The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-08-17
PRISONERS
TELL 1T ALL
Germans So Weary Of War They
Give All the Information
They Have When
Captured.
by Henry Wood, United Press Staff


by Henry Wood, United Press Staff
Correspondent
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES.
Aug 2-(By Maie.-Copies of an or
der issued June 10 by Ludendorff,
and which have just been captured
from German prisoners, reveal the
fact that Germany's plans for a vic
torious offensive on the western
front are steadily being thwarted by
information given the French and
allied commands by German prison
ers.
That the German soldier has be-
come SO weary of the war that when
he IS taken prisoner he makes no
effort to conceal what he knows
about the Germans offensive plans
becomes only too APPARENT in the or
der issued by Ludendorff, in which
he freely admits that two of the big
German drives of this year have been
checked partly as a result of infor-
nation divulged by German prison
ers. The order, which is as follows,
indicates an astounding decrease in
the morale, discipline and patriotism
OF German soldiers, undoubtedly
worn out by the length of the war
and the repeated failure of the i'm
perial high commands promise to
attain a quick and victorious peace:
Chief Of the General Staff Of
Grand General Headquarters, the
Armies in the Field, June 10, 1918.
"a captured document coming from
the Second French army and dated
May 26, proves that German soldiers
belonging to the Seventh regiment OF
chasseurs of the 197th division of in
fantry, captured as prisoners north
M hn IN Il &c 10 rbn
night OF May 25 and IS, revealed to
the enemy our impending attack
Very probably they told all that
they knew about the preparations
made in their sector and in the adj
jacent sectors. The enemy was thus
able to know the precious details
concerning the hour, the form OF our
attack, the artillery preparation, the
units engaged, ETC.! etc,
Another document, dated May 26,
which has come into our hands, also
shows that the enemy, awaiting our
attack. gave warning to their troops
against our gas, and were able 10
bring into position on the heights
between the Aisne and the VesIe the
reserves (the Thirteenth French d.
vision) which they were holding on
this portion Of the front. The resist
and limbs Of many German soldiers.
without the treason committed 1
by these two prisoners, the surprise
Of May q would have succeeded com
Dfetely, and the success might even
have been much greater than it really 1
was.
at has likewise been established /
that our attack Of June 9 was known /
to the enemy through the declara- 4
ton Of prisoners, which alone en-
abled the enemy to be prepared for |!
this attack.
We are struck by the precision |
and richness in details Of the infor- !
nation which the enemy is able to |
secore from German prisoners.
I demand that orders be given to |
instruct without ceasing and in the |
most extreme detail the troops. both |
in the field and those in the interior. |
On the conduct to be maintained in |
case they are taken prisoner. and |
that they be made to see the shame
full character and the terrible couse-
quences of an attitude similar to that
CT above
L demand equally that the armies
publish in the newspapers and Jour