The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-20
Discomfort EXISTS
IN THE GERMAN ARMY
Thousands Of Soldiers Refuse 10 Sa-
lutte Their Superior
Officers.
GERMANS ARE "IEAkNING"
People Have Made So Many Sacrifices
They Cannot Re BuIldozed Longer
IT Government Rejects Reasonabl
Peace soldiers VIII Refuse 10 Fight
GERMANS ARE LEARNING"
BY ALFRED ANDERSEN.

Copyright, 1918, by Star Company
New York. Oct. l9--Never have I
tread so near thf path Of death as
when L hegai, canlionAJ inquiry into
conditions la the t,+f I4.sH navy ard
The German military establishment.
The subject seems ''verboten' in Ber-
lin.
Through seemingly innocent chats
IN cafes, with chance acquaintance
in the street, and even with German
soldiers. it quickly became apparent
to me that revolutionary elements are
AT work In the army
Thousands OF soldiers refuse to "a
lutte their officers.
] Jaw signs that under certain con
dittons at least, sections of the army,
IL backed by Socialists at home would
refuse III fight
A conversation with Alfred Boesler.
n corporal in pomerania division.
is typical OF all the rest, met him
in Mitseher's weinstuhe in Franzos-
ische Strasse, the second day / was in
Berlin.
All conditions have changed in the
German army Since the opening of
the war began Corporal Boesier. con
hden,ialy, 10 me a seeming nett
trail
Once we used TO get off the side
walk when an officer passed He
could strike private soldier in the
face or knock hinf down. what could
the soldier do Nothing.
Prisates Refnsc to Salute.
Now. thousands of soldiers refuse
even 10 salute their officers. tell
you, we are learning" he added sig
niiicantly.
Not that we do not love our coun-
try and fight TO win. Most soldiers
are alike in that Bun NE have made
so many sacrifices that we can no
longer he bulldozed,
do the Socialists carry on any prn=-
paganda at the 'front.'" | asked
Not open propaganda he replied
but many Socialists are in the army
and they discuss matters with civilian
friends when home on leave. 1t il
pretty well understood at the front
that the moment the German govern
ment rejects a reasonable proposal for
peace the soldiers will refuse to fight
and will help put the Socialists in
power"
When inquired why the soldiers
did not support the big strike in Ger
many last winter. Corporal Bocsier
said
That strike was an unpatriotic
move. undertaken by an Independent
faction OF the Socialists, 1t could
serve only one purpose--tn leave the
men in the trenches without supplies
and ammunition. We would have
been at the allies, mercy"
Are Loyal TO Fatheriand.
We want peace" ne continued. al
ter a brief pause but you must re-
alize that We Germans also love our
country, and We will not betray it
any more than you would think OF be-
traying Holland--or did you come
from Sweden? ?"
asked Corporal Boesler what he
thought Of the memoirs OF Prince
Ldchnowsky. which pointed out that
England took every step possible to
avoid the entrance into the war and
placed iull blame on Germany
silly" was his answer Prince
LichnoWsky liz foolish agotist who
thinks the whole war was undertaken
TO ruin his diplomatic career"
This impression, learned, was
general in Germany. Clever home
propaganda had depicted the former
ambassadors TO London just as Corr
poral Boesier described him.
And Won JA00w's concurrence in
Primes Achnowsky's charge that Ger
mAny ~ rsspenstble tor the war