Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-04
SEES WARS END IN FAVOR
OF THE CENTRAL POWERS
Won Ludcndorff, Right-Hand Man Of
Won HindenburG, Confident There
Will lie No Draw.
OPPOSES LONG ARMIsTICE
This Would Interrupt Submarine
Activity and Allow Entente to I'M
prove Positions, While No Sup.
plies Would Reach German Forces.

AMSTERDAM. December 3.-GcneraI
Won Ludendorff. right hand man or
Field Marshal Won IIindcnburE, is
quoted by Il correspondent OF tho
Vienna Ncun Frcic Prcssc as making
the prediction recently at German
headquarters that tho war Will not end
In Il draw. but be decidedly In favor Of
the central powers.
The correspondents. says the Vienna
dispatch. obtained this expression in
conversations during Il visit TO headi
quarters.
1T appears the Russians arc tho first
to he inclined for peace" General Won
Ludcndorn said. 81 will not say that
! regard tho Bolshcviki manifcstation
AS peace offer" he containued.
There must be secure government
for this purpose. ono which possesses
power to enforce internally and ex-
,ernally the results of the negotiations
with us. or course VIC can conclude
an armis;icc with Russia at any time
as soon as We have tho assurance that
it will be maintained. a general ar
mstcc. however. viii be difficult to
achieve"
General Won Ludcndorn expressed
belief that n general armistice would
low tho entente TO improve It's posi-
tons, while on tho other hand. no sup
plies would reach the central powers.
Therefore he thought such an armis-
tice should BIO brief one
General Won Iudcndorn considered
the Russian revolution not a nero
piece OF luck for the central powers,
but a natural result OF tho war opera
tons.
'Modern war" said the general. lis
A war OF peoples. not OF armies. and
war ends now when an enemy people
| 10 defeated There are no decisive
battles. as in former wars. Tho battles
merely have, an indirect influence on
the whole national system. inducing
decay and collapse"
The correspondent said he gained tho
/ impression that Field Marshal Won
liindcnburE and General Won Ludcn-
dorm desire peace which will create
conditions OF security and stability as
far AS possible. one which Will bring
with it secure frontiers. and free eco
monte activity on land and sea.
NO MORE ACTIVITY
ny RUSSIAN ARMY
With reference to the Russian army
Field Marshal Won IIindcnburg gave to
the correspondent his opinion that no
more military activity on largo scale
could be expected from Il. lie thought
T. possible. however. adds the cores
pendent. that some daspot or other
like Grand Duke Nicholas might seize
power aud ircitc the war-weary Rus.
sian army to final effort"
Regarding the situation on tho
western front, Field Marshal Won Hin
denburs said the successful employ
'ncnt OF the German policy OF elastic
defense continued. and that when oc-
casionally sections OF morasscs or
smoke blackened debris were Left to
their opponents for the purpose of hav-
ing human material. IT was Of no i'm
portance.
Regarding the supreme war council
Of the allies. tho Ccld marshal said with
a smile:
such institutions arc always sign
Of incapacty. and hclplessness. When
ell is established"
General Won Ludendorn said that for
Germany there was no question as to
Alsace Lorraine. lie thought n de-
cisive blow against France perhaps
would yet succeed. although nowadays.
when national strength fights national
strength. single blow could hardly
decide the war.
The general said. however, that Il
was not TO be doubted a single moment
who would be the victor.