The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-09-04
WORSHIP OF MILITARISM; SC0RN
T FOR U.S., SHOWN BY LuDEND0RFF

II tnat were possible before the Amer
leans arrived in strength. Every posi-
BILE man was thrown into the battle,
and he called for more from home.
He has scorn even for the troops
that engaged in this last desperate
gamble. They were not the legions of
1914. These, with not a word of pity
for their sacrifice, but only regret that
he had them no longer to use were
gone. He had only a sort of militia,
| and among these were "shrim- shank
ers" and shirkers. Yet, with his gas
and an immense amount of guns and
materials that he had taken in the
Russian dissolution, he hoped to force
England and France to sue for peace
because Of their frightful losses.
In the end he leaves no doubt that
his army was beaten. His picture Of
its dissolution is more graphic and de-
tailed than any that has appeared.
German Morale Shattered.
Men fed the front almost in divis
ions. Officers could not enforce disci-
pine. Often officers and their serv-
ants had to hold vital points to pre-
vent disaster. Ludondorff regretted
that the severe punishment" tying
men up at fixed places for long per
iods, was forbidden by the Berlin au-
| thorities, because of protest at home.
Conditions were such, near the end
! Of September 1918, that even he was
! showing almost panic haste to induce
the Government to inaugurate meas
ures for peace before it was too late.
! Not even "a hours must be lost in
! sending word to President Wilson
! that his principles, as interpreted in
Germany, would be accepted. Days
spent in settling the German Cabinet
ryici nd wi a vi m q \
| Of Baden in as Chancellor, had him
! boiling with Impotence.
/ Yet, when the President conveyed
the answer that Germany must be
made harmless and must make resti-
| tuition, he was as ready as before to
go on with the bloodshed if the coun-
| try and army could be whipped into
il. An estimate Of the Minister of
War that 100000 more men could be
| furnished to fill his depleted ranks
made him desire to stand at the line
he had prepared in front of the Rhine
and try to beat off an allied attack
| from the East.
Despair Brings Defeat.
] Only the hopelessness of this pro-
posal, in the knowledge Of conditions
at home and in the army finally made
| him give in.
VI lollt vi Tic IutUIcsSASSo vi tllN
army has he any regrets. Now and
then he pauses to dilate on the ruin
brought to Belgium, France and Pol
and, but to him these were the necessl-
ties of the war he Waged, or to be
blamed on the conquered races. In
fact, to his own mind, he was humane,
particularly in Poland although it was
necessary to strip that country of all
things the Germans could use, and
leave it's citizens to economic and
bodily starvation.
Roumania escaped too lightly, as its
King was not edthroned its divisions
were allowed to keep their arms and
Moldavia was not overrun. Bomb
dripping on London, Paris and else
where is dismissed lightly. 1t was in
tended to bring desire for peace to
the residents of enemy countries.
A remarkable feature is the scant
notice he gives to America. Although
he shows plainly all the time that the
United States, and what she could do, !
figured largely in his calculations, he
pays as little attention as possible to
its achievements, and takes an atti- |
tude of scOrn for the deeds of our
soldiers.
General Ignores Doughboys.
Although the portions of two Amer |
lean divisions at Chateau-Thierry in !
May and June. 1918, defeated at least
six German divisions, he merely refers
to attacks on his thin line His Ar
come defeats he lays to huge number
of Americans who did not fight so
we'll but were able to overcome weak
and weary divisions.'
To those who criticize him in Ger
many because he brought America
I'M nv tho decision for ruth |
less U-boat war he retorts that Amer
lea would have come into the war any
way when the tide was running suf-
flciently strong against the allies.
The great flow of American troops
to Germany" he declares, would have
been disastrous to us had the war
lasted longer, because we would not
have met such a force properly
Of great interest are his revelations
Of internal conditions in Germany, and
the times that she almost was at the
limit of her resources and in grave
danger of complete military defeat. |
He also gives pictures of the struggles
between various German leaders and
their allies over policies, with the la
ment that Lloyd George and Clemen-
ceau wer able to obtain more unity
from their democracies.
Oue vi lue lso9t eISdSlllS VI lHeoc
chapters deals With the decision for
ruthless U-bOat war.
Although Hindenburg and he desir-
ed it, if the promises of the naval
chiefs could be carried out, they did
not desire to assume the responsibility
before the public. Lonk weeks were
spent in the endeavor to shift the re-
sponsibility to Bethmann-Hollweg and
in his efforts to shift it to them. In
the end they were pinned to a recon-
mendation that the weapon be used.
Aside from these psychological and
political revelations, Ludendorff's
chapters on battles he fought are Of
the highest interest. Herein he de-
clares fatty that it was not linden
hurc the manufa ctured idol of the |