The north Mississippi herald. (Water Valley, Yalobusha Co., Miss.) 1888-1929, 1919-06-27
ADMIRAL REUTER-
ORDERED GERMAN
FLEET SUNK
Says He Thought Armistice
Had Been Ended-Declares
German Navy Knows No
Surrender" Treacherous
Huns Should be Made to Pay
For Destroyed Fleet.

Huns Should be Made to Fay
For Destroyed Fleet.
| LONDON, June 22.-Admiral Won
Reuter-, commander of the surrender
ed German fleet, personally ordered
| its scuttling, in the belief that the
armistice had been terminated. He
says so himself, according to the
Daily Express, in the following mes
sage to the British commander:
Il ordered the sinking in the be-
| lief that the armistice was terminal
ed and following the German navy's
tradition, which knows no surrend-
err"
In the firing on boats in which
German sailors escaped from the
scuttled warships six men were kill
ed and 10 wounded.
Out of the mighty fleet of II ships
of all classes, only the battleship
Baden and three destroyers remain
afoat.
Four hundred thousand tons, val
ued at approximately $3.50, 100000
disappeared, and the admiralty told
the story in exactly 130 words.
The Genesis, hitherto the model of
brevity, required 400 words.
History's most remarkable naval
destruction, which, in the short space
of four hours, wiped out fleet more
powerful than the entire French navy
and almost equal to Japan's, definite
ly ends the naval power which dis
puted the supremacy of the seas at
Jutland and once threatened Brit
tania's rule of the waves. In four
hours this mighty armada is wiped
oft the face of the waters, and a
small body of men in London possess
ing exclusive news sources discuss
the revelation of the admiralty's 100
words in mysterious undertones.
| Admiralty Blames Armistice Terms
As matter of fact, very few ad-
miralty officers are in London today.
This being Sunday, the various SEN
/ icrs and higher officials are spending
the weekend at their country places.
beyond reach of returning to their
Offices in the city.
Today's greatest stion is
"why?" That is what the British
public wants to know and what Par
lament will demand when it re-
assemblies.
Why were he Germans allowed to
destroy the fleet held in trust by the
British navy pending its disposition
| by the peace congress?
There is no answer.
But already the first evidence of
the admiralty's alibi is contained in
last nights statement that Gin ac-
cardance with the armistice terms the
Germans ships were interned with
German skeleton crews as caretakers
and without British guards aboard"
This may be taken to indicate the
admiralty's line of defense, passing
the blame to the authors of the armi-
stice terms for leaving the Germans
free access to the seacocks at any
time.
A high British naval officer tells
Universal Service that the seacocks
could have been rendered harmless at
any time by sealing them with acete-
lyme blow pipes.
Have Blocked British Harbor
After the first blow of the news
naval officers have begun to realize
that the Germans have achieved a
double purpose; they have not only
prevented the final surrender of their
fleet, but have seriously, if not COM
pletely, blocked the Scapa Flow an
chorage.
1CN040AAk " <AullllI44 DIkQRGs the
biggest German ships were scuttled
| in 120 feet of water He added: ga
great amount of time, trouble and ex-
pense will be necessary to raise the
vessels and clear the fair way"
Measured by the engineering prob
lem of raising the Maine at Havana,
| it is a matter of serious doubt wheth-
er the heaviest ships will be raised,
and it is equally uncertain whether
those vessels which were beached can
be salvaged.
An interesting psychological side
| light is offered by British editorial
comment. The Daily Express COM
placently congratulates the league of
nations of having been relieved of
one source of embarrassment. Not
a word is said concerning the fixing
of responsibility.
Admiral Perry Scott says in the
Sunday Tines:
''It serves US right for trusting the
Huns. They are barbarians."
Only Baden Visible Now
The Baden (28,00O toni battle
ship, was still afioat at 4:30 o'clock
this afternoon. She was boarded ty
British sailors who hoisted the white
ensign to the main mast, leaving the
German flag fly beneath it.
| OF the five light cruisers one was
cast adrift and came safely ashore.
The Emden (5,400 tons) and another
were towed by tugs into Swanbister
Bay and are now half submerged. A
fourth light cruiser suddenly turned
and sank at her anchorage All that
remains visible of the armada is the
Baden, a few duh red hulls peeping
above the shallow water, three small
cruisers all half submerged and less
than a dozen of the fifty destrOyers.