Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-11-12
CAN CONTINUE BATTLE
OF S0NME FOR YEARS
German Commander in the
West Declares Peace Is
Out of the Question So
Long as the Allies Main
tain Their Present Con-
ditions.
BY CARL w. AcKERMAN.
UNITED Press staff Correspondent }

Omitted Press Staff Correspondent.)
Headquarters of the Commanding
General of the German Army on the
Somme, via Berlin, and Sayville Wire
less. Nov. 11.-As long as the allies
maintain their present conditions.
peace is out of the question-and IL
they expect to force peace by de-
cisive blow along the Somme. that OK
pectation is an impossibility.
So declared General won Below, COM
mander- in chief of the German force
along the particular front where in
terest now centers in the great war.
The English and French face an
impossibility along the Somme." he
continued. III they expect TO break
through. 1t is reported they have cav
airy always ready for the rush over
our lines-but every soldier. every Of
ficer. every general on the German
side, knows that the enemy cannot
break through. It's technically and
physically impossible. The battle will
continue two months-two years-two
hundred years-until the English and
French get so much iron pounded into
their heads they can't carry them"
ENTERTAiNs CORRESPONDENTS.
Stern. deep and uncompromising.
Won Bellows eyes looked out grimly
from beneath his heavy gray eyebrows
at the group OF foreign newspaper
correspondents to whom he had just
made the statement. The group had
been invited to dinner and had assem-
bled before the meal, in the smoking
room a large old French castle which
the commander makes his headquar-
ters. The staff had entered, one by
one, and then came Won Below. short
and gray haired and escorted by two
generals. lalso guests. One was a
modern Jackson, small and dapper:
the other tall. quick and intense. All
three wore the order Pour lie Merite.
and in won Bellows case this coveted
order was surrounded by others that
nearly covered his chest
Throughout the dinner which fol-
lowed for nearly an hour, Won Below
and another general were In almost
constant conference, for this general
had just withdrawn his troops after
three weeks service In the Somme re-
gion.
AMERICAN ASKS QUESTION.
Newspaper correspondents had been
promised an interview but time sped
on. Staff officers shied at asking the
chief to talk. It was an American
who finally broke the ice with the
question: ''Will your excellency per-
init questions from correspondents r
Immediately the staff formed a cir
Gle around to listen-for questioning Of
a general Is q novelty.
Generals are never questioned--the
custom is for generals to do the qucs-
tioning.
The question had no sooner been
asked than Won Below stepped forward
standing lone target for questioners.
Have the allies not broken
through" was the first question
hurled at him.
ASK thcm," came the immediate re-
ply. "They know better than we."
1T has been stated that the allies
have not broken through first because
OF the strong German defenses. II
that is the first reason, what Is the
second?" was asked.
After months of preparation after
assembling enormous stores OF men.
cannon and ammunition. the allies
thought this time they would succeed"
the commander in chief replied.
Their materials had been assembled
from throughout the world"
FIGHTING AMERICAN MONEY.
Won Below paused-and then went
on:
Mote" he said. mo one on the west
front permits America to forget that
Germany believes she is fighting to-
day not only the armed forces of the
allies. but American financial and am-
(Continued on Page Twu1