The Washington herald., 1918-05-28
U-B0AT FAILS;
ADMITTED BY
NJ. ERZBERGER
German Centrist Leader
Excoriates War Party's
Ruthless Policy.

Matthias Erzberger. leader Of the
Catholic Centrist party in Germany
has declared that the submarine war
| is a failure. In a long article printed
in Germania May 3 and cabled here
yesterday, he says that q peace by
vitality necessary to Germany today
that It ever was ..-s
In the same article he bitterly at
tacks the militarists and the poll
ticians of the Koelnische Volkszeitung
school. Yet dispatches received
, through diplomatic channels reveal
that Erzberger is almost alone in this
stand in, GermanS. A large wing OF
his own party is reported to have
deserted him. A summary of German
press comment also shows that only
the Socialist papers take serious no.
tice OF President Wilson'S pledge to
stand by Russia. The rest either ig-
more or laugh at 1t.
Erzberger StunE.
Erzberger was stung to speech by
the attacks on him from members of
his own party and especially by the
Koelnische Volkszeitung. He declares
that he stands by all the declarations
for a moderate peace he has ever
made in the Reichstag and in the
committees. He says that events have
born out his prediction of 1916, that
ruthless submarine warfare's only re-
suit would be to bring the United
| States into the war.
ITO believe that the present war
has no other aim than the rectifica-
ton OF the frontier" he says, lis
showing very little common sense and
reflection, at a time when the range
of our cannon covers all of the small
and even the middle-sized states OF
the confederation and when aviation
has taken such a fabulous develop
ment.
No Return for Blood.
81 consider that the politicians OF
the Koelnische Volkszeitung are a
| plague on Germany, and shall take
every occasion to fight them. Nc
! foreign land. no amount Of money
taken from the enemy. are big enough
to counterbalance the blood shed by
Germany"
OF the submarine warfare Erzber-
| ger says:
II foretoId from the first that II
was bound to fail. and the results
have confirmed my skepticism. The
| political consequences of this war
{ which my opponents make little of.
were exposed by me as early as
October. 1915, during the debates in
the main committee of the Reichs-
tag. I declared then that war with
the United States would be the in
evitable consequence. and that other
neutral countries would also declare
war against US. My declarations in
July, 1917, concerning the submarine
war were reinforced and verified.
Il never doubted this war would
make the situation very difficult for
the English. 1t remains a very ef-
| fective weapon in the hands of our
commanders, but We have to recog-
nize the error made by the marine
stan by technicians and other COM
petent services in their calculations.
We must submit these calculations
to revision.
/ Few Heed Wilson.
"The point Of view 1 defended con.
corning the approximate figures given
on the efficiency Of the submarine
I
on being confirmed"
The Arbeiter Zeitung Of Vienna is
apparently the only paper in the GEN.
tral empires to treat the Presidents
speech Of last Saturday seriously
Dispatches received here today indi-
cate that even the German Socialist
organs take scant notice Of the Presi.
dents declaration. The ArbeiteI
Zeitung declares outright that the
| central empires should reject theiI
ambitions on the East and begin peace
negotiations with President Wilson on
his own basis.
Americans Want Just Peace.
when the American people ar,
convinced" the paper says, "thar
they may have peace without an,
| nexations and with the league OF
nations for which they are clamor,
ing, without continuing the shed
ding of blood. Wilson will b,
obliged to negotiate, whatever hi
personal feelings may be.
| WHITE sUrI v.rrrrn snurrf-S M ~