New-York tribune., 1919-08-03
Panic in Army and Vaniehed
i Hope at Berlin i'll Final
! Days of War Barred in
( "White Book" at Weinlar
Hindenburg Gave. Up
Uhen En,peror's Conscience
:. Is Said TO Have Revoked
at Further Blooslslled

= BERLIN, Jelly 81 Cry The Associated
+ Press. That the former German En- I
perors statement on October 27, 1913,
that he had reached an unalterablc de-
i. termination to sue for a separate peace
within twenty-four hours and to ac-
mand ar immediate armistce is one !
of the many interesting revelations Of
German war diplomacy cantained in
the "Wkitc Book," publishcd at Wei ,
mar to-day.
TIE COO, ~-sie. contains Official
documents relating to tho negotiations
from AUGUST 49, 1913, to The signing
Z Of the arinstioe on November il, is
issued by the government, it is an
s. nounced in the preface, because the
people want to know the truth.
The former Emperor's decision to
seek peace Immediately, according to
. documents in the White Book, he con-
sidered necessary because he believd
the people both unable and unwilling
:. to continue the war. The former
= German rulers conscience was said
to forbid him to permit further blood
D shed
s. To Be Designated
!. More man month earlier, in Sep
tembcT. gccording to the documents.
Genera L0dendorff heard that Bull
garia hal offered TO sign 4 separate
peace. In The official discussion of q !
direct aDpcaj 10 the United States it
was agreld that Washington should be
designatcd - the centre of peace ne
gohations. as Il matter OF poiiteness.
:. Austria was consulted by telephone re-
: garding the proposed appeal.
On October t. Field Marshal Won
Hindcnburg te,cgraphet to Vice Chan
cellor Friedrich Won Payer stating that
if Prince Max of Baden should form
government he would agree to the
appeal for peace being delayed until
the next morning, but he insisted that
the peace offer be sent Immediately
ii there were any doubt about the for
nation OF the Max government.
On the same day General Groener
reported that General Ludcndorff had
declared that delay would be fatal, that
the formation of a new government
should not be awaited and that break
in the military line was possible at
any minute and that then any peace
offer obtained would be unfavorable
General Groener said it was his i'm
preston General LnGendorff had lost
his nerve completely.
Army Demands Peace
/ Prince Max Immediately inquired
if von Nindenburg were unable to
: hold the front. He received an answer
E that the army stood by it's demand
, for ar Immediate peace offer.
, Prince Max still held the matter of
, peace was premature, but other men,
+ bers of the Cabinet sided with Gen.
: eral Iidendorff and maintained that
, the military verdict must be adhered
to because, If the situation should be
made worse by President Wilson's
: answer, the army would seek to dodge
responsibility.
Prince Max inquired Of military
headquarters if they were aware that
5 peace action under the pressure of
+. military distress would mean the loss
, OF German colonies, Alsace- Lorraine
and part Of Poland. Won Hindenburg
replied that he insisted upon an imme-
/, diate offer of peace being made.
Opinions Conflicted
Conflicts Of opinion continued be-
tween Berlin and the army command,
according to the documents, up to Oc-
tober 26. President Wilson's second
note on the peace terms, however,
brought stormy protest. from the
Supreme Army Command, Which want
ed to break off negotiations. General
Ludendorff looked at the matter more
hopefully.
After President Wilson'S third note,
on October %, Generals Won Galwitz
and Muera asked for last opportunity
to show that Germany's position was
not as bad as it was described, but
their attempts in this way 30 prevent
! Austra's making separate peace
failed. News of the Turkish armistioe
- Col
! agreed to President Wilson's fourteen
+, points, the German people regarded
the as ended. The White Book"
points out that wherever an attempt to
delay the armistice was suspected,
troops rose in protest and all differ !
ences between Berlin and the Supreme
Army Command were dropped.
Ludendorff Defends Self
General Ludendorff takes sharp ex-
ceptlon to many statements contained
in the "White Book particularly the
charge that he and his staff were unre-
, liable as consequence of nervousness.
The general declares that it is strange
the e'members of the Foreign Office were
so ignorant of the situation.
The second note sent by President
Wilson left no doubt in his mind of the
necessity tor continuing the lighting,
says General Ludendorff. He adds that
he and his generals were unable to pre-
cisely predict whether it was possible
to hold out or not
! General Lndendorff declares further
that DR.. Solf (Secretary of State for
Colonies at the time) drew false con
ciusions when Dr.. Solf said that he
tLudendorf'l could not hold out for
three months, for he (Ludendortf) had
prepared new positions that could have
been held. -
General Ludendorff says Admiral Won
alntze Informed him that the reason |
for the German peace offer was the
separation OF Bulgaria from the Central
Powers, and that 10 mention was made
or nervousness. He calls the descrip-
,.on o. incidents from August l3 10
: September %, as given by Won Hintze.
completely ne-sided and says that his
book, which is to appear this month,
VII clear up tne Misunderstanding OF
the situation