Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-11-19
THEN-AND O

Al !" / certain IeceUt events. II is OF Una
passing interest to- recall a document which excited a
lgoodly part Of the worlds population a little more than
four months ago but which failed to convince any ma
jority Of the possibility that Germany. would come out
Of the war a triumphing victor.
A brief outline Of the document in question was pub
lished in American papers at the time, but only now has
it arrived here in the original form.
On July / the aoerlitzer Nachrichten, a prusaian
provincial paper Of considerable standing, contained an
article written by Count Room, a member Of the Herren-
haus of the Prussian diet, who told his readers exactly
what Germany would gain by the war. Although the
man descendant of the famous General Roon--spoke
unofncially and in nobodys behalf but his own, the ar
ticle exemplihed sentiment as it existed among Germans
in certain leading circles up to a short time ago..
Germany, the count said, was to demand the sur
render Of the British. war feet; the return Of Gibraltar
to Spain: Egypt and the suez canal to Turkey; further
more, Great Britain was to pour into German Golfers a
war indemnity amounting to 275, 900. 100000 mark, that
is. about s45, 900. ooo. 900. The interesting tact about this
stipulation is that the count insisted these terms be inn
posed upon Great Britain as a basis for an armistice.
Furthermore, the count said, Germany would de-
mand the annexation Of Belgium, the independence of
Flanders, annexation Of the Briey and Longwy basins
and the Toul, Belfort and Verdun regions eastward. Also,
restitution Of all German colonies would be demanded.
Great Britain, the count insisted, must cede to Germany
such naval bases and coaling stations as Germany de-
sired. Greece was to be re-established under its exiled
king, and Serbia and Montenegro were to be divided be-
tween Austria and Bulgaria
AS the final item in the list Of demands this ap-
peared: France and Belgium are to remain unoccupied
been carried. out"
The count, who appears to have had more tnagin-
alton than political and military acumen, wrote, Of
COUTHe. in All Her1nNAnAAA. Ia Ala n1$ rnAnn "a S><i~t
or to be .facetious in his attitude toward his own country
-n fact he is known, 10 be a perfectly loyal and IN
.tensely patriotic son Of what was once das> crosse Water.
land.
And yet the whole thing snacks Of satire unless the
German people, including even the landed nobility of
the upper house of the prussian diet, have been misled
to such an extent as to actually believe that victory Was
within reach Of their hands.
On the day Herr Room published his terms"
French and American troops took vaux, and two weeks
later the immense Allied offensive came under way, never
stopping. never recedins until that day came when Field
Marshal Foch dictated armistice terms to the vanquished
toe. Had the prussian coxpI been Of superior influence
in German politics, he might have been appointed a
member Of the armistice delegation and his appearance
thus would have created q proper anti-clinax.'
rhs article IN the Goerlitser Nachrichten is Of in.
terest because 1t illustrates poisnantly the fact. alleged
so frequently, that the Germans did not know they were
beaten-and that they had actually been made 70 feel
convinced that they were the winners OF the war.
To read the terms as they looked when Foch got
through with then.> must have been . rude ana painful
surprise to that group Of Germans who thought England,
France, Italy and the United States were ab,ectly and
hunbfy implortns " Hindenburg Tor swift cessation OF
~hosulides.
The arnisues was signed, but, as viii be distinctly
recalled, the terms were somewhat different from those
outlined BY the cocksure rrusstan count, ana for thia
rsason II " worth while, to preserve his essay u q euriou.
nnsnsnto Of the state Of mind in Germany Just prior 70
the most crushing defeat = powerful nation has ever
suffered.