Battle of the River Plate, The Page #6

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- You're right, chief.

What do you make of that, Peter?

She's stopped.

- Stopped?

- Yes. Yes, she's stopped.

That's right. Langsdorff's going to let our chaps

dash past him in the dark,

then turn in his tracks and slip out to sea again.

That's it. By morning, he'll be miles out at sea.

If only we could do something.

Quiet!

- Achtung!

- Listen.

Gentlemen...

...for you the battle is over.

What do you mean?

We are now in Montevideo harbour.

So...

So, Captain Langsdorff has told me to tell you

that as we are

in the neutral country of Uruguay...

...according to international law,

you will all be set free tomorrow!

Senor Mike!

Senor Mike...

What?

- Speak up!

- I said, come quick.

The German pocket battleship the Graf Spee

has anchored in the outer harbour.

- There has been a battle.

- A battle? Wow!

Ciao.

Ouch!

- Un momentito, por favor.

- Coca, get me New York!

- And there's nothing I won't do for you.

- That's what you will do. Nothing.

Si, un momentito, por favor.

Coca?

For Mike?

Senor Mike!

But how can I? All the lines are busy.

Every newspaperman from Buenos Aires,

Rio and Santiago wants a room.

- Newspapermen! Let them sleep in the gutter.

- Si, lo conecto.

- Un momentito.

- Come on, Coca. I want NBC, CBC, ABC...

- Si, si, si.

- I know. The whole alphabet.

Your Uncle Mike is going to report history

and report it hot.

Senor Mike!

- Come on, Coca. Don't be difficult.

- Senor Mike, por favor...

No! Senor Mike!

Oh! Senor Mike!

All I can promise you at this stage,

Your Excellency,

is to send a commission of experts

on board your ship, Captain Langsdorff,

to assess the damage she has received.

Heil Hitler.

His Excellency the British Minister.

- My dear Dr Guani.

- My dear Millington-Drake.

The Uruguayan government,

with its well-known democratic principles,

will act in accordance with international law and

intern the Graf Spee for the duration of the war?

His Excellency the French Charge d'Affaires.

Monsieur Desmoulins.

Your Excellency.

I suppose another note?

By the terms of the Hague Convention.

Ah, the much-quoted Hague Convention.

Gentlemen.

Article 17 says

that "Warships of belligerents may make

no repairs in the ports and roads of neutrals

beyond those necessary for safety at sea,

and may not in any way

increase the fighting efficiency of the vessel."

May I bring to your notice

the fact that, since the battle,

the Graf Spee has already sailed 300 miles?

At top speed.

Mon Dieu! Elle couru comme un lapin.

Gentlemen, since midnight, I have received three

diplomatic notes from the German minister,

two from the British and two from the French.

We are only a small nation, which has imposed

upon itself the heavy burden of neutrality.

Do not, I beg you, make it any heavier.

Forgive me for asking, but...

...do you think you will be able

to enforce your country's decision?

That is it.

And where are the guns

of the Graf Spee trained?

Not on the enemy.

All are trained on the city of Montevideo.

Force majeure,

my dear Guani, force majeure.

Monsieur Desmoulins.

Mr Millington-Drake.

In our short history,

my small country has survived many threats.

We grow fat on threats.

Each time we have been threatened,

my whole country has taken a step forward.

We are very simple.

We are only two million people.

We only understand a few things.

Law, we understand.

Justice, we understand.

Threats... We will never understand.

See me?

I'm not big.

But I have two million heads.

One, two, three, four.

And one, two, three, four.

Testing. Eeny, meeny, miney, mo.

Are you receiving me?

Hello, New York. This is Mike Fowler,

calling you from the waterfront at Mon...

Hey, Pop!

Wake up, you crazy mixed-up gaucho.

Are they getting us?

I have to say no.

Oy, hombre, que hacen ustedes aqui?

- Un americano.

- Americano? Fuera!

Con todos! Fuera!

Manolo say

we must clear out from Manolo's.

Tell him I'm reporting on the Graf Spee

to the whole of the United States.

Tell him this is the best view in Uruguay.

Tell him we've got a post office permit.

Go on. Tell him.

Hello, New York. Hello, New York. This is Mike...

- Ahora mismo.

- Y mi permiso de partir?

Manolo, he say we have no permit from him.

Tell him he'll be famous.

His... His joint'll be famous.

Tell him all the Americans will come here

to photograph the Graf Spee.

Hello New York, this is Mike Fowler

calling you from Montevideo.

Manolo, he say

the British will sink the Graf Spee

before the American tourists get here,

and he can make money now.

Four people can take drinks at this table,

maybe six.

Tell him he can bring me six Scotches

every half-hour as long as I'm here.

Show him the dough.

Hello, New York. This is Mike Fowler

calling you from Montevideo.

Are you receiving me? Over.

- Hello, New York. Hello, New York...

- Senor Mike.

Six double whiskies

every quarter of an hour.

OK, and he provides the bottles free

to pour the drink back.

I can't drink on the job

and I'm not gonna waste good Scotch.

It's a deal.

Eh! Tu! Ven. Ven.

He's not knocking himself out any, is he?

Hello, New York. Hello...

Hey, Pop, wake up! We're making history.

Inglaterra para siempre!

Inglaterra para siempre!

Good heavens! A demonstration.

Ha.

- Anti-British?

- Nothing of the sort.

They're people of British descent

who've come to offer their services.

That's a job for Intelligence.

Where's er... Ray Martin?

Mr Martin is down at the docks.

The naval attache from Buenos Aires

is there with him.

I believe they've installed themselves in a ship's

chandler's with a trap door and a telescope.

And a cloak and a dagger, I suppose?

Well, you leave me out of this.

I've got a call in for them.

Captain McCall.

Oh, hello, Minister.

Yes.

Yes, Ray Martin's here.

He says the street outside the Embassy's

crawling with volunteers.

Take their names. We'll sort 'em out later.

We're organising a 24-hour watch

on the Graf Spee, sir.

We'll screen them later.

We'll certainly need volunteers.

Goodbye, Minister.

Is this how you live at home?

Hey, look out.

Pretty chatty ship you've come from.

Curse this fishing boat.

It moved right in my line of sight.

Hello. Some VIP in a launch.

It's my old friend Langmann, the German

Minister. Paying an official call on Langsdorff.

That Langsdorff seems a high-class person.

Yes, he is.

I'm looking at him.

What? Here. Let's have a look.

He's shaved his beard off.

Hello.

- What...?

- What is it?

British seamen.

A whole line of British seamen

drawn up on the quarterdeck.

There must have been British prisoners

on board the Graf Spee during the battle.

- That's the custom house.

- Carry on please.

Hooray! Auf Wiedersehen!

Captain Dove,

the captain wishes to see you, please.

Herr Kapitn.

Herr Kapitn?

Kapitn Dove ist hier.

- Er soll reinkommen.

- Danke, Kapitn.

Come in, please, Captain.

Well, Captain Dove?

Well, Captain Langsdorff?

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