The Washington times., 1919-05-26
j. S. TURNED
VICTORY INTO
DEFEAT, SAYS
LUDENDORFF

1hOA lIdNlh6 OplulOu very Captivity W
me, says Cyril Brown in a copy
righted dispatch to the New York
World.
France and England would have
been beaten in 1918 but for Amer
ica," said Ludendorff.
General Ludendorff's keen, logical
analysis led to the laconic statement
that America proved to be the de-
Gliding military factor in the war.
The American reserves swung the
decision. They alone made it pos
sible to pull the WORKOUT French
and British divisions out of the line
and to reorganize ever-fresh often
sive armies"
Sore Spot to Him.
The loss of the war was a sensitive
IL sore subject about which to ques-
ton Ludendorff The correspondent
had to be quick about it-like per-
forming a surgical operation without
an anesthetic. But LudendOrf stood
the brief probe gamely, not culver
betrayinE emotion. His attitude
up and talk OF the past with stole dig
nifty. as becomes an old soldier.
l gathered the distinct impression
that Ludendorff has no special love
for America or Americans, but, on the
other hand, is honest enough not to
affect a fake pan-Americanism, pre-
ferring to regard America as
worthy foe unfortunately encountered
on the battlefield.
Il have no reason for wanting to
fatter Americans he said to me,
and neither have ] any reason for
Withholding my just verdict Of hate
either"
Bitter as the realization may be to
him personally. he sees that Ger
many's sole salvation perhaps lies in
regaining the friendship and in not
encouraging the enmity OF America
1t is my wish that the two coun-
tries may find each other again."
Ludendorff said.
- 1t is understood that he deals eX-
haustively with Americas part in the
war in his forthcoming book, but his
book, too, is a sorely sensitive sub
ject. Said he, in response TO ques-
tons:
II won't say a word about my book.
don't want it to appear that I am
trying to advertise it"
YankE Good But UBtraIRed.
or the American army he said
briefly:
The soldiers were good. Their
training, however, was not up to world
war standards"
What Ludendorff considered short
comings OF training due TO q short
time in which the Americans had to
train. really made no difference, how
ever. They were trained quite enough
to win the war because they arrived
in time and in sufficient numbers.
Ludendorff does not hold that the war
was won and lost at the Marine, and
his view OF the second battle OF the
Marne will come as a surprise to most
American readers. He said:
Fighting in the Marne salient was
in the nature Of purely local engage
ments"
He regards the Argonne-Meuse Of
fensive as the American army's great
est performance in actual fighting.
The Argonne-Meuse offensive was
very uncomfortable TO me-" he said to
me with slight smile.
August Marked End
I said I have never understood just
Why the German specialists keep
'harping on August as the decisive
day on which the war was lost, or &C
cording to another popular version,
the day on which the German highest
leadership gave up the war for lost, or
no longer possible to win.
"Foch is OF the same opinion I am
was Ludendorff's reply. August
was the first day Of the Franco-British
offensive at Amiens. Nothing much
happened on the day. Copcretely, the
break through the line was not very
wide nor extraordinarily deep"
Then Ludendorf, in one Illuminating
fash. explained why August was the
decisive day for him, although moth
ing much happened.
1T was the case with which the
enemy broke through our line on that
day" be said.
L,udendorG didn't say so in so many
words. but / gathered that August s
brought the revelation that the
1ghtinE value % Germany's frst-line
trops. their morale. had sunk so low
that LudendoTf knew by intuition
they could not hold longer against at
tacks which normally would have
been relatively easy TO smear.
IntuItiveIy FOresaw Result.
I.udendorf said he could not sin
against the fatherland by discussing
me depreciation Of the front-line
troops with an American. He did
say:
From the ease with which the front
line was preached on August s my in
tuition as a soldier told me that the
enemy would keep up the attacks in
ressantly. uninterruptedly. day after
day from then on
Military intuition. therefore. had
fold Iudendorff that August was
the beginning OF the end. He is con-
cent to leave his military stature to
The verdict OF history. His last
words to me were:
Il did what I did for what I be-
Iieved were the highest and best in
terests Of my fatherland."
Ludendorff loves the simple. retired
life Of q pensioned officer. He is at
home every evening, spending much
of his time at his desk writing. He
occupies the apartment OF friends on
me first floor in Victoria strasse OF
rbe Tiergarten, and said that he made
the transition from the highest mill
tary leadership to civilian life very
easily. He does not expect TO visit
America
PRINCE CORSTNI OF ITALY DIES.
FLORENCE, Italy. May 26.-Sena-
tor Prince Tomasse Corsini lie dead
Al his estate near -orbetella- Of bron-