The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-10-10

visions IN the West was quite In nc.
cord with my own experience. Moth.
Ing that they could do could produce
any sach alteration IN the military
situation as would bring the enemy
to negotiate with Us. They lacked
the necessary strength 20 fight In
the West. For any work that might
fall 90 them In the East. even Tor an
attack on the Soviet troops. they
seemed sim fully capable
Our blockade against the Iioishe~
viiss was now everywhere very thin
and only barely effective. General
Hoffman, and ! explained that the
danger from Bolshevism was very
serious, and that the maintenance. Of
this frontier guard was essential
The government as such aid not
appear to take any definite stand on
principle again Boishcvism. IL did
not speak clearly or decislycly In
eral Won Lynder. the president Of
the imperial court martial. u had
released Liehknecht from prison.
and II stood idly by while Herr Joffc
I1enine's AMBASSADOR distributed
money and pamphlets, and prepared
for the revolution.
Our warnings. as well as those OF
the headquarters staff In the Mark
OF Brandenburg. received no atten-
ton. 1t appears that abou; this
time General Hoffman,. thru his re-
latsons with Herr Solf, at las, sue
ceeded IN opening the eyes OF some
members OF the government
As n party. the majority socialists
recognized the great danger OF Boil.
shevisFn But while vorwasrts on
the one hand issued warnings
against this force. on the other u
gave II the greatest help by its at
tacks on constituted authority and
It's advocacy OF class hatred. At
last. at the end of October, Joffe
was dismissed. We were thus once
again at war with Russia. and the
need to take precautions against
Boishevism became all the greater.
STILL TALK OF
ANNEXATION
At this meeting I emphasized once
more the infinite economic import
ance OF The territory under the con.
troll OF the cornmander-in-chief in the
East No decision could be taken
as to evacuating the Ukraine, the
necessary preliminary discussions
not having yet taken place. and the
question being one quite impossible
TO settle out OF hand. Count Roe.
dern wanted To abandon the Ukraine.
as the civil population got little
benefi, from IL.
Secretary Soif mentioned the great
wealth Of the Ukraine. and desired
also that II should be retained on
humanitarian grounds. I could not
look at the question from any other
point Of view than that Of Gerrnany's
advantage.
Secretary Won waIdow brought no
enlightenment, but enlightenment was
essential. and I begged the chaucel.
Tor to have the question exclusively
examined. General headquarters had
occupied the Ukraine in February I'm
agreement with the government, the
latter being then fully convinced of
the absolute necessity for the step.
not merely TO avert the danger OF
Bolshevisn. but also to secure the
supply OF the quadruple alliance.
In the summer Austria Hungary
had only been kept alive with the
help of the Ukraine We in Ger
many had obtained from the coun.
try cattle and horses. and much raw
material, even IL we had not the
corn we expected. The war was
over. Rumania's harvest was
complete failure. BY early thresh.
ing we had again had to mortgage
our future. We and our allies had
to look somewhere for additional
foodstuffs. and the Ukraine was the
only possible source. without this
aid there would be a severe crisis In
the early summer OF 1919.
TROOPS NEEDED
IN EAST
The government never cleared up
this question Of the value Of the
Ukraine in the autumn OF 1918. Had
we evacuated at this stage. which
would have taken us a considerable
period Of time, we should have grad.
uaffU ratcaoaI So. ,1s..t.ax. lt..