Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-11-28
6E|:RMAhy's NAVAL
POWER EXPUNGED
MONTY FLEET or TEuToNs NOW
IN HANDS OF ALLIES.
.lBIDE BY ARMlsTlCE TERMS
ea0antie Surrender Unprecedented In
Az Naval History 5io Ameri.
can Warships Take Part-A specta-
Gle Never to 30 Forgotten.

AONk e5AAsA ANONs &SOs-ISlNh US ~
a&yal power ceased to exist on Nov.
sl. The heart Of her mighty fleet
tsurteen ships Of line, seven light
cruisers and fifty destroyers surren-t
aered to an armada Of British, Amer
Loan and French vessels, the greatest
Sighting force that ever stood ont to
se1.
Tho minutely detailed program Of
submission laid down by the COM
SANDER Of the British fleet was car
Hed out strictly according to plans.
The German warships, strung out in
= single column almost twenty miles
long, appeared at the rendezvous at
No appointed time and were led into
the Firth Of Forth between twin col
znns Of allied ships which over
lapped. the Germans at each end. The
enemy craft are now anchored in the
firth, under guard as prisoners.
Event without Precedent.
A surrender on such q gigantic
scale has no precedent in naval his
tnfy. Although the wonderful naval
spectacie was the same as peace
3eme review and evoked little enthus-
lasm. the haze blotting out the l1Ori-
ron, American and British officers
could scarcely credit the evidence Of
t1leir eyes. Il was an event which
sAattered all naval traditions and
IDEALS.
Men animated by the spirit Of
Ldwrence's 'Do9't Give Up the Ship. =
And Nelson's .England Expects Every
Man to Do His Duty" could not con-
.Seiye of such an inglOrious fate as
that to which the enemy sen, force
vas submitting. An Associated Press
correspondent to whom fs credited
Hith writing this article. standing on
the deck Of an American dreadnaught
heard an officer exclaim: SEVEN the
pOor old Spaniards, knowing they had
aOt q chance, came out of Santiago"
But for the most part, both officers
and men were silent. They realized
tliey were witnessing the climacteric
act Of Germany's downfall. They
knew that the surrender Of these ves-
sels automatically raised the United
States to second position among the
worlds naval powers, but they showed
NO citation and seemed to feel sort
e cofitemptuous pity for the fallen
giant OF the sea who had refused to
sAght. Their fmaglnations flwelt on
the foes shame.
Z The German ships were sighted by
the allied columns at 9:2O o'clock in
the morning, docilely following their
British pilot, the light cruiser Cardiff,
which, with destroyers and other small
maft, had ranged ahead of the allied
Rect. The enemy studiously complied
With Admiral Beatty's orders and It
was we'll for their own sakes that they
did. Every vessel steaming out to
meet them few battle ensigns and was
ready for instant action with It's men
AE battle stations, and guns in posi-
Non for prompt annihilation Of the
enemy's forces II their mission proved
To he other than peaceful.
Five American battleships, the New
York, Texas. Arkansas, Wyoming and
Florida, were prepared to fire every
gun IN forty seconds after the signal
was given by Rear Admiral Rodman,
who said to the correspondent before
sailing: There Is not the slightest
probability Of any trouble, but we are
overlooking no chances. against MAX
ing the wind up OF this show a big
success"
Ship Line IA Miles Long.
The main allied fleet extending
over line fourteen miles long in the
Firth of Forth began to weigh anchor
at 4 O'Clock a. m. The Scotch mist
which for days had obscured the har-
bor was swept away by a stiff breeze.
and the moon shone brilliantly out of
"A clear sky. The ships quickly took
their stations in the long double line
they held throughout the day. British
battle cruisers led the way, followed
by dreadnaughts. Admiral Beatty's
flagship. the Queen Elizabeth, led the
squadron in the northern column. The
American warships fell into line be-
hind Admiral Beatty's craft balancing
4 british squadron similar in power in
the opposite file.
The rendezvous was Approximately
fifty miles distant and the ships
gnuged their speed to arrive Mt the ap-
Americas Sea Losses.