GERMANS BLAMED FOR VIOLATION OF NEUTRALITY ZONE

Southland Times, Issue 24004, 20 December 1939, Page 7

GERMANS BLAMED FOR VIOLATION OF NEUTRALITY ZONE

(United Press Association—Telegraph Copyright) (Received December 19, 6.30 p.m.) BUENOS AIRES, December 18. With the torn and twisted wreckage of the Admiral Graf Spee still burning 20 hours after its scuttling and occasional explosions continuing to emphasize its melodramatic end, its weary officers and crew, surrounded by thousands of curious spectators, learned that the fate which they had hoped to escape in Uruguay had overtaken them the moment they reached the Argentine, namely, internment. The Commander, Captain Hans Langsdorff, upon his arrival with his men from the other side of the mouth of the River Plate on tug-boats and a barge, said; “I am satisfied that I saved all my men.” Captain Langsdorff showed signs of the strain and ordeal. The crew, mainly youngsters between 18 and 21 years, similarly showed fatigue and tension. Neutral States are studying all the technical information and believe that Captain Langsdorff’s flight to Montevideo was due to a direct hit from the Exeter’s eight-inch guns on the forward turret. His three 11-inch guns were put out of commission, his gunfire control installation was destroyed and all his food supplies made unfit for consumption and, finally, he believed that there were large British units nearby. The Washington correspondent of The New York Times reports that the Pan-American nations are discussing laying upon Germany the chief blame for the battle within the neutrality zone, as the Streonshalh was sunk and the Formosa attacked while plying between American ports. Some States, including Brazil, want to ban the refuelling of belligerent warships at Pan-American ports.