The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-21
Army Order Calls Officers At
tentiOn to Conditions.
Warns That Talk Must Be
Dealt With at Once.
THE MEN TALK PUBLICLY
Copy of the Order Was Cap
tured by British.
Throws New Light on German
Internal Conditions.
THE MEN TALK PUBLICLY
fBx til. Asso ,ieted Press, /,

British Headquarters in France,
Aug. 21.-Germany's military leaders
now have become distinctly worried
over the prospects of revolution in
Germany.
General Ludendorfr. in a captured
secret order has taken steps to em-
ploy the assistance of his command
ing officers and various government
agencies to help him. stamp out the
glowing spark which has been seen.
The order, which is more illuminating
than anything which has come out of
Germany in many months, follows:
Talk of Revolt After War.
''It has come to my knowledge thru
a letter addressed to the royal Prus-
sian ministry OF war that men on
leave have spoken publicly of a revo-
luton which is to break out after the
war.
"A soldier, said to have come from
the industrial region of Rhenish West
phalia, declared in train that in his
home district men were going on
leave, taking weapons with them for
| the aforesaid object and that 1t was
| easy to take home German or cap
| tured revolvers as we'll as hand gre
nades separated into two parts.
Il desire that the clothing of men
going on leave be searched as test
! cases before their departure. 1t will
i be possible to carry this out at the
baths and dressing stations.
| L wis hto impress upon all superior
officers who happen to hear such OBJ
!jectionable talk or who hear of 1t thru
| others that they must deal with it al
once and without hesitation The
home authorities and the director OF
military railways have been directed
to take corresponding measure"
Insubortifnntion in Army.
1 Another order just captured, bearing
i the signature of the chief of staff o.
/ the Forty-first infantry, division re.
4 cites that courts martial have had ar
increasing number of cases where sub
ordinates ernphatfca1ly refused to ac
company their units into the line ant
where the superior officers neglected
to enforce obedience by failing to com.
pei the towards to- go into the from
line"
Shoot Those Who Disobcy.
Obedience in this respect, the. orde
said, must be enforced even tho i
may be necessary to resort to forc'
and the use of arms.
1t is right, the order said, even t,
go to the length of Shooting a MAJ
as an extreme necessity.
Another captured order deals will
the investigation into a case where
German airplane was shot down, prob
ably in mistake by German troops
and the occupants secretly buried
Such procedure the order said, ii
unworthy of the German army
Search Men for Arms.
! In still another document, Genera
4 Ludendorff says there are constaE
reports of German officers on leay
voicing utterances that are calculate
to awaken felings of doubt as to Ger
man preparedness for battel. H
mentions an officer in Berlin VIII
said further offensives were impossibl
on the ..estern front because of rh
Il shortage of horses and oats.
General Ludendorff warns officer
against spreading unfavorable rumori
He declares that it is remarkable tha
they never bring encouraging new
home. from the front, and adds that
is better to color the situation with
rosy hue than with black paint