The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1919-06-26

'Sa1d, IL Tor ne sake OF a Tine gesture
Germany should be confronted with
higher financial obligations. The Off
GERS and men responsible should be for
given. They acted in the spirit in
which they were bornand brought up
TO INVESTIGATE COUP.
By United Press.
London, June 24.-Admiralty Off
.cials today considered measures to in
vestigate and fix responsibility for the
stroke by which the informed German
fleet at Scapa Flow was wiped out.
A commission probably will be ap-
pointed to hear testimony and decide
who is to blame for the fact hat the
skeleton German crews remaining on
the interned warships were able to
open the sea cocks Inc sink the sur
rendered fleet.
Admiralty officials maintained that
looseness of the armistice terms. under
which German crews remained on the
vessels, made the coup possible.
So far as the public is concerned,
in many places the remark was heard:
"Well, that's what we wanted done
with them, wasn't it%
The impression seemed to prevail
that the Germans had saved the allies
some trouble q. g. ~
viii Not Salvage.
ut was considered that the erstwhile
high seas fleet" will be allowed to re-
main at the bottom of Scapa Flow, as
cost of salvaging would be great.
According to the. Daily Mail, a copy
OF the German admiral's detailed or
ders for sinking the fleet has been
found.
.- a 6icrot CHE t@E%1o MIL 49, So
Flow quoted Won Reuter- as declaring
the ships were sunk because the KAT
ser, at the beginning of the war, or
dered that no German vessels be al
lowed to fall into the enemy hands
Won Reuter- understood. he said. that
the armistice ended Saturday, so he
proceeded TO carry out the order.
1t was noted that Won Reuter- visited
Berlin a few weeks ago under pretext
of illness.
May Try Admiral.
Admiral Won Reuter- may be tried by
an international court, together with
D commanders and other war
criminals, it was learned today,
The British admiralty is forwardine
a full report of the sinking to the naval
armistice commission in Paris, by
whom the next steps will be directed.
Two Warships Afloat.
or the German vessels interned in
Scapa Flow, the d~readnought Baden
and the cruiser Emden remained afloa
today; the Frankfort and the Nure1n-
burg may possibly be %salvaged. Two
destroyers were still on the surface
and 20 other destroyers were beached.
The other vessels of the once proud
German high seas fleet were beneath
the waves, sun by their own German
crews to keep them from becoming the
property of the allies.
Fourteen hundred of the German
sailors have been landed. A few We're
killed and six were wounded in clashes
with the British guards. Some may
have drowned.
The main force of the British fleet
vas absent fro mScapa Flow. it's north
ern base, when the Germans essayed
Their coup. A few drifters and small
craft were on hand and there were
some aircraft guarding the captured
warships.
Describes Sinking.
An eye witness gave this description
Of the sinlsings:
Saturday forenoon was quiet. The
sun shown beautifully. AT noon it was
reported l1dl one Ie1 HAL UtLSlSoLiip
was sinking. Almost simultaneously
ali the ships hoisted the German en-
sign, showing the red flag at their fore
masts. The crews Immediately began
leaving the ships.
Spy the behavior of the sinking
ships it was evident the sencocks had
: ben opened. Soon all began to settle.
THE Moltke, Seydlitz. Derfl:nger,
Won der Tam went down together
within an hour of the first sinking.
ct was a topsy turvy scene, ships
stems sticking up. some almost en-
quilted. here and there a destroyer TAX
ing a sudden dive. When the German
sailors rushed to their boats at the be
ginning of the sinking many were
overcrowded and the seamen Jumped
into the water. All wore life belts.
British guardships opened fire on
some OF the boats, resulting in some Of
their occupants jumping into the water
Destroyers picked them up.
German officers who were rescued
and brought aboard British ships
proudly saluted. clicking their heel:
as they met their rescued colleagues