The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-12-05

DiCNcQ lEOIu HGlQS.
When these reports finally spread
through Germany the people began to
realize that their generals in the west
were not meeting with the same success
that Won Hindenburg had had in the
east and Won Hindenburg became the
idol of the people Immediately, fact
that was very distasteful to the high
command.
The kaiSer's dislike of Won linden
burg was of long standing. He had
never forgiven that general for the mis-
take he made during military maneuv-
ers in peace time when by a brilliant
stroke of strategy he had succeeded in
capturing the kaiser's forces, including
the kaiser and his whole staff
have referred in a previous chapter
to the kaiser's unbounded confidence
after the Italian collapse in 1917.
''NOw, we've got the allies" he ex-
claimed, with an air of conclusiveness
which emphasized the optimism he
displayed
After the capture of ROumania, he
exhibited a similar degree of exulta-
ton. He believed that in that achieve
ment he had successfully solved the
food prOblem-the one cloud which
constantly darkened the kaiser's hOri-
ION.
Now the allies will never succeed in
starving u.s." he said to me in my Of
fee shortly after the Roumanian drive.
with Roumania in our pockets and
Servia already ours, their wonderful
agricultural possibilities will supply
our food needs and foil our enemies
efforts to starve US. Indeed, they had
better look out for themselves. Don't
forget we have a monopoly on the
potash mines of the world. Without
proper fertilization, American crops
will go on decreasing and decreasing
and they won't get any potash until we
get ready to let them have it!"
The failure of the Zeppelins from
military standpoint was undoubtedly
great disappointment to the German
people at large, who had counted so
much upon them to bring disaster to
England, but it cannot be said that the
kaiser shared their chagrin. On the
contrary have reason to believe that
he never expected very much from that
arm of his military force except as it
might be useful TO terrOrize the civil
population.
"A day or two after Zeppelin's death,
in 1917, a patient of mine, lady, hap
pened to remark that it was too bad
that the count had not lived to see the
triumph of his invention, and when
saw the kaiser shortly afterwards I
repeated her remark to see what he
would say.
81 am convinced that the count lived
long enough to see all that the Yep
pelins were capable of accomplishing"
was his only comment. 1t recalled the
answer he had given me some years
before when both Zeppelins and air
planes were in their infancy and had
asked him which held the greater
promise. "We do not know. Time
alone will tell" was his reply
The last time 1 conversed with the
kaiser was on November 26, 1917. Up
to that time we had sent over 169,0O0
troops, according to the figures which
have since been revealed by Secretary
Baker. According to the katsers in
formation, however, we had only 3d.
900 men in France at that time and
he was of the opinion that we would
never have many more.
America is having a fine time try
ing to raise an army" he declared
satirically. II hear that 1900 mutinied
the other day in New York and re-
fused to get on a transport, and
town in the Northwest composed prin
cipalIy of citizens of Swedish blood
refused to register at all! We are get
oh oil
conditions in America"
Shortly before this had come the rev.
Citations from Washington of the in
trigue of Count Won Luxburg, the Ger
man minister TO Argentina, and knew
where the kaiser was getting the in
formation he referred to. In nearly
every case, it appeared, the kaiser's in
formants were misleading him.
Both before and after we entered
the war the kaiser was thoroughly con-
WINGED that we could play only nom
| inaI part in it so far as man power
was concerned and his assurance on
| that point undoubtedly accounted for
his decision to carry through his sub
marine program even though it re-
suited in bringing US into the war.
do you realize how many tons of
shipping it takes to ship a single sol
dier?'' he asked me on one occasion.
I confessed my ignorance on that
point.
''WeII, it takes six tons to the man :
To send over an army OF 100000 men.
therefore, your country would require
100000 tons of shipping in addition
to the tonnage required for regular
traffic. Where is it coming from, with
my submarines sinking the allied yes
sells faster than they can ever be re-
placed? Ny U-boats are doing won
deEful work and we are prepared to
take care Of all the troops America
may try to land in France"
How foolish for America to have
come into the war" he went on. 'sIf
she could succeed in landing q real
army in France, what good would ii
do? America can see how easy it was
for me to break through and to cap
ture 100000 Of the Italians, and they
must realize that can break through
on the western front and do the same
thing there. If America had kept ouf
of the war she would have gone OF
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