Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-20
REAL GERMANBOSS
IS NLUDENDORFF
He Is Virtual Dictator of Whole
Economic and Social
Life.
URGED BELGIANS DEPORTED

URGED BELGIANS DEPORTED
From n Stan Correspondent of the Associated
Press.
GENEVA. Switzerland, February 1S.-
Germany now has a real boss in Gen.
Won Ludendorff. first auartermaster gen.
Hindenburg's chief of staff and trusted
colleague now is felt not only in his
strategic determinations and direction
of the armies of the central powers. but
reaches out into Germany's. whole
economic and social life.
All the threads not only of military
control, but also of civil administrations,
food distribution. industry, agriculture
and. finally. even of German foreign reia-
tons, all of which now are subordinateu 10
military requirements, now run uitl-
| mately to the chateau at the Sllesian
country seat of the Prince of Pless,
where Gen. Won LundendorT sits with
the great Field Marshal Won linden
burg at imperial headquarters.
Where a purely military decision IS
in question Won Hindenburgs name Is
usually cited as the determinant au-
thority, but in all other great questions
in the forefront of German policy in
recent months, such as the 1ntroduc-
ton of universal auxiliary labor serv-
ice, the conversion of German industry
to an absolute war basis. the transfer
of Belgian workmen to Germany, the
Tightening of the food distribution
regulations and unrestricted subma-
rine war, the propheSies of coming de-
cisions in informed circles were al
most invariably accompanied by the
self explanatory remark, "Ludendorf
is dafuer Iudendorff is for it,.
Was Hurried to the East.
The talented general staff officer who
in the exciting days of August, 1914.
when the original German commander
in the east. Lieut.. Gen. Won Prittwitz
und Gaffron, had determined to retire
before the superior Russian forces and
already had given orders to abandon
East Prussia and fall back behind the
Vistula river. was hurried eastward
from imperial headquarters, picking up
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg on the
way, to save the situation, has merely
extended to all of Germany the system
which he introduced in the east when
Won Hindenburg was merely the over
commander of the eastern forces Gen.
Won Ludendorff then had full control
of the entire administration in the oc-
cupied districts of Russia
troduced for Poland. and if regulations
for the tobacco trade were to be pro-
mulgated, the decision thereon ultima e-
ly rested with Gen. Ludendorf, New
municipal regulations for towns in oc-
cupied districts emanated from the civil
administration bureau attached to the
command in the east. The representa-
tive of American Jewish societies who
came to Germany to arrange an open
ing of communication between Polish
Jews and relatives in America and for
the sending of relief funds conferred
with Gen. Won Ludendorff before the
plans were approved finally.
When Field Marshal Won Hindenburg
was appointed to the general command
of Germany's entire military strength,
Gen. Won Ludendorf extended not only
the scope of his military responsible
ties, but also his control of those fac
tors of general life which under the
present war conditions are almost as
important to military success as the
actual direction of armieS--food pro-
duction and distribution manufactures.
duStrial factors.
His first decision was to remedy as
far as possible the error of Gen. Fall
kenhayn, former chief of the general
staff, who had attempted to fix the fig
ure for the maximum consumption of
munitions and had sadly underesti-
mated the required amounts. Gen. Won
Ludendorff's determination was to pro-
duce not the amount of guns and NUM-
tions which experts might calculate as
necessary, but the maximum amount of
which Germany's industries were ca
pable of. and subordinated everything
else to this purpose.
Responsible for Belgian Deportations
Finally came Germany's grandiose
scheme of mobilizing the entire labor
supply in direct service of the army.
The idea of the compulsory employment
of Belgian labor in German industry, it
now may be stated. also was Gen Won
Ludendorff's. not Gov. Gen. Won Bliss
ings, or at any rate, when Gov. Gen
Won Kissing and the civil administra-
ton of Belgium raised against this
scheme the impossibility of carving ii
out without exciting diplomatic COM
plication it was the higher military
authority" which overruled the obiec-
ton and ordered the plan put into eff
fec.
The Krupps, August Thyssen. the iron
magnate and other big industrial lead
ers of Germany go direct to Gen. Won
Ludendorf for consultations and di-
rections regarding the production Of
munitions and supplies. Thyssen last
autumn brought from Won Ludendorff
the word that there would be no ruth
less submarine warfare, which the AS
ISOLATED Press sent in an interview to
the American press, and it was again
from the chateau at Pless, after the re-
lection of Germany's peace overtures
had changed the situation, that word
came in January that the ruthless sub
| marine policy had received the stamp
of approval.
Farming Glasses Holding Out"
1t is an open secret that the farming
classes are holding out" for food sup
plies from the general stock for the
nations necessities.
The won Hindenburg appeal" to the
patriotism of the farmers to provide extra
| fats for munition workers which brought
| out tons of pork and lard from hidden
supplies was inspired by Gen. Won
Ludendorff. 1t was reported also at
| the time of departure from Berlin of
| the correspondent of the Associated
| Press that the task OF getting from the
| farmers the full amount of such agra
rian surplusage. in which Won Batockfs
| food department, backed by all the au-
thority of the civil administration has
! failed up to this time, now will be
| taken in hand by Gen. Won Ludendorff
and enforced by the most stringent
military measures.
All these decisions and determinations,