The Washington herald., 1918-10-24
GERMANS
BLUFF
American Officer Says West
Front Resistance Staged
for Effect.

The recent resistance of the Ger
mans and especially the view attrib-
uted to Prince Max that IL there must
be peace by violence the German ma
ton must prepare for defense were
characterized here last night by an
American officer in touch with the
allied embassies as gigantic blun.
The whole design OF the Germans.
he said. since the receipt of the
Presidents last note, which was all
Of an ultimatum, has been for the
sole purpose Of leading the allies to
believe they are still capable OF re-
sistance. The situation where Haig is
storming the Yalenciennes line must
be so plain to the Germans that their
resistance this side of the Rhine must
have only the object attributed TO it
by allied missions-one colossal bluff
to aid the diplomatic game being
played by Prince Max. The liaison
officer referred to said the moment
Germany received President Wilson's
answer the end might be said to BE-
gin to gallop.
To Demand Concentration.
SIaU OIlCeGS Sdlu lHcIS was hONh-
ing more certain than that Pershing
and Haig will force the Germans to
concentrate some place before re-
tiring across the Rhine. Thus they
would have against them two VIC
torious armies, Pershing's and
Haig's. and a third French British
and American army threatening
their center. One italian expert who
six months ago said the war would
last till 1920 said last night he
would not have time to get back
to the trenches before the terms of
capitulation were agreed to-"
Talk of a long defensive war Is
sheer nonsense. stan people say.
They point out that what Prince
Max means by a defensive war is a
stand of the German army at the
Rhine, backed up by their fortresses.
That might be considered. they say.
IL Haig. Pershing and Foch Were
to continue their present plan OF
sparing all the cities they can from
bonn ba rdment. But that has been
done because they are French cities
and the strategy of capturing them
by the enveloping process has work
ed out with splendid military sue
cess. Metz, for instance, could have
been made a wilderness any time
within the last two years by shells.
1t will be quite a different PROPOSE
tion, the Germans themselves know,
when they retire to their home fort
resses and stand a siege. They
know the allies have guns that can
attack their best fortresses at a
distance OF - miles more than
the range of the best German guns,
which have a maximum range of
twenty-five miles. And in addition
to this, the Germans know they can
now no longer depend on the assist
ance of the Austrians on the West
ern front. Austria must either bring
her army home to her own front
or she must surrender to Foch on
the Western front.
Collapse Expected.
Summed up the opinion last night
was that the whole clumsy German
fabric of diplomatic chicanery. as
sisted by military bluff, will tumble
about their ears the moment the
answer of President Wilson gets
into the hands of Prince MaximiIian
and his theoretical new popular
German government. The next
note OF the German government II
is believed now, will be a flag of
truce. II the white flag is un-
furled this side of the Rhine. IL
is certain it will carry with it a
total surrender OF every man and
pound OF material belonging to