Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-11-27
BY General Erich Ludendorff.

BY General Er
In this war it was impossible to dis
tinguish where the sphere Of the army
and navy began. and that Of the peo-
pie ended. Army and people were
one. The world witnessed the war
C.. nations i'm the most literal sense of
the word. The great powers of the
earth faced each other in united con-
contracted strength. And not only be-
tween the armed forces did the COM
bat rage along those huge fronts and
on distant oceans; the very soul and
vital force Of the enemy was attacked
i'm order to corrode and paralyze them,
This worldwide war of nations
made enormous demands on us Ger
mans, on whom its whole oYerWhelm-
ing burden fell. Every individual had
to give his very utmost, if we We're to
win. We had literally to fight and
work to the last drop of blood and
sweat, and with It all maintain our
figh ting spirit, ana above all, our con-
fidence in victory; a hard but i'm
peratiVe necessity. in spite Of the
dearth of food which the enemy in
flicted on us, and the onslaught of
his propaganda, which was Of amaZ-
ing force, if unobtrusiye
Our army and navy are rooted in
the nation. as is the oak in German
soil They live upon the homeland,
end from il they draw their strength.
They can keep, but cannot produce,
what they need, and can only fight
with the moral. material and physical
means which the country provides
These means make possible victory:
faithful devotion and unselfisl self
sacrifice in the daily contest with the
miseries Of war.
They alone could secure Germany's
final success. With them our coun-
fry waged the titanic conflict against
the world, even allowing f69 the as
gistance Of our allies and the eEpioita-
tons Of occupied territories as far as
the laws Of land warfare permitted.
The army and navy had thus to
look to the homeland for its constant
renewal and regeneration in morale,
numbers and equipment.
II was essential to maintain the
morale and war spirit of those at
home at the highest pitch. Woe to
us if they should fail. The longer
the war lasted the greater were the
dangers and the difficulties, and the
more imperious grew the demands of
JNe army ana navy loT SflIl-Nttl anu
moral reinforcement.
The very last resources, both In
men and material had to be made
available and devoted to the pfosecu-
ton of the war.
Hard work and an unflinchinG de-
termination, helped by the Russian
revolution. had enabled US to relieve
the military situation in 1917. Bu'
meanwhile, as had already been the
case in Austria Hungary. the break
ing UP of the united will of the Ger
man people, under pressure of this
upheaVal and of economic priVations
com bined with the growing influence
Of enemy propaganda, was to bflhl
about events which steadily lowered
the fighting strength of both the a.
| lied states and jeopardized our mill
| tary gains.
From this time EDWARDS the hope o.
! the entente for the inner collapse o
their enemies was continually lea
! Peace would be UNNECESSARILY more
difficult, and the end of the war wa
postponed,
Chancellor Won Rethmann ant
Count Czernin were both completely
cbscssed by the influence of the Rus
sian revolution. They both feared
similar catastrophe in their own coun
tries, and thought of nothing but pos
sibilities of peace. which had untoftu
nately receded into the dim distance
whereas until peace had been attalhe'
I they should have taken enegeu
I measures to prosecute the war. i,
j They ought to have raised III
morale of the nation by creative &C
tivity. Just as CHG. had succeede
1n o.
strength in q desperate struggl
against a powerful adversary AS
was. their policy led to perpetual con
cessions at home, and they gave u
r the task Of leading the nation. IN
whole tendency of their ideas mad
them overlook the unspeakable harr
they were doing to the strength {
- their respective countries, which ougf
TO have shown a united front to tn
enemy, and they did not realize no
p they were prejudicing the conduct
e the war.
Neither of these men, whom destin
3, had placed at the head of their pee
Z ple at this terrible crisis possesse
n the strong character that events de
= handed.
o No doubt they had to face seriot
y, internal difficulties. Count Germ
u with his conglomerate empire, had q
o infinitely complex task The prol
lens presented TO Herr Won Bethmar
! we're probably easier; he had only
y act in accordance with the conclusion
II that could be drawn with overwheln
ing force from the nature of the WI
. and from our position in face OF II
determined to destroy us.
y Instead of harping ever more al
o more on the idea of a peace OF reco
- citation, which was always out OF u
question, he ought to have knitted u
l. nation together and pointed out TO
etI the great tasks before 1t and the o
20 iects to be attained, and then ma
given us in the army free hahd' /
III German people ought to have be
e. shown again ana again what IN
were fighting for, and what the en-
my in his heart of hearts rea
wanted. The majority would IN
ID have followed him as they had DO
L. in 1914.
There are always some who c
ID never be taught. Was there rea
is any room for doubt regarding t
n ideas and objects of our enemies.
- interpreted in the light of their Wh'
u history and their whole mentality I
IS, to mention their answer to our pea