The Washington times., 1918-12-02
WAS SHOUT
INSTEAD OF KAISER
By.JoHN' MeHUGH STUART.
InteraaTI0naI News Service stan
Correspondent.


cOFresDORdent.
PARIS, Dec. ado you want your
Kaiser or do you want peace?" de-
handed the former Emperor Of Ger
mEny. to his assembled Prussian
troops at Spa when he learned that
revolution was fast springing up in
his armies. I
Peace" was the answering shout.
These and other interesting details
Of sgents at German great headquar-
terra at Spa. during the stormy days
Just before the ex-Kaiser abdicated
were described here today by an
American who has just arrived from
the -BeIgian city--...-.
The Inhabitants at Spa had many.
stories to tell of the incidents at Spa
The ex-KSiser was told by his gen
erals that mutiny was widespread
among the German troops IN Belgium
and that a force was getting ready
to march upon Spa from Liege and
COMPEL the war lords abdication, |
Spa was then put in a state of siege. |
The streets were barricaded and ma /
chipe guns were mounted at strategic /,
corners OF the royal chateau grounds. (!
The former Kaiser then asked his !
generals If the revolt was serious, !
and 4t4fey told him it was.
Then numerous bodies OF PrussiaB !
troops, upon whose answering 10y /
atty the war lord thought he could :
confidently rely, were summoned from /
the bat!ie line. They were assembled !
before the then Kaiser and IL was then !
that the fatal question was put. At
the7sanfe time the Kaiser asked the
soldiers II they would protect him.
This part OF the Interrogation went 4
unanswered.
Even then William hesitated to
give up the scepter. Time and again
the German generals insisted that the
troops could not be relied upon to give
their master protection.
II seemed that Leige, where the
first battle Of the war was fought,
was the hot-bed of the mutiny which 4
spread with wildfire rapidity to u
actual revolution. 4
Finally realizing that his power was
gone from him, William consented to
aboicate. Tears ran down his cheeks
a. he signed the historic document
His signature was placed upon the de
cree IN the same chateau to which the
armistice ENJOYS 5ourneyed.
Fled to Holland.
Immediately the erstwhile Kaiser
left for Holland, surrounded by a
strong guard OF officers and hand
full of loyal soldiers.
The German armistiee plenipoten-
tfaries complained Of the truce terms.
which they called ''inhumanely hard
upon the German people," but they
had to accept them. Even then they
protested that Germany had not been
beaten In the war and should have
consideration on that ground. To all
efforts at caJoIery and threats that al
nf.mA 1
terms as laid down must be carried
out, and the Germans are warned that II
the conditions Of peace that follow win H
be hard
The Belg1ans declare that the Ger
mans have continued persistentIy to
carry on cattle and furniture. The
Germans attempted to defend them
selves by saying that they had taken
cattle into Belgian along with their
armies, and that German carpenters
with their troops had constructed the
furniture they were taking away with
them -t--
When the Germans began to leave
Spa. said the inhabitants, the troops
made a holiday OF the occasion. Bands
played. flags waved. and the soldiers
stuck sDrigs Of green in the barrels Of
their rifles.
The line soldiers did not seem to
realize or care that they had lost the
war. In their exuberance they smash
ed much material Tanks. motor cars.
and artillery were ditched by the road
side and broken up. Only the reserves
seemed 10 appreciate the fact that
Germany had suffered crushing defeat.
Living conditions were difficult in
Spa The arnfstice delegates were
compelled to move about on foot. ow-
ingfto the shortage OF gasoline.
Eggs 80 Cents Apiece.
Eggs sold for so cents apiece Tea
was $50 a pound. Meat and bread
were proportionately dear.
Belief was expressed at Spa that
the. armistice time must be extended
for about another month on account
Of the difficulty in adjusting the de-
taiIa- and the payment of materials
that the allies demanded
Belgian men and women who had
dealings with the Boches during the
German occupation of Belgium have
been ostracized
The American said that the Germans
had great difficulty in making their
way rearward from Spa The roads
were choked with retreating German
soldiers. They refused to clear the
way for the allied motor car Tin
which the American was traveiing), |
and when Il got stuck in the mud
the Germans refused to give a hand
TO get it free.