New-York tribune., 1919-08-31
Official Records of Last
Days of War Show He.
Was Guiding Genius of
Mailed Fist to the End
He Is Condemned =
In 'SWhite Book
Stood Out for Strong
Domestic Discipline;
Backed by the Kaiser


months of the Great War, when
the Kaiser's vanquished armies were
retredting before Foch, are given IN,
the last White Book, published July
81, copies Of which hare Just been
received IN this country. The book
contains all documents relating to
the peace negotiations between Au-
gust IS and November II last. FOL-
loWing is digest of the volume's
salient points:
By Eugene S. Bagger
Whatever the other merits of the
White Book are one definite result
1t certainly achieves: it winds up the
evidence in the case of Ludendorff. As
to his role in the last months of the
world struggle not much will remain
to be said hereafter. And the most
striking feature of the material pre-
sented here from the most authentic
source, the archives of the German
Foreign Office and the imperial chan
celery, is not its novelty, but the sup
port it gives to the prevalent concep-
tion of the former German quarter
master generals character.
Public opinion the world over rated
him-for reasons roofing in popular
instinct as much as in available proof
as the evil spirit of Germany, the
real directing genius of that tremen-
dous machine of slaughter and selfish
ness and bigotry called Prussian mill
tarism. That popular judgment did
not err in this respect is the testimony
submitted to the world by the German
government itself.
Contains Official Data
The volume contains in its 1856 pages
10 documents, starting with the min
utes of q meeting at General Head
quarters on August IA, 1918, and wind
ing up with a telegram dated November
II from Admiral Won Hintze to the
Foreign Office, announcing the going
into effect of the armistice. The ma
terial includes minutes and protocols
OF meetings at headquarters and Of the
Ministry, confidential tclegrams and
conversations, memoranda, ETC., as we'll
as the text of notes Of the German
government transmitted to the enemy.
Ludendorff Is the dominant figure
Of the. meeting held at General Head
quarters on August IA, 1918, the min
utes of which form the first document.
Present also at the meeting were the
Kaiser, Crown Prince and Won Hinden-
burg, the Imperial Chancellor, Won
Hertling, Foreign Secretary Solf, Cen
eral Adjutant Won Plessen and two
other officials.
Chancellor Won Hertling-as the
document puts it in syllabus form
"expounded the domestic situation
general warweariness food INSULT
clency-clothing shortage even worse"
The Chancellor mentioned the ques-
tion of suffrage reform in Prussia as
the most menacing element of the
political situation.
Ludendorff for Iron Hand
General Ludcndorff took the floor to
offer remedies. We must have "a
stronger domestic discipline" he said,
sources with renewed energy" and
this is evidently to stimulate the
punishment of Prince Lichnowsky."
The Foreign Secretary arose and
painted the situation abroad in the
darkest colors. "The encmy's confidence in
victory is more elevated than ever" he
said. DR.. Solf explained this confidence
was partly due to successes on the
Western front, but more to the growing
conviction that the Entente, with it's
inexhaustible resources of all kinds
would in the end inevitably smash the
Central Powers
The attitude of the neutrals, par
ticularly Spain, with her protests
against the U-boat warfare, DR.. Solf
said, showed that they also were be-
ginning to feel that the Centra!
Powers were doomed. He ad
mitted that Germany's allies Aus
trla- Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey
were on the verge of collapse
Very cautiously the Secretary ap-
preached the subject of negotiations.
After the Crown Prince had urged the
Strengthening of the domestic front"
the Kaiser arose and declared he would
order the generals and officials "to
maintain better order at home" AS to
man power, he added: "There are still
bunch of young men running around
in Berlin at large" He urged that "an
opportune moment be awaited to at
tempt reaching an understanding with
the enemy"
Hoped for a Success
Chancellor Hertling suggested that
this opportune moment would be i'm
mediatcly after the first success on the
Western front. He was followed by
Won Hindenburg. The entry in the
minutes reads:
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg de-
clares that it will be feasible to remain
on French soil and thereby to enforce,
in the end, our will on the enemy"
The White Book appends this foot
note:
This statement by the field marshal
ran in the minutes originally: Gener-
al Won Hindenburg hopes that it
may, in spite of all, be feasible etc.
The change into the more definite form,
declares that it will be feasible was
written, as the handwriting and pencil
used testify, by General Ludendortf' 8
hand"
Ludendorff's name as plunger is
borne out in the White Book. The
epithet "hasardeur," hurled at him by
Schcidemann and debated with vehe-
mence for weeks on the floor of the
Assembly at Weimar, finds support in
words out of the generals own mouth.
A telegram sent by Councillor Gruenau