The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-12-20
Aires he had said;
 Happy All Men- Safe

Nsh heRRJ NhsNN &ee va sseS sasNsa are safe,"
 In his letter Langsdorff said that although he had decided upon sul- eide from the first he decided to postpone the act long enough to assure the safety of more than l,- 900 young men in his crew.
 The body was discovered by one of Langsdorffs aides.
 Since the Graf Spec was souttled Sunday night Langsdorff has been criticized by the British and French who said that as long as the guns on his ship could fire he should have gone out fighting against the Allied warships maintaining c death watch for the Graf Spec at the mouth of the plate,
 Orders to scuttle the Graf Spec, 1t was understood, came from Fuehrer Adolf Hitler and there was great speculation NS to why e20,. 100000 worth of hattleship was sent down rather than submit to intern- ment or risk Q fight against Allied warships in which il might have inflicted serious damage before be- ing disabled itself.
 One of Ablest Men
 Langsdorif was regarded by his colleagues aS one of the ablest com. manders in tho German navy. Ae fought hard against the order of the Uruguayan government that the Graf Spec would have to Do in. termed or leave Montevideo harbor Sunday night, insisting that he TO. quired more time to make his vessel Seaworthy.
 Amidst strenuous efforts to keep his ship uninterned in Montevideo as long as possible Langsdorn head ed simple ceremonies at the north cemetery, Montevideo, where 38 men who died In tho Graf Specs battle with the British cruisers Ajax, Achilles and Exeter were buried.
 Before his battle with tho Hrltish ships last Wednesday LangsdorH had been at large as . sea raider. When the Graf Spec put Into Mon. teVedeo it carried aS prisoners the captains and parts of tho crews of at least six British ships sent to the bottom by the pocket battleship before it encountered tho Dritish navy.
 When discovered last Wednesday the Graf Spec was about to attack another merchant ship.
 Before Langsdorff shot himself to death the Argentine Government had ordered that he and his crew Do interned, refusing to accept the German contention that they were shipwrecked sailors not subject to internment under international law.
 Born in Bergen
 Langsdorif was 4b. He was born at Bergen on the Island or Ruegen on March 20, 1894 and entered the serv. leo of the Imperial German navy as Q midshipman on April l, ioi2, after having spent his early youth on the lower Rhine, mostly at Dues. selworf.
 During the World war, Langsdorff, who was commissioned Q lieutenant In March, 1915, served with various units of the German fleet. He took part In the battle of Jutland aS an officer aboard the battleship 0roser Kurfuerst,
 He was Ia command of e tor. pedo boat and later Q hotilla of minesweepers during the last two years Of the World war, After the World war he served in various commands and from 1929 to 1881 commanded Q torpedo boat fiotilia.
 From that post he went to the stan command in the German min. istry of the navy. Before taking over command of the Graf Spec in co. tober, 1888, Langsdortf was on the stan of the commander of scouting forces.
 A report in police sources said that Langsdorn had shot himself in the right temple.
 Funeral Tomorrow
 Funeral services were scheduled for tomorrow at the German ceme. tery. Member of the Graf Spec crew forming Q guard of honor, German officials and members of the German colony will attend and 1t was believed that there would be Q large attendance by residents of Buenps Aires as the German commander was Q popular figure here.
 Despite the apparent delay in in- forming the Graf Spec sailors of the death of their commander, there were many belated indica. tons.
 An employe of the hotel said that Lansdorff had been seen through his window early Jhis morning = about 1 q. rn.--writing letter& of- ticials said that late yesterday tho Warehip commander distributed