New-York tribune., 1919-01-27
''Take Our Ships,
Give Us ShOveIs.'
Is Germans Plea
Two Americans Captured
by Submarine Report Adj
ventures to Navy Depart
ment on Return Fl ere

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26.-"Take ali
our submarines and battleships and
battle cruisers Sink them in mid
ocean. We don't want them any more.
What we want from now on are
ploughs, picks and shovels to get back
to work again"
SO spoke the head of the German
Sailors Committee at Kie, following
the signing Of the armistice, to Lieu
tentants +. L. Muller and j. H. Fulcher,
U. S. N, who were captured by the u
1852, whirh sank the American Tcon-
deroga, September 80, and who were
released when the German submarine
totilla was surrendered November "a,
after they had cruised with the Uboat
for nearly two months.
The two American officers presented
their report to the Navy Department,
which was made public tonight. The
report said that the German sailors
and officers were convinced that Ger
many would have won the war had not
the United States interviewed. All of
them were enthusiastic over the pros
pect Of q German republic.
Tne two American officers in their
Joint report to Admiral Sims told
detailed story Of events during their
stay on the U-152 and on the subma-
rine mother ship Kronprinz Heinrich in
Kiel horbor. They spoke also of their
unique experience in being the only
passengers. so far as known, to have
travelled from Germany to Harwich,
England with the fotilla OF enemy sub
marines surrendered two weeks after
the signing of the armistice.
The U-152 which, after sinking the
Ticonderoga and taking Muller and
Fulchcr aboard, continued to American
waters to raid shipping, encountered
the u-53 on her way back to Kiel after
all German submarines had been re-
called near the end of the war.
The two officers confirmed the state
ment made in November, 1918, by Cap
tain Hans Rose, of the u-53, that 1t
was his submarine that sank the United
States destroyer Jacob Jones, the first
Amrican warshlp to be sunk by the
enemy in the great war.
After the Ticonderoga went down the
U-152 picked up Muller, who was taken
for the commander Of the ship, and
later Fulcher
Many wounded men on RATS or in the
water pleaded with the Germans to be
taken aboard, as they had no food or
water or chance Of life if left to their
fate, but Captain Franz, of the U-152,
told them he had room for no more"
and cast them adrift
N,,llor orI Itulchpr uNqNp no COM
plaint of their treatment aboard the
submarine, which was outward bound
from Klel for the American coast on
her second trip and which continued
into the Gulf Stream. on the lookout
for Allied shipping. First news Of the
armstce negotiations came by radio,
with the message, Engage men-of-war
only. The merchant war is ended.
The Americans were told by the Ger
man officers that this was "the first act
Of our new government
On October II, however. the U-l52
encountered and sank the Norwegian
bark Stitinder off the New Foundland
coast, leaving the crew in their boats
900 miles from land.
Two days later an unarmed ship was
fired at, but q cruiser or destroyer
drove the U-boat under and dropped
depth bombs. Several duels with armed
which the prisoners did not learn, and
on October 20 cameNa radio order "All
submarines return to Kiel," which was
obeycd.
1t was not until November II that
the U-152 reached the North Sea
mine barrage, through which it passed
on the surface. The following day
Captain Franz announced that the
Armisticc had been signed and the war
vas over.
"All hands seemed pleased,' the re
port said.
That night in the Skagerrack the
C-53 was encountered, and the story
Of thc sinking of the Jacob Jones was
heard. The last report from the L SO
was that she was headed for Swedish
waters to intern rather than return to
Germany.