The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-23

department officials TO be the
most gigantic act of sabotage
eve now In history. and as
! presenting some very serious
questions for the German govern
rncnt,
In the first place. II is possible, X
was stated. that the cost of the fleet.
which IL more than one-thfrd Of a bill
lion dollars. will be added TO the repa-
ration Germany must pay. That,
however. will be q small matter COM
pared with the possible action
against the officers and men who are
responsible. for the destruction of the
property 1t is.e not known, whether
the Germans, In addition 10 scuttling
tho ships. destroyed the motive ma
chinerv. as they attempted to do with
! vessels In the ports of Sex York and
at Manila.
The rtain aenect Of the case, state
department and navy authorities say.
is the punishment for the crime,
There are three WAYS in which the
men can be punished. providing they
were not CARRYING out orders of the
German government.
F1rst-Thev can he tried by the
local laws Of England for he de-
struction of property.
Sccond-Tf guilty under these laws.
they can be confined in English
prisons for life.
Third-The case may he referred to
the tnter-allied council as an act OF
war and breach Of the arm.stice. and
1.-THE men can he tried by military court
IN art ai and sfet ff- the court 30 de-
cides.
FIR SEVERE PUNISHMENT
onfcials say. in event. there wifi be
very sever punishment. and that. II
a connection be shown the offcials Of
the home government AZ Berlin. there
will he some drastic revision of the
purely military terms Of the treaty Of
peace. The disposition. So far, is TO
believe that the officers and rev
acted under Instructions
The belief that some official at
home suggested the crime Is based
principally or the efforts 81 Germans
to destroy or cripple ships which had
been interned In American ports.
Secretary OF the Navy DaniaIs points
our nj the time that these efforts, how
ever clever. could rot %eorarete with
the repair skill u the navy experts
who actually made the vessels in bet
ter shane than they ware. before their
crews ~attefnpfed e wreck them.
The special interest. ~ the United
EAFfttt NV wv tftfS~fi fFiitc4 ~ was
said today. could he observed from
two angles r. the punishment OF the
German wrerkers is referred to the
|inter-aliied military and naval coun-
ellis. the United States will he a
rartv to whatever punishment Is de-
ctded uror. The second angle is
speculation on what has the United
States lost by the crime?
As to the possible loss to tAe United
States. some of The officials, who have
discussed abroad what was eventually
To he done with the German high
feet. sav II win he nil. In other
words. tho United States cannot lose
what n never had. 1t Is we'll known
that American naval oNFcials were
never very keen about getting
share ~ the German high feet as a
prize OF war. They were ~ the
opinion. and most Of them sim are.
the German type did o har-
monte with the American tyne of
warship ard that II would possibly he
better. II not chesp per. to build modern
ships than to endeavor to reconstruct
the German ships or the lines OF the
ships now being built by the United
States, II was. therefore. with great
~unconcern that naval of1cials heard
from Eurone that II might be finally
determined ~ 90 With the German
rrizes whit The Germans have actually
done with them.
NOT AFFECT PEACE TREATY
n was also stated that, H in all
probability. the United States will, at
ter receiving the British admiralty re-
port. take the stand that the matter
Is not one that vim necessarily az
feet the peace treaty. hut that it
should be made an entirely naval
question. IT was intimated that even
that question might be complicated
bv possible negligence on the part OF
the British government. which was
the custodian OF the property. That
phase OF the issue II not discussed
here nj any length. hut 1t Is evident
to ofacials that Great Britain her
self IL to have an Investigation. OF
the naval officers who had charge Of
the shins. and there may be court
martials both of German and OF
British officers.
II Is indicated already, however,
that the British officers in charge will
probably make the plea that. as the
honor Of the German nation was
pledged " the armistice. the same
way watchfulness would be de-
|manded under that condition as would
be demanded II the war were in pro-
Egress.