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Show GERMANY! IS SENT i Allies Notify Huns That They Will Collect j For Ships. ARMISTICE VIOLATED Persons Responsible for Sinking Fleet Will Be Punished, TARIS. June 26 Germany has been notified in a note sent today by thej allies that they possess the right to; punish the persons responsible for the destruction of the German ships and to collect reparation for the loss The sinking of the fleet is denounced as a violation of the armistice and a de- ! liberate breach in advance of the con-; diiions of peace. When the investigations have been, completed, the note stales, the allies will exact "the necessary reparation. " Letter to Germans The allied and associated powers to- I da sent the following letter to the I German peace delegation: "June 25. 1919 "Mr. President: The terms of the armistice signed by Germany on the eleventh of November, 1918, provided as follows "'Article 2T The German surface1 warships which shall be specified by the allies and th-- I niicd Slates shall forthwith be disarmed and iherealter interned in neutral ports, or, failing them, the allied ports designated by j the allies and the United States They! shall there remain under supervision' by ihe allies and the United States, onh care and maintenance parlies being be-ing left on board." "On June 21 the German warships which bad been handed over to the allied al-lied and associated powers at anchor In the roadstead at Scapa Flow with the German care and mainh nance par- ties on board as provided In the armistice, armis-tice, were sunk by these parties under I the orders of the German admiral in command, according to the information which has been collected and transmitted trans-mitted by the British admiralty The German admiral in command of these parties of the German naval forces has alleged that he a ted in the belief that, the armistice expired on June 21 at ruldday and consequently in his opin- 1 ion the destruction in question was no violation of its terms. "In law, Germany, by signing the I terms of article 23. set out above, entered en-tered inlo an undertaking that ihe ships handed over by her should remain re-main in the ports indicaled by the al-lied al-lied and associated powers and that care and maintenance parties should be left on board with such instructions instruc-tions and under such orders as would ensure that the armistice should bo observed. "The sinking of these ships instead of their preservation as had been provided pro-vided for, and in breach ot the undertaking un-dertaking embodied in article 31 of tho armistice agalnsl all acts of destruction, destruc-tion, constituted al once a violation of the armistice, the destruction of the pledge handed over, and an act of j gross bad faith toward, the allied and associated powers "The admiral in command of the care and maintenance parties belonging belong-ing to the German naval forces has, while recognising that, the act was a br ach of the armistice, attempted to Justifv it. by alleging his belief that the armistice had come to an end. "This alleged justification is not well founded, as under the communication communi-cation addressed to the German delegation dele-gation by the Allied and associated powers on the sixteenth of June, 1919, the armistice would only terminate on refusal to sign the peace, or, if no answer an-swer were returned on the 23rd of June at seven o'clock According to international law, as embodied. parUe- ularly in articles -10 ami 47 of the reg ulatlons annexed to the fourth Hague convention of 1907. eor serious viola lion of the armistice by one of th parties gives the other party the rlgh ; to denounce it and even in case of urgency ur-gency to recommence hostilities a J once. "A violation of the terms of the ar mistice by individuals, acting on th tl own initiative, only confers ihe rich oi demanding the punishment of thes offenders and, if neceao, indemnity for tho losses sustained It will, there lore be open to the Allied and asso I ciated powers to brine before a mlli lary tribunal the persons responsibb loi these acts of destruction, so tha the appropriate penalties m.iy be mi i posed. Furthermore, the incident give the allied and associated powers s 'right to reparation for the loss caused 'and in consequence a right to procee( to such further measures as the saic powers may deem appropriate. "lastly, the sinking of the Germai fleet is not only a violation of the ;,r mistice but can only be regarded b; j the allied and associated powers ai a deliberate breach in advance of tin conditions communicated lo German; and now accepted by her. Further more, the incident is not an lsolatet l act The burning or permission fo the burning ol the French flags whicl Germany was to restore constitute: another deliberate breach in adann of these same conditions. "In consequence the Allied and as Isociated powers declare that they taki note of these signal acts of bad fa.it 1 and that when the investigations int all the cireumsl anecs have been com Dieted they will exact the necessar; reparation It is evident that any rep etition of acts like those must havt .a very unfortunate effect upon the fu lure operation of the treaty which th Germans are about to sign. ' They bave made complaint of Ihi lifteon years period of OCCUpatloi which 'he treaty contemplates. The; have made complaint that admlsslol to the league of nations may be to long deferred. How ran Germany pu (forward such claims if she encourage , or permits deliberate violations of he ! written engagements? She canuo complain should the allies use the ful powers conferred on them by th. treat, particularly article 429 if she ion her side, deliberately violates it; I provisions. (Signed) "G CLEMENCEAU." |