Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-06-26
WILL PUNISH
GUILTY SAYS
NOTE TO FOE
Enemy Informed Scapa
Flow Act Is Violation
of Truce and Peace.

Paris, June 26.-Germany
has been notified in q note sent
today by the allies that they
possess the right to punish the
persons responsible for the de-
structiOn of the German ships
and to collect reparatiOn for
the loss. The sinking of the
fleet is denounced as a viola
tiOn Df the armistice and de-
4 ,liberate breach in advance of
the conditions of peace.
When the Investigations have
been completed, the note says
the allies will exact 'the neees-
saryi reparatiOn.o
RepAration also will be asked for
3khe burning of the French battle
Hhags which under the treaty Ger
.tmany was to have returned to
France.
Germany's protests against the
long period of allied occupation
provided in the treaty and her COM
Nplaint that her admission to the
eague of nations might be delayed,
|Nare Contrasted with the violations
1of her engagements. Germany, the
mote adds, cannot complain should
the allies use the full powers con-
ferred on them by the treaty, par
ticulArly article 429, (Which pro-
videsI that territorial occupation
might be continued indefinitely, if
she on her side deliberately Vio-
lates it's provisions.
The allied and associated powers
today sent the following letter to
the German npeacesdelegation:
June %, 1919.
Mr.. President: The terms of the
armtstice signed by Germany ON
the eleventh of November, 1918,
provided as follows:
"lArticle %. The German surface
warships which shall be specified
n by The allies and the United States,
shall forthwith be disarmed and
Thereafter interned in neutral ports,
or, failing them, in the allied ports
designated by the allies and the
UNITED States. They shall there re
main under supervision by the al
1lieb and the United States, only
care and maintenance parties being
A left on board
Tells Of Sinking.
ron June 81, the German war
ships, which had been handed over
toi the allied and associated powers
were at anchor in the roadstead at
Soapa Flow with the German care
ard maintenance parties on board
as provided in the armistice, were
sunk by these parties under the or
n dgrs of the German admiral in COM
mand, according to the information
which has been collected, and
transmitted by the British admir-
atty. The German admiral in COM
nsand of these parties of the Ger
man naval forces has alleged that
|he acted in the belief that the arm
iBtice expired on June 81 at mid
day and consequently in his opinion
the destruction in question will be
10 violation of its terms.
I'm law, Germany, by signing the
terms of article %, set out above,
entered into an undertaking that
fhe ships handed over by hel
should remain in the ports indicat-
ID by the allied and associated pow
srs and that care and maintenance
parties should be left on board with
such instructions and under such
orders as would insure THAT the
armistice should be observed.
Violation Of Armistice.
THE sinking of these ships in
stead of their preservation as had
been provided for, and in breach of
the undertaking embodied in article
B31 of the armistice against all acts
Iof destruction, constituted at once
la violence of the armistice, the de-
Istruction of the pledge handed over
and an act of gross bad faith to-
ward the allied and associated pow
ers.
The admiral in command of
their care and maintenance parties
belonging to the German naval
forces has, while recognizing that
the act was a breach of the armis-
tice, attempted to Justify it by al
leging his belief that the armistice
had come to an end.
Gives Right TO Reopen War.
This alleged justification is not
we'll founded, as under the com
u9unication addressed to the Ger
man delegation by the allied and
associated powers on the sixteenth
of June, 1919, the armistice would
only terminate on refusal to sign
the peace or if no answer were re-
turned on the 23rd of June at Z
O'Clock. According to international |
law, as embodied particularly in
articles 40 and Al of the regulations !
annexed to the fourth Hague con-
vention Of 1907, every serious vio- !
lation of the armistice by one of the |
parties gives the other party the |
right to denounce it and even IN |
case of urgency to recommence I
hostilities at once
WIN Punish entity.
"A violation Of the terms of the