Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-11-30
By General Erich Ludendorff.

! not involve harshneSs to the original
/ owner nor loss of his rights.
| ! was much impressed by the opin-
| ions Of the land reformer, Mr.. Da-
maschke, on the need for reducing the
cost of housing. especially for the
working classes, and for excluding
| profiteering, and also by his historical
treatment of the subject. The infor-
nation he gave about the scarcity of
houses after the war of 1S70-71
seemed to me of the greatest i'm
portance CHIC. approached the i'm
perial chancellor pointed out the in
fluence of the housing question on the
after-effects of the war as regards ma
tional recuperation. and requested
him TO bring in a bill to safeguard
the rights and properties of soldiers.
We also asked that means might be
provided for building small houses
and for securing them against specu-
lation. CHIC. induced the chief sani-
tary officer, Generalsta bsarZt Won
Schjerning, to take an interest in the
whole policy of distribution of the
population, to which he and his as
sistants especially Oberstabsarzt DR.
Hochheimer, devoted themselves with
great enthusiasm Their ideas were
embodied in a memoir, which was also
sent to the imperial chancellor,
Colonies in Invaded Lands.
After the war l wanted to bring up
a contented generation, capable of
self-defense. In the Baltic littoral
wanted to create a settlement area for
soldiers, and for the large number of
Germans who were expected to re-
emigrate from Russia. The vast I'M
Inhabited and untitled areas in those
parts provided room for German set
Elements without crowding the in
habitants.
Alsace-Lorraine also was to be used
for settlements, and in this way this
ancient German territory would at
last regain it's German character.
A wide field of labor of the greatest
national importance was before us.
General Hahndorff took up these
questions in a far-sighted manner.
Cooperative settlement companies,
assisted by the most experienced men
in Germany, were started and set to
work at once At that time people
got wildly excited about the settle
ent-companies.
The soundness of the fundamental
idea was proved later. One OF the
first measures of the Republican gov
eminent was TO draft settlement
law, of which the guiding principles
were taken from the edicts for Cour-
land drafted by Prof. Ludwig Bern
hard on behalf Of G.HQ, Its practical
application is now impossible owing to
the extraordinary rise in prices and
to the difficulty Of obtaining building
materials. In the matter. also, of
helping the war victims, the reyolu-
tionists have watered down the orig
inal schemes; they have taken instead
of given, Money has been wasted,
but the deserving soldier got none
of it.
We also provided for the students
and advanced school boys, who were
on active service. and whose future
became more and more precarious as
time went on. / hoped that the as
sistance afforded to them would
prove of special benefit to the coun-
try. The Prussian minister of educa-
ton, DR. Schmidt felt strongly on
this subject and took the lead in the
work
Absorb AIsace- Lorraine.
Another problem which occupied
me in the summer of 1917 was that
of Alsace- Lorraine. CHIC could of
course approach il only from that
point of view which it was its duty
to represent, namely. the military
one.
The impression | had gained as a
brigade commander at StrasSburg,
and the many sad experiences of this
war relating to Alsace-Lorraine. had
fully convinced me that its position
as imperial territory (Reichsland) was
an anomaly which did not accord
with the interests of the inhabitants
There was far too much meddling in
its affairs by the reichstag. The policy
followed was weak and i'll Defined
and could not satisfy anybody.
! strove for a union of the country
with Prussia, which by no means in
volved "Prussianizing" its inhabitants.
Prussia had absorbed the Rhine prov
ince, of which the population had OBJ
tanned its typical character and de-
veloped vigorously; why should not
the same path lead to the happiness
of the people of Alsace- Lorraine, who
are by character and economic condi-
tons closely allied to Germany.
Other solutions also seemed posi-
BILE. Whatever happened. il was nee
essary to make certain of ensuring
unity OF command over the troops on
the frontier, of the frontier protection
system, and of the railways.
published by special arrangement
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