Evening star., 1918-06-13
|SAY HUN SOLDIERS
| ARE WEARY OF WAR
Intercepted Documents Show
Extreme Discouragement
and Lowering Of Morale.
LACK THE FIGHTING SPIRIT

BY PAUL AYRES ROCKWELL.
Cablegram to The Evening Star and
| Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1918.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES.
June 12-While the morale Of the
French soldiers never has been finer
than it is today. everything indicates
that the German troops are no longer
fighting with the same confident, en-
thusiastio spirit they were exhibiting
only a few weeks ago. 1t is true
that the kaiser's men advance to the
assault when ordered to do SO. but to
observers it is very apparent that-they
go forward with tired, hangdog
air as If anxious to get captured.
wounded or killed and have the whole
hideous nightmare over with.
In striking contrast with this is the
attitude of the Epoilu. The loyal
French fighters go forth to meet the
Germans cheerfully singing because
they know the final outcome can only
be victory. Various documents. cap
tured in the course OF the late opera
Marne, Illustrate "vividly the lowered
morale in the German ranks.
l.
I German Officers Plaint-
A Teuton captain writes in a re-
port intended for his regimental head
quarters but intercepted BY the
FrenchI
'.The sanitary state Of my company
grows worse from day to day and re-
quests by Ill soldiers to bo examined
Arp n 1NAr nd
numerou Because of the lack Of
warm food cases of stomach trouble
have multiplied, SO tho company has
suffered much from the enemy bonn
bardments. A large proportion Of the
men have been reduced to state of
extreme feebleness and are worn out
physically. Only the strictest disci-
pline. continual menaces and the en-
ployment of force permit control Of
the men, who are now an altogether
under officers the men Of the COM
pany have absolutely no desire to
light. Its offensive value is entirely
mediocre. No longer able to have
e1nidence In aao,,n my GO company, am
for the defense Of the sector which
has been confided to me, and for the
reasons mentioned I insist with ex-
treme urgency that my company be
relieved"
Conditions "Indescribable."
"The scene when we relieved the d.
vision.' wrote another German SOL
dier in a letter. was indescribable.
The men whom we had come to re-
place were scattered in disorder in the
| wheat fields and woods. The elements
Of regiment I encountered told me
that the division was at the end of
| its tether and was no longer capable
no H11 80 ~
officers, including the colonel and ad-
jutant, had been killed and discipline
| seemed greatly relaxed. Orders have
been given to all fresh troops to avoid
contact with these disorganized ele-
ments. The night following our ar
rival on June an order was received
about 9 O'Clock to attack. The order
| stated that sthe French were retreat
ing and that they must hs, followed
with the sword In their backs. AL
most as soon az 1t was engaged my
division was greeted with violent vol
leys from French machine guns and We
perceived with astonishment that the
troops had been grossly deceived re-
garding the condition Of the adverse
| troops.
hastily along tho banks Of a small
| brook. A new order to attack came
the following day, saying that it was
| necessary at any cost to occupy the
| line of the Ourcq and the eastern
heights dominating it. We attacked
and our loss was terribly heavy. but
We could neither capture nor even
reach our objective points,
Heavy Losses Reported.
One German battalion lost 30 per
cent Of its mon and another 35 per
cent plus five officers. All along the
front where the Germans have ad-
vanced they are discouraged and dis
advance has been realized are desert
| ed wastes where no pillage is to be
found and where the cut up roads
greatly hinder the arrival Of food
sible to bring up artillery rapidly,
| thereby dspriving the Germans Of an
advantage they would otherwise
have owing to tho superiority numer-
| ically Of their cannon.
Views Of French Officer.
A. French officer who has closely
ritory and army told me today:
"The lowering of the morale.
weariness of war, the privations Of
the civilian population, serious doubts
ss,as Is to Austrian psl. constanoy and the
offensive which tho Germans hoped
would end in a decisive victory ali
cause Germany to wish at all costs
to end the war this year. The mil.
tary party intends to go even to the
end OF its resources In an attempt
to obtain as soon as possible q de-
cision by force.
so. consequently. it must be ex-
pected that the German hieh COM
mand will not allow any respite for
the entente. in 1918 in order to avoid
new winter campaign and forestaII
leans"