Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-04-24
TEUTON PRESS
DENIES PLOT
Alleged to Be Engineered by
Entente to Smash Ger
man Army

New York.-A mysterious plot
against Field Marshal Won Hinden-
burg and General Won Ludendorfr,
especially against the latter, alleged
to be engineered b ythe Enutente to
bring about the collapse of the Ger
man army, is discussed In recent
issue of the Frankfurter Zeitung,
copies of which have just reached
New York. The article in part fol-
lows:
"Unhappily we are obliged to ad-
NIT that the miserable method of
sluspecting of disloyalty all those
who doubt or criticise is no longer
new in Germany. In France this
unhealthy trend of thought has de-
veloped to a considerable degree,
but there are many signs that with
us, too, a mood is forming which
favors similar symptoms. Clarity
and frankness are the best weapons
in combating it.
IF there is any knowledge in Of
ficial quarters of alleged intrigues
by the Entente against our high
command, let them be exposed for
all the world to see Away with
the mysterious backstairs gossip.
Let us have clear, open. unmistaka-
bic language. A stop should be put
to dark hints and warnings framed
in the style of detective novels.
They only serve to increase the
already existing feeling of uncer-
tainty and distrust and make an
impression of high degree of irri-
tation-an impression which can
only do us harm, both at home and
abroad.
Report in Several Papers
Certain newspapers of pan-Ger-
man or conservative complexion
have just printed an almost identi-
cal report regarding alleged Entente
propaganda against the person of
First Quartermaster General Won
Ludendorff, a report which is apt
TO create a sensation and anxiety.
Coincidently with the efforts of
the Russian high command to un-
dermine the discipline and the lead
ership of the German army, it is
asserted that according to various
reports whose authenticity cannot
be questioned, the Entente is about
to enact, with the trickiest means
at Its disposal, a propaganda against
the person of General Won Luden-
uOrH.
The report further says the En-
tente intended to weaken Germany
py the employment of nefarious
means by making 'an effort to de-
prive us of the leader who, as the
right hand of Won Hindenburg, is
indispensable to the German peo-
pie. The Entente hopes, it is i'm
piled, that Won Hindenburg would
| voluntarily retire once Won Luden-
dorH had fallen. AS long as Won
Ludendorff is in his present place,
the argument goes on, there is no
thought of peace. 1t is added that
the newest fashion of political war
rare is directed from neatraI coun-
tries, and that its center is in Swift
zerland.
we must confess that this whole
story, in its mysterious, darkly hint
ing form and tenor, makes a. very
dubious impression upon us. II
there is actually something known
OF Entente plans to overthrow Won
Ludendorff-out with the whole
truth! We fully believe the Entente
capable of Attempts to break our
home front and, if possible, to de-
prlve our army of its leadership; if
the Entente could do these things,
IL would most naturally proceed to
Perspective Is Lost
But what has been so far said
about this sinister plan sounds SO
adventurous and is SO thoroughly
lacking of solid substance that in
! its present form it can be regarded
as nothing more than a symptom
OF the irritability of q press which
has entirely lost the proper per-
spective of things.
LAS long as Won Ludendorff is in
his present place, the story goes on,
there is no thought of peace pos
sible. Does that mean that the En-
tente will make the removal of Won
Ludendorff a pre-condition of peace
That would be so stupid that we
cannot attribute such a plan to any
of the Entente governments. Ger
tainly it would not be one of those
| tricky means to which the afore-