Omaha daily bee., 1918-12-04
CROWN PRINCE
CLAIMS TITLE
STILL, IS HIS
CONTINUED from Page One.)

were American divisions contain
ing $4,000 men apiece"
Describing how he left the front,
| Frederick William declared:
II was with my group of armies
after the kaiser left Germany. |
asked the Berlin government wheth-
ed they desired me to retain my
command They replied negatively,
and | could not continue to lead
armies under orders of the soldiers
and workers council.
Therefore, | came to Holland,
without hindrance. No shooting or
bombing occurred and | left the
army with the greatest regret, after
having participated in the trench
life with the soldiers for so long.
81 have not been in Germany for
year from the beginning of the
war, and have taken only three or
four fortnight leaves"
Did Not Desire War.
Speaking of the beginning of the
war, Frederick William asserted;
Contrary to all statements hith-
erto made abroad, I never desired
war and thought the moment quite
inopportune. | was never consulted
and the report about a crown council
being held in Berlin to decide on
the war, | deny on my oath. was
enjoying stay at the watering
place when mobilization was order
ed.
"My father also, | am sure, did
not desire war. If Germany had
sought the best opportunity for
making war, she would have chosen
the period either of the Boer war
or the Russo Japanese war.
From the beginning | was GER
tain that England would enter the
conflict. This view was not shared
by Prince Henry and the other
members of my family.
People have credited me with
warlike intentions. But | was only
soldier with a desire to see the
army kept thoroughly efficient, and
I worked hard to bring this about
People blame me with the failure
at Verdun. But I refused twHe to
attack there with the troops at my
disposal. On the third occasion my
attack was successful for the first
three days, but l was not properly
supported.
Il thought that the Verdun attack
was a mistake. We should have at
tackled to the eastward of Verdun,
where there would have been great
probability of success"
Attacks General Staff.
The ex-crown prince was rather
bitter regarding the work of the
general staff, which he asserted was
responsible for numerous mistakes,
including the attack in March, 1918,
which he was ordered to make, con-
trary to his own view, and was
compelled to obey. He declared that
Ludendorff was the handspring of
Germany's warlike activities, while
Won Hindenburg was mere figure
head.
Ludendorff and his staff continu-
ally underestimate the enemys
forces, he declared, and never be-
lieved that Americas contribution
of soldiers was as great as it actual
ly proved to 10.
Frederick william declared him
self to be an admirer of President
Wilson, who he felt assured would
bring about a peace of justice for
the German people, and concluded:
"Any humiliation of nation con-
tanning 100000 people would only
leave feeling of revenge. Such
nation cannot be crushed"
"The armistice terms are very Sc
we're and almost impossible of ex-
ecution, as the entente powers are
taking away a large portion of the
means of transport" the crown
prince declared.
Asked whether Germany, if vic
torious, would not have imposed
even more severe terms he express
ed the belief that it would not have
been the case.
When the Brest-Litovsk treaty
was mentioned, he said its terms
were hard because in Russian the
Germans were confronted by the
bolshevjki.
With regard to air raids on TN