The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1919-04-09
LUDENDORFF TELLS
OF GERMAN DEFEAT
Famous German General Reviews
Happenings Prior to Signing OF
trmiStice

Armistice.
Berlin, April 4.--One Of the Berlin
newspapers today prints extracts
from the forthcoming book written
by General Ludcndorff, former first
quartermaster general Of the German
army. General Ludcndorff says the
defeat of the Germans on August
eighth, Tin the Franco-British often
sive near Albert and North of Mont
didier) finally resulted in the Ger
mans losing hope Of a military vic
tory.
Conferences were held with Chan
ccllor Won Hertling, Admiral Won
IIintz. the foreign minister, and
Field Marshal Won Hindcnburg on
August II, Is and 1G, and there al
so was a meeting OF the crown coun-
Gil AT which | clearly stated that the
war could no longer be won mill
tarily," says Ludendorff.
At the beginning of September the
supreme army command invited Won
lcrtling and Won lIintz to Spa, Lud-
endorff adds. Won Hertling excused
himself from attending on account
of his advanced age.
Il opposed Baron Burian's step for
peace on account of its vagueness,
but favored an immediate peace step
in some other FORM" Ludendorff SAYS.
tBurian was the Austro-H Hungarian
foreign minister, and constantly was
sending out peace feclers).
THE supreme command" IIuden
dorff continues, had an idea of
by Holland On Scptem-
Der renewed discussions between
Won Hintz, Won Hndenburg and my
self were followed by report to the
kaiser. Won Hintz was the first to al
ludc to a 1change on internal
grounds.
Il then spoke as follows:
we must now acI energetically on |
the armistice and peace questions. The |
entire situation in Europe may un-
dergo change to our disadvantage
The western front may 'at any time
have to withdraw further, and the
worse our military situation becomes
the harder will be the conditions.
"On the arrival of President Will
sons note came to Berlin and sub
mittcd the following question to
Won Hertling:
Firstly. is the German people will
ins to fight on? Secondly, what is
the German governments estimate of
the Bolshevik danger, which I take
very seriously? Thirdly. is the
Ukraine necessary for our provision
ing?
The second note to President Will
son was also sent in agreement with
the supreme army command. The
answer TO it clearly showed that Pres
idcnt Wilson no longer had the DOW
CT TO oppose the Entente demands.
For the reply to the note the chan
ccllor again invited me to Berlin
"Thc military situation was I'M.
changed. In the west, however. there
was consolidation and this circum-
stance, in conjunction with the
declaration made by the war minis
ter within mcaSurab bic period give
tho supreme command 100000 men,
made the situation appear such that
we need not surrender until condi-
to President Wilson.
Il emphasized he necessity of re-
plying to the note in a dignilied tone.
with due regard to the empires in
tcrcsts. An abandonment Of the
t-boat war could not he considered.
Admiral Schccr CORNER chief of the
German admiralty staff) spoke in the
same sense. This conception also
continued TO be held for some davS
in the war cabinet. Or. Solf (former
foreign minister however, requested
Count Wolf-Mcttcrnich and others to
create NOR" yielding atmosphere.
Success fell to Solf. The U-boat war
ceased and the path 20 capitulation
was troddcn. Won iiindcnburg i'm
protested against This and
proposed an appeal to the nation
1T was clear from President WI |