GRAF SPEE STILL IN MONTEVIDEO

Southland Times, Issue 24002, 18 December 1939, Page 7

GRAF SPEE STILL IN MONTEVIDEO

VESSEL APPARENTLY READY FOR SEA BRITISH WARSHIPS LYING IN WAIT (United Press Association—Telegraph Copyright) (Received December 18,1.15 a.m.) MONTEVIDEO, December 16. With many repairs made and her stock of provisions replenished, the German pocket battleship, Admiral Graf Spee, will apparently be ready early tomorrow to fight or run the Allied blockade. Small craft and barges were ordered away. The ship lay with her bow towards the breakwater opening within half an hour to clear water but in spite of favourable conditions with the moon set and a slight fog, she did not move. It is officially learned that Captain Hans Langsdorff , commander of the Admiral Graf Spee, considered going to Buenos Aires but when the subject was broached unofficially, the Germans were informed that the ship would not be allowed to remain more than 24 hours in any Argentine port. The hour of expiry of the Uruguayan time limit has not been announced as the Uruguayan Government believes that it would be impolitic to do so. British warships are lying in wait off the River Plate, but there has been no reliable report of their number. xhe Argentine and Uruguayan Fleets will establish a joint patrol to prevent a battle with the combined’British and French squadron within their jurisdictional waters. The Rome radio reports that the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer, escorted by submarines, is proceeding to Montevideo.