The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-04-14


shutting a new state tribunal by
which Gen. Ludendorff is to be tried.
1t will consist epaally of members OF
tn Leipsig supreme court, OF the
council of state and the national as
sembly of reichstag. The indictment
will lie on the preliminary findings OF
a special committee of the legislature.
Theodore Wolff, editor of the Ber-
lin Tageblatt, discusses the question
raised by the Ludendorff tribunal in
an outspoken article. He regards
Ludendorff's appeal for trial and the
governments agreement to the de-
mand as an invasion Of the real issues
Germany faces, for he doubts the
competence of the court to try the
issues.
"The charges brought against Lu-
dendorff by his accusers," says Wolff,
IDEAL with such matters as policy,
strategy, the effects of an over-ween-
ing will, gamblers choice in military
policy, truthfulness or the reverse,
and these are not justifable matters"
Each May Accuse Other.
There will be interesting debates.
Ludendorff and Bethmann-Hollweg
will be brought face to face. Each
will try to throw on the other the
blame for the mistake made. In re-
gard to the last act of the drama
Herr Wolff thinks Ludendorff may
not come out very well, as light will
be thrown on the military authority
which allowed the German nation to
believe the enemy was shattered
Marshal Foch's reserve used up, the
tanks a swindle and the Americans a
bluff"
But all this is waste of energy
"If the tribunal is to be of any ser
vice to the German people, it must
not concern itself with Lndendorf' s
case or any other individual case OF
political puarrels."
Germany has soon to appear Yer,
sailles, and will find herself in an at
mosphere of more than suspicion.
Her delegates will be faced with 9
long list of charges for which Ger
many is held responsible.
Raised Pertinent Questions.
"Why," asks Herr Wolff, sin thu
name of all that is holy, wait unit
the bill is presented? Why have We
not long ago taken cognizance of the
charges, subjected them to a mos
careful inquiry and prepared mate
rails for defense or visited those gull
ty with the severest punishment"
He gives pertinent examples. s.
long ago as 1915 it was known tina
entente newspapers had published 1
German divisional orded issued il
connection with the German retreat
which was a deliberate Indictment t,
destruction of French civilians.
Wolff thought it useful to direc
the attention of the military authori
ties to these and after many weeks re
ceive reply that the author of tn
order was i'll in a sanitarium. Sill
lar inquiries in other cases producte'
similar results, "but these culprits o
accused persons cannot all be still il
hospitals. Some of them are YER
plainly not in the hospitals, but il
full political activity"
Should Investigate Outrages.
The court of justice, Wolff thinks
should examine such cases. 1t Shout
inquire into cases in which on tn
pretext of shot having been fire.
from a house, numbers of civilian
were shot. 1t should interest itsel
in those officers who sent home t
their lady friends the lingerie o.
French and Belgian women.
should inquire as to which leaders o
German heavy industries procured
the forced services of Belgian work
ers, these workmen including trades
men, doctors and students. 1t shout
ascertain who was responsible for tn
destruction of fruit trees on tn
Somme. Who connived at or inst
gated attempts while America wa
still neutral to blow up America
railways and manufacturers and VIII
ordered the sinking Of the Lusitanis
Wolff insists the Germans themsel
yes have right to know these things
and if inquiry were made and tn
guilty persons punished, German
would be in a much stronger pos
ton in her efforts to secure tolerabl
peace terms.