The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-11-26

special train with separate office and telegraph coaches. Work did not cease during the journey. At pre-arranged stations the daily reports were handed in as they were at general head quarters, and, if necessary, we could communicate with anywhere and every where
 My personal relations with both staffs and troops were harmonious enjoyed much confidence.
 The chief of staff of the German Crown Princes army group, Colonel Count von der Schulenburg, a very clear-headed and energetic officer, al- ways gave me sound and reliable sup port.
 I often visited the army group of | Grown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria also. His alert and uncommonly in- dustrius chief of staff. General von kuhl, was an acquaintance of long standing. l had more than one oppor- tunity of admiring his calm self posses sion even in very serious situations 1 During my visits to the front the various chiefs of staff explained the situation to me, in the presence of
 their army commanders They adways | spoke as freely as if they had been officers at general headquarters. They l knew 1 wanted to hear their real views | anu nave d CledT lQea or the true Situa- tion, not a favorable report made to order. Sometimes the armies were in- 1 structed' to report bare facts, only
 whether favorable, or unfavorable. OFTEN ENCOURAGED SHAFTS After the general statement we would 1 discuss matters and the army com manders would join in, unless they had ] explained matters themselves, a thing
 for which I was always particularly i grateful As rule I used to extend
 my visit and this enabled me to dis | cuss every kind of question with the I army commanders.
 l My intercourse with the armies was ! not limited to the weekly journeys. | Every morning I spoke on tho tele-
 phone with the chiefs of staff of the
 armies and was admitted to their ap- prehensions and their hopes. They | often had requests to submit and they
 knew that I would help them if I
 could. l have often had to give them
 encouragement, but I always felt that i they went back to their heavy task
 with all the more confidence.
 At times one got better and fairer l general impression of the strategical I and tactical situation from the office 1 chair than one could on the spot where personal impressions had so much greater influence.
 My conversations on the telephone | had the object of collecting informa- ton. Only in cases of emergency did
 I issue orders on these occasions. and 1 then they were always confirmed in writing to the headquarters concerned | It was an understood thing that these l conversations were reported to the ! army commanders. I strongly ob- 1 jected to a staff officers command, " l besides, the army commanders them l selves were men of far too independent | character to tolerate' such a situation.
 HE TOOK STRONG MEASURES" | 1 did hear of cases where orders | were given on the authority of gen. | eral headquarters which I would never
 have approved of; whenever it occur l red I took strong measures.
 l Changes in the personnel of the | higher commands were unavoidable They were submitted by the army com l mands to the chief of the military l cabinet, in the case of the general staff
 to the chief of the general staff Or | occasions general headquarters sug- gested changes.
 This had to be done when 1t became necessary to have specially experienced officers at the most critical points Il | was beneficial to the operations ane particularly to the troops, as it saved many lives
 The head of the political department
 was General von Barenwerffer a calm and clear-headed officer. imbued witf fervid patriotism. One important duty of the general staff in the field was
 to keep an eye on the military policy Iof neutrals and enemies, and refer al political questions to which it gave rise to the imperial chancellor; it also dealt with political events in the occu. pied territories, in so far as they were 1 administered by general headquarters
 The frontiers which we might acquir, by the war were matter of the great. est concern to the future security oi ] the country and all questions con,
 nected with them formed an i'm. portant part of the work of general ] headquarters. All correspondence re- | lating to peace questions was con. ducted by the political department | HIS DICTATOR OF THE PRESS
 The third was Lieut. Colonel Nicolai
 a man of unfailing industry and devo- | tion to duty and gifted with organizing talent. His duties were multifarious,