Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-12-21
Central POWERS
winners, thinks
Won LUDENDORFF
Will Not Say He Regards Bo|-
sheViki Offer as True
Peace Proposal

AMSTERDAM, Dec. General
Won Ludendortf. right hand man 0.
Field Marshal Won Hinderburg. -
quoted by a correspondent Of the
Vienna Neue Freie Presse as making
the prediction recently at German
headquarters that the war will not
end in a draw, but be decided in faE
or Of the central powers
The correspondent, says the Vienna
despatch, obtained this expression
from Won Ludendorff in conversations
with him during a visit to hesdquar
tiers, where he also talked with Won
Hindenburg.
1T appears the Russians are the
first TO be inclined for peace, Gene,
raj Won Ludendorff said Il will not
cay that ] regard the Bolshevih man,
Hesitation as a peace offer" he con
tinued. There must be a secure gov
eminent for this purpose, one which
possesses power to enforce internally
and externally the results OF the ne
6otiations with us. or course. we can
conclude an armistice with Russia at
any time as soon as we have the as
surance that II will be maintained A
general armistice, however, will be
difficult to achieve"
General Won Ludendorff expressed
: belief that a general armistiCe would
interrupt submarine activity and al
low the entente to improve its posi-
tons, while on the other hand no SUI
plies would reach the central powers.
Therefnr6, he thought such an arms
tice shodld be a bfief one. as other
wise the military situation would
suffer.
General Won Ludendorft considered
. the Russian revolution not a. mere
Iieee Of luck for the central powers,
hut a natural result OF the war oper'
atoms.
Modern war" said the general, is
war Of peoples, not Of armies, and
war ends now when an enemy people
is defeated. There are no decisive bat
ties, as In former wars. The battles
merely have an indirect influence on
the whole national system, inducing
decay and collapse" ....<
The correspondent says he gained
The impression that Field Marshal
Won Hindenburg and General Won LII.
dendorff desire a peace which will
create conditions of security and sta.
b!litys as far as possible, one which
all bring with it secure, frontiers and
free economic activities on land and
sea. .-..,
With reference to the Russian
army, Field Marshal Won Hinoenburg
gave to the correspondent his opinion
that no more military activity on
large scale could be expected from it.
He thought II possible. however. adds
the correspondent. that some despot
or other, like Grand Duke Nicholas,
might seize power and incite the war.
weary Russian army TO final effort.
- Regarding, The. HsitliaSionson the
western front, Field Marshal Won
Hindenburg said the successful eni.
ployment Of the. German. policy OF
elastic defense continued and !. that
when occasionally sections OF NOR:
asses or smoke blackened debris we're
left TO their opponents for the purpose
OF saving human material II was of
no importance. Occasional local re-
bluffs must be taken into account as
an inevitable consequence of carrying
through great offensives at other
points. -.-. . o.. =h.@ II
Regarding the supreme war council
of thl>allies, the field marshal said
with tfsmile: such institutions are
alwaysa sign of. incapacity and help,
lessness. When they are at their wits
end war council is established"