every thinking man. there.
fore, Is Of the opinion that the sea.
men on November 6. rendered inval-
liable service 10 their country"