Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-04
HUN CROWN PRINCE
IS STILL HEIR TO
GERMAN THRONE
Has Not Abdicated, He Says;
Blames Unfit Commanders and
Diplomat for Overthrow.
EE SAW DEFEAT IN 1914

Oosterland, Holland, Dee. - have
not renounced anything and | have not
signed any document whatever.
Frederick William HohenzolCrn, who
still claims the title of German Crown
Prince, thus answered the question OF The
Associated Press in the course OF lengthy
conversation yesterday. which took place
IN the small cottage of the village pastor
on the Island OF Wicringcn. where he is
mterncd
However" he continued, should the
German government decide to form
republic similar to the United States or
France. | should be perfectly coutcnt
to return to Germany rs a simple citizen
ready 10 do anything 10 assist my coun-
try | should even be happy to work rs Il
laborcr in n factory
HOPES FOR BETTER TIMES
AT present everything appears chaotic
in Germany but hope things will right
themselves
asked what in his opinion was the
turning point of the war. be said
i was convinced early IN October.
1911, that We had lost the war. con
sidcrcd our position hopeless after the
battle Of the Marine, which we should not
have lost If the chiefs Of orr general staff
had not suffered = case Of nerves
Il tried To persuade the general staff
to seek peace then even al = great sacrl-
hcc. going 81 far rs to give uP NsacC-
| orrainc But ! was told ~ mlnd my
own business and soutne my activities to
commanding my armies have proof
of this
AMERICA CAUSED powNFtLL
What finally brought about the down
fall of the German military power, he
declared, was revolution induced by four
wears OF hunger among the civilians and
the troops IN the rear. together with the
fact that the overwhelming numbers he
ing gathered bH the entente powers since
kmcrica entry into the war had I'M
dermincd the confidence Of the German
lighting forces
.Aiv soldiers, whom loved and with
whom | lived continuously. and who, II
may say 30. loved me- fought with the
utmost courage to The end. even when the
odds were impossible to withstand. the
refugee prince went on They bad no
rest and sometimes M entire division
numbefCd only 600 ntIcs These were or
posed by fresh allied troops. among whom
were American divisions containing -
600 men apiece
QUIT ARMY wITH RrtRfI.
Describing how he lett the front,
Frederick William sand
Il was with my group Of armies after
the i\aiScr left Germany asked the
Brrln Government whether they dcSircd
up 10 retain my command They replied
negatively, and | could not continue 10
lead srnne~ und orders oi tho Soldiers
and Workers Council
Therefore ! came to Holland, with
out hInGrancc No shooting or bombing
occurred and | qmt the army with the /
greatest regret after having participated
IN the trench life with the soldiers for
20 long
i have not been IN Gormany for .
year, and from he hegnning ot the war
| have taken only three " lerr fortnight |
leaves
pE>IE~ 1HA. III WANTED Wt~
Speaking oi the beginning Il tho war
Frederick William asserted
Contrary to all -tatenicntS hlthcrfn
made abroad, | never dcsircd War, and
though, tho uumcn; quite moppcrtunc.
| vas never consulted, and tie Tcrori
about Z. Grown ColIncll botng iieid ID 3cr-
lin To decide on the war den, on MS
oath | wa cnjozrn- j stay H Z watering
nla4e when mobilization was ordered
Nv father ,I>a, ! I'm ~lrp did not
dcSIrc war Il Germany aal >3'ig't he
best Opportunity for making war She
!, olId have chosen tbe period clthcr q
the B,.rr war or ttc R..e~.,-.ialancsc war.
From the bcgianlne | WaS certain
that England w9uld enter the conflict
This view vas nnt shared bv Prince
ilcnrv and tho other members of mN
family
..Fe,plc lavc credited ne With warIikc
intentions But vd> only soldier
with i desire 10 Sc the army kept thor
aughly efficient, and | worked hard TO
bring tins about
People hlamc me with the fallurc ~
Nerdu0 But refused twice TO attack /
there With the troops N my disposal. /
On the third occa~ion my attack was /
successful for thc first three days, but ] /
was not properly supported
vERpT-N ATTACH a HlSTAKE.4
4 thought that the Vcrdun attack /
was a mistake Nc should have at /
tackled To the eastward ~ Nereun where /
there would have been great probability /
of success
The cx-Crown Prince was rather blt-
ter regarding the work of the General I
Staff, which lac asserts was responsible I
for numerous mistakes, including tho /
attack on March 1918 which hr ua-
ordered to make. contrary to hIs oWu
view, and he Wa compelled u obey
lie SAID that Ludendorff was the utru-
spring of Germany warllke activities
while Won HIndenburg wa q Inerc hgire-
head.
IudcndorT and hl~ staff. the Prince
sad, continually undere-tHnated the
enernys' forces and never bclIcved that