The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1919-03-27
Copyright, ms. by the Mcclure Newspaper syndlcateJ

iorfhntiOn ne REFERRED 10. In nearly
every case, II appeared, the kaiser's In
formnnts were misleading him.
Both before and after we entered
the war the kaiser was thoroughly con-
vinced that we could play only n nom-
lnal part In II so far as man power
u concerned and his assurance on
that point undoubtedly accounted for
his decision TO carry through his sub
marine program even though 1t re-
suited In bringing ~ into the war.
"Do you realize how many tons OF
shipping 1t takes to ship & single sol
dicri" he asked me on one occasion.
| confessed my ignorance on that
point.
swell, II takes six tons to the man |!
To send owe an army of 100000 men,
therefore, your country would require
100000 tons Of shipping In addition
to the tonnage required for regular
traffic. Where Is It coming from, with
my submarines sinking the allied YES
sells faster than they can eve be re-
placed? My U-boats are doing won
derful work and we are prepared to
take care OF all the troops America
may try to land In France"
"IIow foolish for America to have
cone into the war;" he went on. "If
she could succeed In landing n real
army In France. what good would II
do? America car see how easy It was
for me to break through and to cap
ture 100000 of the Italians, and they
must realize that l can break through
On the western front and do the same
thing there. II America had kept out
Of the war she would have gone on
making untold profits and when peace
was finally declared she would have
been In q most enviablc position
among the nations of the world. AS II
is, Wilson will nevcr have n seat at
the peace table II / can help 1t, and
now America shall have to pny nll the
costs OF the war;" Evidently he imag-
incd that his triumph would be so
complete that there would be no peace
table, but that the warning nations
would be compelled to accept the
terms he offered them, In which event,
knowing the magnaniinity of the Ger
man makeup, l should say the world
ut large would have to be content with
very little.
How the kaiser feels now that the
failure of the U-bOats to intercept
American troop ships must be pain.
fully apparent to him, and America
has so overwhelmingly overcome the
shortage of shipping, / don't know, but
ii Is more than probable that for some
time to coine the real situation Will, at
any rate. be successfully concealed
from the German people. I know that
the failure of the U-boat campaign was
unknown TO the Germans up to the
time | left Berlln-in January, 1918.
While the kaiser and the Germans
generally felt confident that we would
never be able to send many men
across, they professed to feel little
concern even II we did.
According TO some OF the German Of
ficers with whom l spoke, even IL We
landed 100000 men In France II
would not be enough to break the
deadlock, as the Germans We're taking
n similar number Of trained troops
from the Russian front. The only
menace of American participation IN
the war lay In the possibility that We
might add considerably TO the allied
air strength. Man power alone, they
contcndcd, would neve; be sufficient tt
help the allies much, but overwhelminl
| superiority In the air might occasion
the GcrmaEs some annoyance.
The kaiser himself had but n pool
| opinion of the fighting qualities Of tho
American soldier so far as modern wal
requirements are concerned.
The American soldier would pos
sibly give n good account OF himself
in open fighting" he declared, but h
Is not built for the kind of warfare h
will encounter In France. lie lacks
the stolidlty to endure lie in III,
trenches. lie Is too high-strung nnC
couldn't stand the inactive life whicl
Is such an important part of modern
warfare. Besides, he lacks discIplin,
and trained officers"