THE IMPRISONED SHIPS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 122, 17 February 1919, Page 6

THE IMPRISONED SHIPS

IMPRESSIONS AT SCAPA FLOW. "Fishing!" That ono word expressed the feelings of the skipper of the diifter asjve passed tho surrendered German Fleet anchored in. Scapa Flow. It jvas not so much the word as the tone in which it was-said— and the tone conveyed tho feelings of the British naval man towards the German Navy to-day. There' they were, in their lines, the flower of the Gorman Fleet. Along the quarter-deck 6, in a row by the tali'rail, leaned a collection of German 6eanien with bamboo poles and lines attached, catching little fishes, and from the portholes, too, there were German heads and more, fishing lines. What an. end to it all! '

When one -takes for granted the clockwork discipline of a British battleship it is a good corrective to 6ee these German crews. Admitted that they are feeling the disintegrating effects' of lying, a surrendered band, in the iron embrace of the British Fleet: all that admittedstill, one does not expect to see an officer forced to push his way through two lines of lounging seamen before he can reacn the side of his ship. Still less does one expect to hear audible commejits from a crew when ; its officer is speaking to the British officer bringing his mails. Least of all does one expect to see a fine battleship, well built and well gunned, in a neglected and dirty condition.

All of these things one sees if one looks upon the German Fleet. * .

There were exceptions, of course. In the German admiral's flagship the discipline was better. Strangely enough, it was here alone that a member of the Bailors and Workmen's Council'was-on view with a white band round his arm. He was almost over-careful in giving the salute to his, officers—a very uncommon compliment in the German' Scapa Flow flc»t at present. The Derfflinger, again, looKed in good trim-. The main impression gained from the collection of German seameri who fislied and fished was, firstly, their variegated, ragged, and dirty clothing, and, secondly, their extremely youthful appearance. They appeared, to bo making tho best of a bad time, but they were singularly uninterested with regard to their own 1 officers aud ships. The officers still seemed to wish to bo smart and to extract comfort out of their position with difli« culty; but which position they did not like—being in Scapa Flow with a fishing crow, or' being nouenties in their own ships, is their secret.' In the wardroom of one of tho German ships is a picture of the Kaiser slashed across; so one does not know what to think.

And while the German crews angled from their ships out in the Firth wer.e British battleships at target practice. A neutral observer might have wondered which was the "Silent Navy." .Silence comes from two causes, however—strength and weakness.—"Y'iadux,' in the "Daily Mail."