South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-05-19
MANY RESERVES
SAYS H|NDENBURG
German Military Leader Gives
Out Alleged Interview in
Which He is Hopeful.

BARCELONA, Spain. May 1e-In
a recent interview with the CORES
pendent Of the Barcelona newspaper
Vanguardia, Field Marshal Won Hin
denburg said that Germany had a
greater strategic reserve at her dis
posal than ever.
He declared the United States
new army would get into the war
too late 10 be Of any use. and that
America as an enemy could not give
appreciably more aid to the entente
than she had as a neutral.
The German leaders remarks, in
part. were as follows:
In deciding on unrestricted L
boat warfare, notwithstanding the
possibility of America coming to the
assistance of the entente powers.
we deemed such assistance was of no
weight. 1 certainly admit that the
financial assistance of the United
States should be booked as an addi-
tional asset for our enemies, but in
this war. contrary 10 what has been
the case in other wars, money has
proved not 10 be the most important
matter for the conduct of military
operations.
Can't be Increased.
THE American supply Of war ma
terial 10 the entente has already
reached such a magnitude that any
further increase appears to be hard
ly possible, and now it is proposed
to raise an army of half a million TO
two million of men. To equip such
an army and at the same time TO
supply the entente on the present
scale appears to be impossible The
material assistance given to the en-
tente cannot be very great within
any measurable time, and IL is the
task of our U-boats continually 10
diminish il.
eff the British fleet, with the help
Of the French. Italian, Russian and
Japanese navies. has hitherto been
unable to overcome the U-boat dan
ger, the American feet will not sue
coed either The entente has no
weapon against the U-boats. The
sea barrier continues with growing
effectiveness. The more ships there
are on the ocean the greater will be
the U-boats' booty.
Even with the most intense work
and with the greatest support from
the entente countries in the sending
TO America of officers TO give in
struCtion, no American eXpeditionary
corps of any considerable strength
can be expected TO be ready for dis
patch TO Europe for at least a year
On the other hand, this year is. ac-
cording to the statement of the en-
tente leaders, to bring the final deci-
sion.
TeutOns Take Measures
Moreover, We. too, have taken
our measures. Our eastern front
has been so consolidated and is now
garrisoned by such a mass of men
that Gen. Brusiloff, even with the
most ruthless sacrifice of men. can
achieve no success. Even the cras-
sest optimist in the entente camp
cannot today deny that the recent
events in Russia will promote our
plans.
Last year we required our strate-
gic army reserve 10 repulse Brush
lofts irruption, and the western
front was thrown on its own limited
resources. Nevertheless. the Anglo
French attack was repUlsed. Today
things are fundamentally different
The western front has become so
strong that we can withstand every
attack. With absolute security on
all our fronts, we have today at our
free disposal an army reserve of a
strength and Preparedness which has
not been equalled at any other time
during the war. ready for defense or
attack at any point we may choose.
No Phenomena.
Nothing which happens on any
front, in the sea or in the air, should
be regarded as an isolated phenome-
non. Everything is part OF one
great plan. In this sense our army
and navy have become one.
To-day, after only two months
U-bOat warfare, I can already tell
you that our calculation was cor
rect. The course which we adopted.
with full appreciation of all the dan
gers which il entailed, is leading us
TO the goal. We have considered all
the possibilities, and. acting on the
best Of human knowledge and con
science, we have chosen those which
viii lead US 10 victory and peace"