The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-04
GERMAN IDEA OF VICTORY DEFINED BY GROWN PRINCE Intend to Hold Their Own and Not Let Themselves
 Be Vanquished.
  ENGLAND SEIZED
 CHANGE FOR WAR Says Majority of Americans Are Ignorant of Why They Are Fighting.

Amsterdam, Sept. 4---The German idea of victory as defined by the Ger man crown prince in an interview published in the Budapest Az Est is an intention ito hold our own and not let ourselves be vanquished." The crown prince is quoted as saying that this was clear to him the moment that England entered the war. The brown prince denied that he was "a fire eater and continued:
 If Germany had wanted war we should not have chosen this moment. No moment could have been more un- favorable for Germany
 In reply to the question as to how he thought the end of the war would come he said:
 | Through the enemy perceiving that they are not able to win their colossal stake and that they cannot win as much as they are bound to lose"
 In discussing the present operations on the western front the crown prince said:
 'The enemy attacks and the with ] drawal on our front at several places is often wrongly interpreted in some circles. Some of our people are too accustomed to a continuous advance and when battle occurs wherein the enemy attacks and we have to defend ourselves the situation not always is correctly understood In judging the situation both military and political, we must not forget one thing---that we are waging war of defense. The war is one of annihilation only for the enemy, not for us. We want to annihilate none of our enemies. We mean, however, to hold our own" Regarding the American forces in France the crown prince said:
 I've found that the majority don't know what they are fighting for, but we feel of course the effect of the entry of the Americans. They have sent over very much material and now are sending very much human material"
 'We speak openly of victory" he said. "The word victory must not be understood to mean that we want to annihilate the enemy but only that we mean to hold our own and not let ourselves be vanquished. The mo- ment that England entered the war
 
 emphasized it'
 l When the interviewer remarked that the crown prince was regarded abroad as a fire eater'' he answered: 1T am aware of these accusations. Do need to say that not a word of them is true?''
 Reverting to the question of what nation. wanted the war, he declared: ''It was clear that England would take advantage of the opportunity"
 Belgium after all was only pre- text" he continued. England inter- vened because German competition was unbearable.
 We are fighting for our existence. repeat, our aim, therefore, can only be to safeguard ourselves'' ''The enemy assault doubtless will continue for some time" the crown prince said with reference to the fighting on the western front, "but r our enemies must themselves see that
 they will not be able to attain their aim. Our troops are fighting splen-
 didly and I attribute to their courage
 that such colossal superiority ir
 strength does not crush us." Discussing the fighting qualities o1 | Germany's enemies he said: "The French fight brilliantly and 0 are bleeding to death. They do no I hesitate at any sacrifice. With the 6 English the individual man is yer! t good and tenacious but the leader . ship Is deficient. Among the Ameri d cans I've found that the majority dt : not know what they are fighting for y I asked an American prisoner wha s they were fighting for and he ansWer