The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-06-27
Official Notice is Given By
Allies of Right to Punish
Persons Responsible for
Act.
ARMISTICE TERMS
GROSSLY VIOLATED
Act Was Not Justifiable
Even Though Peace Had
Been Actually Signed and
q Arrnistice Ended.

Paris. June 26.-Germany has been
notified in a note sent today by the
allies that they possess the right to
punish the persons responsible for the
destruction of the German ships and
to collect reparation for the loss. The
sinking of the fleet is denounced as
violation of the armistice and de-
liberate breach in advance of the con-
ditions of peace.
The text of the letter sent to the
German peace delegates follows:
June 20, 1919.
Mr. President: The terms Of the
a1mistice signed by Germany on the
eleventh of November 1918, provided
as follows
"fArticle %. The German surface war
ships which shall be specified by the
allies and the United States shall forth
with be disarmed ard thereafter in
termed in neutral ports, or, failing
them, in the allied ports designated by
the allies and the United States. They
shall there remain under supervision
by the allies and the United States,
only care and maintenance parties
being LEFT on board.
I'm law, Germany by signing the
terms of article %, set out above, en-
tered into an undertaking that the
ships handed over by her should re-
main. in the ports indicated by the
allied and associated powers and that
care and mafnt teffance parties should
be left on board with such instr uc-
tions and under such orders as would
insure that the armistice should he
observed.
'The sinking of these ships, instead
Il
vided for and in breach of the under
taking embodied in article 81 of the
armistice against all acts of destruc
ton, constituted at once violation of
the E nistice, the destruction of the
pledge handed over and an act of gross
bad faith toward the allied and as
sociated powers. VI
This alleged justification is not
well founded as under the communica-
ticn addressed to the German delega-
tion by the allied and associated pow
ers on the sixteenth of June, 1919,
the armistice would only terminate on
refusal to sign the peace treaty or II
no answer were returned on the 23rd
of June at o'clock. According to
international law, as embodied part
ticularly in Articles 40 and Al, OF the
regulations annexed to the Fourth
hague COnNeIlllOll VI l0VhS ONCAJ So
GUS violation 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 hostili-
ties at once.
Lastly the sinking of the German
fleet is not only violation of the
armistice, but can only be Regarded
by the allied and associated powers
as a deliberate breach in advance OF
the conditions communicated to Ger
MANY and new accepted in advance
of the conditions communicated to
Germany and now accepted by her,
Furthermore the incident is not an
isolated act The burning or permis-
sion for the burning of the French
flags which Germany wa sto restore
constitutes another deliberate breach
in advance fthese same conditions.
I'm consequence the allied and as
sociated powers declare they take note
of these signal acts of bad faith and
that when the Investigations have been
completed into all the circumstances
they will exact the necessary repara- |
tion.
.',rhey have made complaint of the |
fifteen years period of occupation |
which the treaty contemplates. They |
have made complaint that admission |
to the League of Nations may be too |
long deferred. How can Germany put |
forward such claims if she encour-
ages or permits deliberate violations |
of her written engagements? She |
cannot complain should the allies use
the full powers conferred on them by
the treaty particularly article 429 if /
she on her side deliberately violate |
its provisions.
(Signed) G. CLEMENCEAU."