been noted for a week or so--contained a grim meaning. It meant, in
fine, the emergence of the German fleet, headed by the submarines,
prepared for a final battle to establish the question of sea power.

One may imagine the tenseness that reigned at the Admiralty, and the
code messages that flew back and forth between London and the flag-ship
of the British and American battle fleet. As it happened, the German sea
fighters never sallied forth in battle array, their final appearance
being less warlike.

But they would have come, it transpired later, had not the sailors of
the fleet intercepted messages from German officers to their families,
bidding a last good-by. They never expected to return from this last
fight. But the seamen were of a different mind from their officers. They
declined to go forth to a losing battle, and they struck. This, then,
appears to be the reason why the German battleships and armored cruisers
and the like did not come forth to battle--at least this is one of the
stories told in navy circles.

With the events that followed the cessation of hostilities on November
11 almost every American is familiar. The armistice of that date
demanded that Germany give her entire fleet to the keeping of England.
For a discussion of the surrender the German light cruiser _Koenigsberg_
brought representatives from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Council, which
was then in nominal control of the German fleet, into the Firth of
Forth. Admiral Beatty refused to deal with these representatives, and
insisted that all arrangements be made through some flag-officer of the
imperial fleet.

Thereupon Admiral von Reuter, the commanding German officer, went aboard