The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-03-06
SHOCKED BY THE NEWS.
German National Assembly Learns
Who Controls the Situation.

The party speeches in the nation
al assembly which had been set
down for Monday afternoon, says
Berlin dispatch, suffered rude in
terruption by the outcome OF the
new armistice negotiations. The
general outlines of the new terms
were known early today, and 1t was
no surprise when President Fehren-
bach announced that the speeches
and arguments would be deferred SO
that Matthias Erzberger head of the
German armistice delegation might
give a personal explanation OF what
happened between his departIfe and
his UNEXPECTEDLY Guick retu: / today.
Herr Erz5erser. notlceabiy
wrought up AMI laborins under a
strain, began with the announcement
that the delegates were entitled to
know at the earliest possible mo-
ment the full details of the negotia-
tions. He then read the terms, and
the house listened in almost agonlz-
ed silence. The slightest stir or
noise brought angry Kisses; the as
sembly never had been one tithe so
still.
The members of the house stirred
uneasily as he finished and stopped
for breath. Before continuing his
explanation, Herr Erzberger inter-
jected:
''Fateful Hours"
cit is my wish that you may nev-
er have the fateful hours l have had.
We on the armistice commission
have had to bear untold responsible
ity.''
He then referred to the unfortu-
nate, well-nigh fatal, delay in the
arrival of the terms at Weimar, and
went into details on Marshal Foch's
ultimatum, which, he said, he was
assured was framed with the un-
qualified approval of President Will
son.
Herr Erzberger told of the efforts
to secure notifications, but said
Marshal Foch had been sternly in
sistent on the acceptance of the
terms.
He touched only briefly, but clear
ly, on his successful protests against
Polish incorporation of Silesia and
his unsuccessful efforts to save Birn-
baum, Bentschen and other German
towns. He emphasized that the AL
lies would take over the response
bility of keeping the Poles in check
and give guarantees for the safety
of the Germans on the Polish side.
Wilson's II Points Prevail.
To Herr Erzberger's protests Mar
shall Foch replied that ali were
purely military measures and in ac-
cordance with President Wilson's IA
points.
Herr Erzberger protested likewise
against the indeterminate extension
of the armistice, but Marshal Foch
brusquely declined to make any al
teration, and insisted upon inclusion
of a clause which gives him power
to promulgate any order to Germany
at will
Herr :Erzberger then demanded
whether the short, indeterminate
condition of the armistice might
lead to an early peace, to which
Marshal Foch replied: Il think so;
/ assume So
The minister said the difficulties
had been greater because the nego-
tiations had become sharper and
more acute recently, and long dis
cussion demonstrated that nothing
more would be changed.
Confidence i'm Foch.
The minister assured the assem-
bly,:
81 have confidence that Marshal
Foch's given word will be kept"
Herr Erzberger said that he had
achieved almost no results in his ef-
forts to have German prisoners re-
leased, beyond a promise by France
and England each to send back 1000
badly wounded men. He then read
the German note which he presented
to Marshal Foch, as the armistice
terms were signed. He had had a
sad mission with few happy results.
'The world knows he conclud-
ed, that we do not want new war
and cannot conduct one. The world
will condemn the entente for its Sc
verify
An Eye Oh the Future.