GERMAN ADMIRALS AS FISHERS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2963, 14 April 1919, Page 4

GERMAN ADMIRALS AS FISHERS.

Captain Persius asked in the Berlin Tageblatt lately, “What are we to do with the ex-Kaiser’s new yacht Hohenzollern?” and thus leads up to the larger question of the future ot Germany’s fleet. The Hohenzollern, which was "planned and built more carefully than any other German craft was launched a few months after the war broke out. and it was an open secret that the Kaiser hoped to steam up the Thames in her once England had been Knot on -f n n cffl . IIP RChI/

magnificent, but, like so many other German vessels, has never been outside her harbor, and has simply been rotting in Kiel waters since November, when the red flag was hoisted at her

mast. Captain Persius hopes that “some rich man” will buy it to use it as a pleasure yacht, and adds that plenty >of German torpedo-boats and de-

stroyers would gladly bo sold to war profiteers desirous to indulge in \ adit—ing.

What Germany trill do with the rest of her fleet and with the personnel ot her navy, however, is the chief source of Captain Persius’ anxiety. “when war broke out,” he says, “we had two grand admirals, six admirals, twelve vice-admirals, twenty-two rear-admir-als and a hundred captains. W na. can we do with them now i Persius does not believe that these men can he used in the merchant fleet, especially as in its present reduced condition it has all the personnel it needs, and he puts forward the suggestion that Germany should try to employ those “sailors of leisure” in a new oiganisation which he calls the National Fishing Office. “AVe always foolishly neglected the fishing industry, ’ re says. “Now that we have to he saving with" meat, why not try to establish a high sea fishing industry on a wholesale national basis?” Whether the admirals who used to he described us flu? “smashers of England” will he satisfied in directing the capture ot whales, sharks, ami herrings remains to ho seen, hut the suggestion shows that Germany has apparently given up the idea ot building* another fleet.

Captain Persius observes that, “as far as wo can see, wo shall —if England allows us to —keep a fleet about equal to that which wo owned in the early eighties, hut in view of the fact that the League of Nations will ensure our safety, we shall need a big fleet no longer". All that Germany wants is a few ships to maintain communication between the motherland and such colonies as Germany may be allowed to preserve. The rest of the fleet which is not interned at Scapa Flow must either bo sold to private individuals or turned into freight-boats. “All this constitutes a sad ending to our once proud fleet,” he says, “but our duty to-day is simply, to see to it that our "allant sailors are not allowed to starve.” Captain Persius’ article constitutes a scathing parody of the exKaiser’s boastful motto, “Our future rests on the seas.”