The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1915-01-20
GERMAN MINISTER OF WAR
ASSOCIATED PRESS.
RlDICULES kITCHENER'S ARMY
Says Offensive Movement of General
Joffre Has Redounded to the Credit
Of the German Arms and That Ger
many's Position is Good

General Field Headquarters of the
German Armies Gin France), Jan. 16.
via London, Jan. 19-9:05 p. M
More of such offensive Teferring to
the present offensive operations in
the campaign of the allies can only
be welcome to us"
The British are good fighters, but
an army without the necessary Off
GERS and non-commissioned officers.
is scarcely an army
we are fully prepared Tor any at
tempt at landing in Belgium; the
sooner it comes the better"
These are some of the praises, full
of quiet optimism, of Lieut.. Gen.
Erich Won Falkenhayn, the German
minister Of war, and chief of staff of
German armies in the field who to-
day granted the Associated Press the
first Interview given any correspond
ent
The general talked frankly of the
present military situation and the
prospects of the war, which he evi
dently does not expect will be a
short one.
General Won Fslkenhayn is the
man responsible under the emperor
for the strategy in the great world
war. He is comparatively young as
commanders go-the youngest of any
o. the leaders Of the European ar
mics, with tremendous capacity
for hard, concentrated work.
He is at his desk in an old French
government building which houses
the German general staff from dawn
until late at night, He performs the
dual functions of minister of war
and chief of the general staff, and
has little time for exercise or recrea-
ton. He sleeps at headquarters with
his hand as it were, on the throttle
of the big machine, and yet his slen-
der figure is as erect as the day he
flashed into public notice with his
memorable defense of the German
army in the Zabern debate in the
reichstag.
This war is not a war of aggres-
sion" General Won Falkenhayn said,
10 l. hr
1T is not a war brought about by
military caste or military party in
Germany. but one of self-defense. As
a soldier, | cannot, of course talk on
the political aspects or the causes Of
the war, but can speak from a mill,
tary standpoint.
1T was forced on us by the Rus
sian mobilization in the face of
which we could do nothing but arm
Russia had been advised
and warned by his majesty and
through our ambassador that if she
modified, we must, in self-defense,
order a general mobilization and
take the steps necessary to protect
our national existence Russia, new
ertheless, went ahead with it's mobil-
ization while continuing diplomatic
negotiations.
IF man comes into your room for
a discussion with gun drawn, you
can scarcely be expected to wait for
him to cock and level it at you be-
fore reaching for your own to defend
your life.
Our present situation is excellent
We have no cause to complain. We
have carried the war into the
enemys country on both fronts; we
are still there after five months of
war. Our present lines are very
strong; the advantage is all on our
side thus far
IF our first advance against
Paris, the general said in response
to a question. had succeeded fully
and in all respects, it would have
been reckoned most brillient
achievement. AS it stands it is an
admirable one. can say so freely
because | had nothing to do with the
conception OF the plan of campaign.
But one cannot expect to carry on
war without some checks, and when
we fell back we sung over to the
present line of action. in which we
have been thoroughly successful.
1t is wrong to interpret the opera.
tlons in Flanders as an attempt on
our part to reach Calais and outflank