Evening star., 1921-05-10
FALSE NEWS BERLIN SENT OUT
TO KEEP UP COURAGE OF NATION
How Sinking of Leviathan Was Heralded
Throughout Germany And Never
Defeat Confessed.

At present the American soldiers are
without either rifles or artillery
And at that moment there were a
million American soldiers In France
| and we were turning out munitions
! at rate the Germans could not be-
! lieve was possible.
The more evident it vas that U-boat
warfare. had failed. the moro vehe-
ties in asserting its success. Admiral
Holtzendorr. head of the admiralty,
announced July 20 that they were
taking into consideration the counter
| meaSureS-that meant the mine bar
rage. the destroyers, patrol boats and
all the new things We were using to
defeat them; that they were building
| many more submarines and he de-
clared that final success Is guaran-
teed."
Berlin Keeps Up Bluff.
The Germans never did admit their
| failure. and even after submarine
crews had mutinied and U-boat war
fare had ended with the recall of
! their submarines in October they
were still blufiing their own people.
AS late as November S, less than
week before the armistice. we caught
this bulletin from Berlin:
English wireless service reported.
and this report was circulated also in
neutral newspapers. that German
Sooiiiii INES iidu pdSScu 4NOI W Z idh
coast on their way home with a white
flag at the masthead. This is pure
invention. English wireless has thus
again circulated lie."
This in spite of the fact that they
were all hurrying home. some of them
passing so close to the Norwegian
coast to avoid mines and destroyers
that they could be plainly seen from
shore.
When the allies were smashing the
n lSyn HI ,osv
armies all along the front Berlin was
flashing out reports of successfully
repulsng attacks and taking up
more favorable positions" When
the French and Americans by terrific
attacks drove them across the Marne
Berlin announced:
"Masterly Move" on Marine.
THE excellent execution of the
movement for changing to the oppo-
site bank of the wide River Marine,
which took place unnoticed by the
enemy. demonstrates today the splen-
did ability of the German command
and troops"
When the Americans won their no.
table victory at St. Mihiel we heard
from Berlin that the Germans had
only "evacuated' the bend" at St.
Mihiel to improve their lines. and
that on the whole the French and
American attacks had failed. And
Teutons back in the fatherland:
The American Army also cannot
terrify us, as we shall settle accounts
with them"
Even in November. when total COL
lapse was only a few days away. they
were still talking of the failure OF
the Americans and the victorious re-
pulse" of the French.
After the mutiny at Kiel and other
ports, where sailors took possession
Of the ships and started the revolr-
vember II:
Concerning situation in Kiel and
uprisings in other harbor towns. even
military protection of Baltic has been
carried out without a break by navy.
All warships leaving harbor fly war
flags. Movements among sailors and
workmen have been brought back to
peaceful ways"
Gloss Over Fleet Surrender.
The surrender of the German high
seas fleet was gently termed the car
rying out of armistice conditions at
sea-"
But through the marvelously eff
ficient secret service OF the allies,
we'll informed of all that was going
on in the German navy. Such close
track was kept of the U-boats that
we knew when every one sailed or
returned, and generally were ln1orm-
ed as to its destination and plans.
All the denials Of mutinies and re-
volts were merely amusing to US. We
knew the facts. We knew their
morale was shattered, that the allies
had "got their nerve" / do not know
any dispatch that amused me more
than the one we picked up from Ber.
lin November 16. This showed that
the U-boat crews had to be reassured
that their lives were safe, even after
the armistice: they they had to be
coaxed and bribed before they would
venture out to take the submarines to
England for surrender. Here it is:
Pr. 143 W522-Transocean Press
Berlin. November Is.
German armistice commission has
directed to Chancellor Ebert for i'm
mediate communication to all subma-
rine crews letter in which it states
that English Admiral Sir Roslyn
Wemyss has given unreserved and
absolute assurance that all crews Of
submarines to be handed over will be
sent back to Germany as soon as pos
sible after their arrival in the harbor
appointed by England. Commission
therefore requests crews to hand
over in good time the submarines.
In connection with this, workmen
and soldiers council of Wilhelm
shaven states that all men Of ships
which are brought into an enemy
J port are insured for 10000 marks in