SCAPA SINKINGS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15992, 8 December 1919, Page 2

SCAPA SINKINGS.

GERMAN RESPONSIBILITY PROVED

(Reuter.)

LONDON, December 5

An Admiralty communique, referring to Germany’s contention that Admiral Yon Reuter scuttled' the German fleet at Scapa Flow without the knowledge of any German civil or military authority, publishes a translation of a letter found in a- sale on the flagship Emden. The document, dated May 9th, and marked "Most secret,” was written by Admiral Von Trotsa, chief of the Germany Admiralty, to Von Reuter. It discusses the Allies’ probable intentions in regard to the fat© of the interned fleet, which it is declared, however, cannot be decided without German co-oper-ation and consummated by Germany. The latter emphasised that surrender to the enemy was out of the question. The Admiralty cites the foregoing and other instances in refutation of the German allegation that German orders failed to reach Von Reuter, and shown that the last orders reached him on June I7fii, the very day on which, according to the tijxt of another document, he instructed the commanding officers, carefully detailing the preparations to effect rapid sinking in. the event of®foreible British intervention without German assent or on his orders. Whcrcanont he indicated a secret code. Von Reuter added that should the German Government agree to surrender under the peace terms then the ships must be handed over, “to the lasting disgrace of those who placed us in this position.”