The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-11-30
PREFER: PEACE
TO THE KAISER
Even His Loyal Troops Turn
Against Former Ruler
of Empire.
He PLEADS IN VAIN
Generals Inform Emperor of
Revolt and Even Then He
Hesitates to Surrender. &
(John McIIugh Stuart.)

Paris, Nov. s0.--(I. N. S.)-'Dt
you want your kaiser or do you wan
peace?' demanded the former EN-
peror OF Germany to his assembled
Prussian troops at Spes when hs
! ieafnsd tkat srexssati0s6 y iWsks.1 ~
springiug up In his armies. RI
"Peace," was the answering shout
These and other interesting detail
of events at German great headquar'
ters at Spa during the stormy day.
Just before the ex-kaiser abdicateC
weie described here today by ar
Am srican who has just arrived from
the German city.
Stories at Spa. M
The inhabitants at Spa had many
stoi :es to tell of the incidents at Spa,
The ex-kaiser 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
chine guns were mounted at strategic
corners of the royal chateau grounds
The former kaiser then asked his
generals If the revolt was serious
and they told him 1t was.
Fatal Question.
Then numerous bodies of Prussian
troops, upon whose answering
loyalty the war lord thought he could
confidently rely. were summoned
from the battlefield. They were as
sembled before the then kaiser and
1t was then that the fatal question
was put. At the same time, the kai,
ser asked the soldiers If they would
protect him. This part of the inter-
rogation went 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.
1t seemed that Liege, where the
first battle Of the war was fought,
was the hotbed of the mutiny, which
spread with wildfire rapidity to ac-
tual revolution.
Finally, realizing that his power was
gone from him, William consented to
abdcate. Tears ran down his cheeks
as he signed the historic document. His
signature was placed upon the decree IN
the same chateau to which the armi-
stice ENJOYS journeyed.
Immediately the erstwhile kaiser left
Tor Holland, surrounded by strong
guard of officers and a handful OF SOL
diers.
Complain OF Terms.
The armistice plenipotentiaries COM
planned Of the truce terms. which they
called "inhumanly hard upon the Ger
man people," but they had to accept
them. Even they protested that the
Germans had not been beaten in the war,
and should have consideration on that
ground. TO all efforts at cajolery and
threats the allied response was the
same: THE terms as laid down must
be carried out, and the Germans are
warned that the conditions of peace
that follow will be hard"
The Belgians declare that the Ger
mans have continued persistently to
carry off cattle and furniture. The Ger
mans attempted to defend themselves
by saying that they had taken cattle
into Belgium along with their armies.
and that German carpenters with the
troops had constructed the furniture
they were taking away with them;
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 spr'gs Of green in the barrels Of
their rifles.
The line soldiers did not seem to real
ize or care that they had lost the war.
In their exuberance they smashed much
material. Tanks. motorcars and artil-
lery were ditched by the roadside and
broken up. Only the reserves seemed
to appreciate the fact that Germany
had suffered crushing military defeat
Living conditions were difficult IN
Spa. Armistice delegates were compelled
to move about on foot, owing to the
shortage Of gasoline. 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 of adjusting the details and
the payment Of materials that the allies
The Americans said that the Germans
had great difficulty In making their way
from Spa. The roads were
choked with retreating German soldiers.
They refused to clear. the way, for the
allied motorcar, In which the Americans
were travelling. and when it got stuck in
the mud the Germans refused to give a
hand IL net II free