The sun., 1919-06-23
POLLEN ADMIRES
SPIRIT OF GERMANS
Sinking ShoWn to Haue Been
an Easy Task.

LONDON. June 22.-Early this morning
a violent explosion occurred close to the
spot where one OF the German war
ships was sunk yesterday in Scapa
Flow. says Kirkwall despatch to the
Central News. A huge column of water
and debris was thrown up.
The single German warship which re-
NAMED anchored last night has gone
aground. All the German crews. have
been placed aboard the British battle
ship Royal Sovereign.
Arthur Pollen, the naval expert. in an
interview in the Despatch regarding the
sinking of the German warships in
Scapa Flow, admires the spirit OF the
Germans in sinking their ships rather
than to allow them to pass into the pos
session OF their enemies.
The article In the Dispatch recalls that
a writer in an evening paper recently
practically prophesied the destruction OF
the German ships. This writer empha-
sized the ease of secreting demolition
charges In modern warship. adding,
Many people in the navy believe that
the ships left Germany with dynamite
charges already in position and that
when the decision OF the Peace Confer
ence was announced the Scapa Flow
would be the scene Of big pyrotechnic
display"
Commander Kenworthy. NJ p. told the
Dispatch that II was easy to sink snip
BY opening the Kingston valves or re-
moving the covers of the condensers.
The story is remarkable" said Lord
Sydenham. Explosives could not have
been used. as they are believed to have
beer removed. Assuming that the Kings
ton valves were open, the ships would
not sink in less than five hours. The
loss OF the ships does not matter. but it
is annoying that we were outwitted.'
Commander Bellairs, NJ. p. declared
no watch from the suardboats could
have prevented the scuttling of the ships,
are not to be blamed.
The Admiralty Is responsible" Com
MA nder Bellairs declared, for they made
the armistice but did not think Of the
terms. The only lesson is that the FIRST
case OF police work for the League of
Nations has been unsuccessful and that
the German remains true TO type"
Admiral Sir Percy Scott, interviewed
by the Sunday Times. regards the sink
ing of the German ships as something to
be expected.
1T serves US right" he said, "for
trusting the Huns. They showed
throughout the war that they were not
a civilized race, and they never ought to
have been treated as such. They are
! barbarians.'
The Weekly Dispatch says that ac-
cording TO an officer who visited the Ger
man fleet last month. the ships when
they arrived in Scapa Flow were
searched for explosives. but not strin-
gently. The Admiralty officials made a
hasty survey last November. but since
then everyboey. including British officers,
we're kept away because II was the opin-
ion OF the Government that the ships
should not be treated as surrendered
until the Peace Conference had decided
their fate
THE public will insist upo7 the dis
| closure OF the blunderer. or blunderers
whose egregious trustfuness was 20
I cynically. abused" says the Weekly Dis
patch in its editorial comment "As the
ships were In the custody OF the British
navy as trustee for the Allies a most
| searching investigation into the nature
OF the precautions taken obviously is
necessary