The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-11-06
GERhinY's ARMIES UNBEATEn.
so SAYS STAFF OFFICER RE-
GENTLY CAPTURED.
Separatist Movement In Empire Be-
comes Acute, Bavaria Wishing to
Be Done With Prussia.

\
! comes Acute, Bavaria Wishing te
Be Done With Prussia.
French Headquarters in France
Nov. 8 (By the Associated Press).-
Germany's armies are unbeaten, ac.
Icording to German divisional stat
officer recently taken prisoner on the
French front, and Germany's. reques
for an armistice was the result OF
the influence which pessimists have
gained in the government and over
the emperor. This officer, an intelll-
gent representative Of his class, said
"Tle Germans request for an ar.
mistice is proof to me that the grand
headquarters has been submerged bJ
the crisis in the interior Of Germany
Tie influence of the general staff ovel
the emperor has been exaggerated.
THE emperor is surrounded by peo.
pie who feel and talk defeat of the
species Of Schiedemann (the German
Socialist leader). They are continual
ly setting before the emperor the un-
favorable situation of Germany from
their point Of view and painting ir
sornbre co1ors the frightful response
bility he has incurred, as well as the
possible consequences to his person in
case Of defeat which appears to them
to be imminent.
There are days when no officer of
the general staff can gain access tc
the emperor. These are days Of acute
pessinnisrn, passed by the monarch
almost entirely in prayer and Bible
reading.
-.The German people want peace at
once and at all costs. They have hac
enough Of war.
Another cause Of anxiety is the
separatist movement which has be-
come very serious lately. The talk
through all South Germany now is:
Let us separate from Prussia
Bavaria is the worst, There every
one, even the soldiers, may insult
Prussia without provoking a word oe
defense in. our behalf. The Bavariar
government employs the same tont
and we are beginning to think that
this is desired by the Bavarian army
which will make no further effort
Their attitude is an enigma.
There appears to be no military
necessity for the conclusion of peace
now, in spite Of the constant retire
ment Of our forces since the middle
OF July, and this is the opinion o.
the majority Of my comrades on diff
ferent stats.
1--WE thought generally that our re-
treat upon the Segfried positions
would continue till winter, the mean
time weakening the enemy by our
stubborn resistance. We would have
utilized the winter in reorganizing
and regrouping o1tr forces, while our
diplomats would have entered into ne
gotiations that would surely have ter
minated in a favorable peace for as
'eThe aband donment Of AlsacejLor
raine territory, the evacuation Of Rus
sian territory and the creation of, g
Polish Kingdom are equivalent to the
ruin of Germany, taking from US the
raw materials of Alsace-Lorraine
which are indispensable to our indus
tries and the markets that we aimed
to create in the East.
.eIn consequence there will be a
stoppage Of great part Of our indus
tries for several years; an impoverisf- :.
ment of the working class, interior
troubles, separations and a complete
upheaval.
Then our enemies will have what
they have desired-the complete an.
initiation Of Germany That would.
be a peace due to Scheidemann.
eve thought our present retreat
would end upon position chosen by
u.s.. that the war would fnc"v ter
inmate by the success Of our o.-ns at
some part of the front with the aid
of our new tanks and would bring
about a, conciliatory peace favorable
to US"
The divisional staff officer revealed
that it was the opinion of the mill
tary caste in Germany that but for
untoward events Germany, after a sue
cessful termination of the present
war, would have put her industries in
shape to furnish war material to both
sides in a hypothetical war between
the United States and Japan, and
then, "after both sides had become
exhausted, would have joined hands
with one country to crush the 9TH
er."
The officer said:
Japan and the United States would
surely clash some day and we would
then furnish both sides with enor-
nous quantities of material and mu-
nitions. We would have eXtinguished
our debt. armed ourselves and at mo-
ment when the two parties were ex-
hausted, would have joined one of
them, probably Japan, and would
have imposed conditions which we are
unable to obtain at this time.
1.-The sole hope that remains to me
is that the present German offer is
nothing but a feint to SOW discord in
the camps Of the allies and to gain
time to reassemble and regroup our
forces"