The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-10-31
Won HINDENBURG
TRIED TO CRAWL OUT
After the Military Had Sug-
gested that the Govern
ment Ask for
ArmiStice

London, Oct. 80, British Admir-
atty PTess)- Speaking in the Reich
stag on Friday, Herr Cohn, Indepen-
dent Socialist, declared it was ne
cessary at this time to fix RESPONSE
bility FOR the situation in which the
German people have found them
selves.
The war had not risen, he said,
from the faults of individuals, but
from the whole political, historical
and economic connection of things.
Essentially predatory and desirous
of power was youthful German I'M
perialism, which was supported to
this end by strong and offensive
militari3m asserting itself by means
of force aid lies.
A special edition of the Lokal An
zeiger, which announced mobilization
was under way when it had not yet
been ordered, that it might be tele-
graphed abroad, will not be forgot
ten, Cohn said.
Declaration of war on France was
officially based on a French airmans
attack on Nuremburg, which was a
lie.
The civil government conducted
negotiations with President Wilson
This did not suit the military, who
thwarted negotiations by declaring
an intensified submarine war.
How many hundreds of thousands
were aware today, he asked, that
Won MolNe, Chief of the General
Staff, lnl Won Falkenhayn were al
ready Convinced in -914, that after
the first M&1ne battle the war was
lost for Germany.
1t was, however, impossible for
niiltarism to admit that it had COM
mitted any fault. The war must be
won if il was to be justified If it
was lost the population was rightly
warned against people who wished
to play the Providence and had
brought the nation to misfortune.
The military now attempted to
evade The responsibility resting upon
them. ~ the end of September, Lu-
dendorff wrote to Berlin that a Gov
ernment capable of negotiating peace
must Immediately be formed, which
would have to address a request fol
peace TO President Wilson.
| On October 2, discussion of the
Reichstag deputies took place il
Berlin undeo the presidency of Vice
Chancellor Won Payer. A representa-
tive of the Supreme Army command
attended, who brought with him al
expression of opinion of the com
mand formulated in writing. 1t now
looked as though Won Hindenbure
were seeking to withdraw himself
from responsibility for peace offel
having been made.
In a press conference in Berlin
which was held at the war press of
flee, a letter was read from Vol
Hindenburg, in which he protestet
against being appealed to as having
said that al offer of armistice ant
peace mus be sent into the worl'
because Germany, on militar
grounds, had no more time to wait
That show ed that military head
quarters wished to eVade reSpOnSl
bility Cohn said.
This efor! of Won Hindenburg ex
planned why the offer for an armis
tice did not come from the military
but from the Chancellor and why
contrary to all custom, the Chan
celllor was charged and burdene
with the details of armistice ncgoti
ations which, according to militar
usage, should have been the dut
and privilege of military headqual
ters, Cohn continued.
1t was just that they did not dc
sire to make a declaration that 81, d
a soldier, am compelled to sue fc
an armistice."