The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-02-13
LIEUT. y. G.. COPELAND
PAYS VISIT TO GERMANY

The following very interesting let
ter has been received by Mrs. j.
d. Copeland from her son, Lieut.. y.
Graham Copeland:
u. S. Naval Headquarters, 80 Gros-
venor Gardens, London, S. w. l.,
January %, 1919.
My Dear Ma:-This is the very
first opportunity have had since my
return from the trip to Germany to
write and tell you about it. l trust
that you took my letter, sent just be-
fore / sailed for Germany and to the
effect that there was no need for wor-
~, to heart, and that you have not
been worrying over the non-receipt
of news from me for the last three
weeks.
And now / will tell you about the
most unique and wonderful trip l
hake ever had the good fortune to be
sent on-and since I have been at
{ tached to this headquarters staff it
has been my privilege to go on a
number of missions many of which
were highly interesting.
First, is the idea of the mission:
You see among the many condi-
tions imposed upon the Germans by
the armistice there was one to the
effect that the navy and air force
should be demobilized and remain so
until peace was declared or the armi-
stice revoked. To make sure that this
condition was being properly observ-
ed, it became necessary to send
commission to Germany shortly after
the signing of the armistice. This
commission reported that in general
the terms were being carried out;
but that there was no way of telling
whether as soon as the commission
returned to England the Germans
would ret replace their vessels and
air craft in state of war. Accord
ingly, it was necessary to send a
second commission to see that the de-
mobilized state in which the craft
had been placed was being maintain
ed. I was selected to go as the engi-
neer for these headquarters.
The Personnel of the Commission.
Besides myself, there we're on the
commission, Commander Child, U. s.
NJ, an expert on dirigibles and light
or than air craft; Lieut.. Commander
Ramsey, u S. NJ, an expert in sea
planes and heavier than air craft,
two ensigns as interpreters; Lieut..
Commander Payne of the Royal Ma
w; Major Pritchard of the Royal
Flying Corps; and Lieut.. Theus of
the French Navy. The members of
the commission gathered in London
from various parts of the British
Isles and France and left for Har-
wich, England, by train on the af-
ternoon of January 9Th. At Har-
wich we went aboard the U. S. N.
Aphrodite, a converted yacht, to
make the trip across the North Sea.
Before telling about the voyage,
however, should digress a moment
and tell you something about Har-
wich.
This port, as you are probably
aware, is a small village on the east
coast Of England and was extensive
dy used during the war by the vari-
Gus kinds of vessels that undertook
to make the North Sea and English
Channel dangerous for the Hun sub
marines. That they did this is part
of another story. At the time of our
arrival at Harwich, the river channel
was lined on both sides with great
number of Hun subs that had been
brought over and surrendered short
ly after the signing fthe armistice.
They were of all kinds and descrip-
tions-fast cruiser subs, mine-laying
subs, old time subs, long subs, short
subs, every kind of sub, indeed, for
the allies decided it was best to
leave none at all in the lairs along
the North Sea and Baltic.
They are all very peaceable looking
now for the "fangs" have been re-
moved and only a watchman or two
looks out after them. They are gaily
camouflaged with red, green and yell
low stripes and are almost invisible
at few hundred yards. Owing to
my being sent to Paris at the time of
the presidents reception there, was
not able to witness the surrender of
the vessels but am told by officers
who participated that it was about
the most humiliating spectacle they
had ever witnessed. The ships were
all in disorder and the crews dirty
ond nnkomnt showino how onicklv