The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-11-20
Captain Persius, Naval A1l-
thority, Says Victories
We're Bluffs and Lies
GOOD FORTUNE
ALONE SAVED FLEET
% Battleships Disarmed to
Furnish Metal for
U-Boats
(Ry AeEoeIated Presa.l

London. Nov. 20.-(British wireless
service.)-Captain Persius, the Ger
man 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 Tageblntt sensational
article containing revelations res
garding the German fleet.
All RIuffs and Lies.
Captain Persius says the hope that's
the German fleet would be able In
a second Skagerrak battle to beat the
British fleet rested upon the bfufE
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
Won TirpitZ, the German material
was quite inferior to the British.
Had Close Shave.
In the Skagerrak battle, he de-
clares. the German fleet was saved
from destruction partly by good lead
ership and partly by favorable
weather conditions. Had the wealth
er been clear 'or Admiral Won
Scheer's leadership less able. the
destruction of the whole German
navy would have resulted.
German Loss Enormous.
The long range British guns would
have completely smashed the lighter
armed German ships. AS 1t was the
losses Of the German fleet were en-
ormous. and on June /, Captain
Persius says. 1t was clear TO every
thinking man that the SkagerralS
battle must be the only general naval
engagement of the war.
Won Tirpitz Was Abstinate.
On all sides continues the writer,
Admiral Won TirpitZ was advised 20
construct only submarines, but he re-
mained obstinate. On October Il
1915, several members of the reich
stag made an earnest appeal to the
army commandment TO the naval
staf-with the result that an order
was issued terminating the construc-
ton OF battleships in order thai the
material might be used for the MAX
ing of U-boats. In the meantime, so
great scarcity of material had
arisen that IL became necessary TO
disarm a number OF the battieshipg
and take the metal. In this manner.
at the beginning OF 1915, % battle
ships had been disarmed, as well as
one newly built cruiser.
Navy in Bad Shape
At the beginning OF this year,
Captain Persius states, the German
navy consisted only of dreadnaughts
and battleships Of the HeIgoiand,
Kaiser and Markgraf types and some
few battle cruisers. All the shops
which Won Tirpitz had constructed
from 1897 to 1908 at a cost of innu-
merable millions. had been destroy
ed and the II boats that had been
constructed had proved unable to
fight against British battlesaips.
No Dearth of Cheerful Lying
Admiral Won Capelle, during his
period as head of the navy, says
Captain Persius, constructed a few
subs OF the large type, but in off,
cial quarters IT was still stated that
Germany possessed an enormous
number OF u boats and that the loss
es were virtually nil
That was not true. the writer ad-
mits. In 1917 he stated, SO slIhn1s4
rines were constructed while 6s
were destroyed. IN April. 1917. Ger
many had 126 submarines and In Oc-
tober lac. In February 1918, she
had 136 and in June of the same
year 113, according to Captain per-
sius' fgures. Only small percent
age OF these submarines were ac.
tiVely operating at any given time.
Captain Persius declares. In Janu-
ary, 1917, for instance. when condi-
ttons were favorable for submarfns
work, only IL per cent were activa
while 80 per cent were in harbor ss
per cent under repairs and 90 per
cent incapacitated."
Seamen Feared Subs
submarine crews. he saws. were
were not sufficiently educated and
trained and they looked with distrust
upon the weapon. In the last months.
he reveals, It was very dffficuit ~
get men for submarine work az ex
perienced seamen looked npon The
pidity.
Refused 20 Face Certain Defeat
Captain Persius tells to the nnutinv
that broke out at the beginning 81
this month when the German navy
was ordered out for attack Had
the seamen obeyed. the writer re-
marks, tnnumerabie lives would have
been lost and he declares that nev-
cry thinking man there Is OF the
opinion that the seamen on Nov. g
rendered an Invaluable service Ia
their country"
cnME EnApFSes 1sNyzht--,atstv-~.