Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-10-03
BY GEN. ERICH Won LUDENDoRFF

reports, for the events of such time
were appropriate to these phrases
But a report on the Flanders battle
| Langemarck is held" or lost, Woul
have satisfied nobody.
Losses Of ground were mentioned
II they affected the general situation
but not until no harm could be don
TO the troops engaged by doing SO
, Nobody could EXPECT me to comnhlui
cate our losses in guns and prisoner
to the enemy, not even the German
who think so effectively.
Not an Iron People"
We were not the iron people, abou
which | was so often told in thos,
very days. The habit of reading en-
envy communicates had done damage
enough already, Suspicion of the re
! port from CLIO. went at times Sc
! far as to cause them to be compared
| with enemy reports. That was typi
cally German.
was 1t not, for example, a grea'
strategic victory for US to have helc
the line in Flanders in 1917, although
we suffered tactical reverses. thai
/ cost us prisoners and materials OF
war! If | mentioned in my report thai
the enemy had reached our artillery
INES, one could deduce the loss in
prisoners and guns Was that not
sutflcient? Did people wish to walow
in misery?
GH,Q. had allowed the enemy COM
munlques to be published, in reliance
on the lear-sghtedness of the Ger
man people. | had the impression
later that it was mistake. The en-
envy used his communicates for prop
uganda, and lowered our morale A
beiated order forbidding the publica-
uon of these reports seemed to mo
even more questionable. France knew
what she was doing when she forbade
the publishing of our communioucs.
aitnough ours We're never used for
propaganda
have mentioned that / had also
to consider the effect of our official
reports on our allies. This was i'm
portant in our case because our allies
helied entirely upon us.
one thing must be admitted, Wolff's
commentaries ON my reports, edited
IN Berlin and intended solely for the
neutrals, were not happily worded
There was good reasons for the tone
or these kilograms; but ! stopped
them, although too late, as soon as
realized the harm they did.
Admits Heavy Losses.
On the Woevre plateau the evacua-
tlon of the salient was carried through
though with heavy losses, and the
Michel position was occupied. The
fighting was dying down by the 18th.
tLudendorff's brief treatment of the
offensive and the remark
able feat of breaking off the st. Mihiel
salient is characteristics of his treat
ment of American feats IN the war
w men he does not belittle them he g-
hores them so far as possible. all the
While showing plainly how badly he
was upset by the coming OF the Amer
lean fighting menu
According to the reports that reach
ca me, the continuation of the offen-
slve against the Michel position lin
'front.' OF Metz seemed probable. After
ne END the situation changed in
'front.' of Won Gallwitz's army group.
Ihe likelihood of an offensive here
diminished and battle on both sides
IF the Argonne appeared imminent
Duke Albrecht's army groups sec
or, too Gin front of Nancy, was CON
ldered in danger. but that was based |
'ather on the conjectures Of my coll |
eagues than on reports. /, on the
,ther hand, chung to my opinion thatI
he development of the offensive be-
Ween Rheims and the Mouse was
more likely than an attack in T.or-
aine. /
Our troops had suffered severely;