The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-10-03

The Chancellor again asked a num- Der of questions, and, turning to me, made statement to the following ef- feet: That a new note had arrived from Wilson, containing an increase in his demands; that Wilson had plainly been placed in a difficult position through pressure from external influ- ences; that he apparently hoped that we would give him the opportunity to continue negotiating with us and to overcome the opposition of the never endlans. In order to reply to the note it was necessary to understand quite clearly the military position.
 had different view as to the state ! ments of the ehemy, and could see nothing but their intention to destroy us.
 To the many questions that were put to me, took up in general the fol- lowing position:
 Already on previous occasion have been asked number of questions to which it is impossible to give pre- else answers.
 "War is not sum in arithmet tic. There are in war many probabilities and improbnbilities. What will actu- ally happen no man kpOws. When we went to East Prussia in August, 1914, and the orders were given for the Battle of Tannanberg, even then none knew how things would go. or whether Rennenkampf would or would not move. He did not move, and we and luck may come Germany's way again.
 T can only tell you my convictions. For what I tell you the responsibility is mine. and has been mine for four long, weary years"
 TROOPS BADLY CORRUPTED
 In particular the question was dis eussed whether by transferring from east to west all, our divisions. or even a part of thenS the front could be so strengthened that we could hold out for a long time. To deal with this one had to know how much CLIO could withdraw from the east To know this l had to have an answer from the gov ernment to my two earlier questions as to the danger of Bolshevism and the importance of the Ukraine to us.
 At this time we had in the east, in Russia and Roumania, 26 divisions com posed only of men over 35, and weak in strength. In Lithuania there was one soldier to every IS square kilo- metres (seven square miles). In the west there were 1855 divisions; many had to be broken up.
 Divisions recently removed from east
 
 new condittNns, and | had had very unfavorable reports of them. In spite of the shortage of men, drafts from the east were received with the greatest reluctance. They brought a bad moral and had an unfavOrable effect on their fellows.
 According to the explanations of Gen. eral Hoffman, the temptations to which the men were exposed from the corruption of Jew traders in the east and from Bolshevik propaganda, and, indeed, also by propaganda from home, had broken their fighting spirit. How Tar this had gone was not known until the beginning of November.
 TOLD OF BOLSHEvIK PERIL
 The views of the General as to the possibility of employing these divisions Tn the west was quite in accord with my own experience. Nothing that tbev could do could produce any such alfera- ton in the military situation as would orlng the enemy to negotiate with us Ihey lacked the necessary strength to fight in the west. For any work that might fall to them in the east, even Tor an attack on the Soviet troops, they seemed still fully capable
 Our blockade against the Bolsheyik. was now everywhere very thin and only barely effective. General Hoffman and explained that the danger from BoI- shcvism was very serious, and that the maintenance of this frontier guard was essential.
 The government as such did not ap- pear 10 take any definite stand on prin- ciple against Bolshevism. It did not sneak clearly or decisively. In spite of fhe disagreement of General von Lyn- der, the president of the Imperial court martial, 1t had released Liebknecht frcm prison, and it stood idly by while Herr Joffe Lenine's Ambassador dis tributed money and pamphlets, and prepared for the revolution Our warnings. as well as those of the headquarters staff in the Mark of Bran denburg. received no attention It ap- pears that about this time General Hoff- mann, through his relations with Herr Solf at last succeeded in opening the eyes of some members of the govern ment
 As party, tue Majority Socialists recognized the great danger of Bolsh- vism. But while 'vorwarts' on the one hand issued warnings against thrs force. on the other it gave it the great est help by its attacks on constitut led authority and its advocacy Of class hatred. At last at the end of October. ! Joffe was dismisseAA. We were thus 'sss again at war lA Russia and