Evening star., 1939-12-19
BY Associated Press, via Radio.

uuUIUULLy.
The news which has come from
Montevideo has been received
with thankfulness in our island
and with unconcealed satisfaction
throughout the greater part of
the world.
The pocket battleship Graf
Spec, which has been for many
weeks preying upon the trade of
the South Atlantic, has met her
doom.
And throughout the vast ex-
panse of water the peaceful ship
ping of all nations may for
spell at least enjoy the freedom
of the seas. The end of the
raider came in the form most
serviceable to those who have
taken up arms in accordance with
the Covenant of the League and
to all adherence of the cause of
law and freedom in every land.
The German pocket battleship,
in spite of her far heavier
metal and commanding range,
was driven to take refuge in a
neutral harbor by the three Brit
ish cruisers whose names are on
every lip Once in harbor she
had the choice of submitting in
the ordinary manner to intern
ment, which would have been
unfortunate for her, or of coming
out to fight and going in battle
like the Rawalpindi British
auxiliary cruiser sunk recently,
which would have been honorable
for her.
Knew Heavy British Ships
Were 1000 Miles Away.
She discovered a third alterna-
tive. She came out, not to fight,
but to sink herself in the fairway
of neutral State from which she
had received such shelter and
succor as international law pre-
scribes. At that time the pocket
battleship Graf Spec knew that
the British heavy ships Renown
and Ark Royal were still 1000
miles away oiling at Rio (de
Janeiro).
All that awaited her outside
the harbor were the two 6-inch-
gun cruisers, the Ajax and
Achilles, which has chased her in,
and the 8-inch-gun cruiser Cum
berland, which had arrived to
take the place of the damaged
(cruiseD Exeter. Our own losses
have not been slight and there
is no harm now in stating that
the Ajax, in which was Commo-
dore Harwood, now by his mai
esty's pleasure Rear Admiral Sir
Henry Harwood, K. c. B., had
two out of her four turrets
knocked out. while the Exeter
bore up against 40 to so hits,
many of them from shells three
times the weight of those she
could fire back, that three of her
8-inch guns were smashed and
that she sustained nearly a hun
dred casualties, by far the greater
part killed.
Waited to Resume Battle
Until Relieved by Cumberland.
Nevertheless, the Exeter re-
manned outside the harbor Of
Montevideo ready, although Grip
pied, to take part tn q fresh
action and she only departed to
care for her wounded and her
injuries when she was relieved
by the timely arrival Of the Cum
berland.
Here at home in the North Sea
our British submarines have had
the best week I can remember in
this or the last war. British sub
marines suffer from the serious
disadvantage that they have very
few targets to attack. They are
not allowed by the custom of the
sea and by the conventions to
which we have subscribed to sink
merchant ships without warning
or without being able to provide
for the safety of the merchant
crews.
British submarines do not wage
war on neutral vessels. They do
not attack humble fishing boats.
They have to work for the most
part among the mine fields and
in the strongly defended waters
OF the Helgoland bank. It is
only when a German warship is
sighted that they are able to use
their power and skill. The Ger
man warships hardly ever ven
ture out of port and then only
for furtive dashes. Consequently,
the exploits of his majesty's sub
marine Salmon last week are
remarkable and praiseworthy in
the highest degree.
Sank Submarine and
Hit Two Cruisers.
First she blew to pieces by q
volley of torpedoes one of the
larger German U-boats which
was going out on a raiding foray.
Secondly, she rightly abstained
from torpedoing the Bremen
when that enormous ship was at
her mercy. Her third encounter
was the most important. On
Thursday, last, she observed
through her telescope the Ger
man fleet proceeding to sea on
one of its rare excursions. She
fired six torpedoes at the cruiser
squadron, which was accompany
ing the German battle cruisers,
and she hit one 6,0O0-ton cruiser
with one torpedo and a second
cruiser of equal size with two.
These cruisers may have been
able to limp home, although that
is by no means certain in the
case of one of them, and when
oPADASAle