El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-03-19

THE German army fought through the under three
chiefs Of staff Moltke, Falkenhayn and Luden-
dorff
surprised reader may declare that the third chief
Won Hndenburg Ludendorf, but not Won Hin
denburg the third chief, nonnay but he furnished
merely the driving power Ludendor planned the state
" distributed the forces and directed the action As
ouarermaser general Of the imperial amy he was the
chief Of staff Hindenburg had pushing power and
valuable cohesive The idol Of the German army and
Of the civilians also after his notable victory against Rus
sa he had the prestige which should 60 with successful
chief Of staff Hndenburg planned but one great piece OF
strategy the victory Of the Masurian lakes and to be
sure masterpiece He planned years before var
It the realization Of his big idea; it was the
battle Of his life
Moreover Ludendorff admits he was the chief Of
staff thus confirming the assertions Of military critics
many months before the ended Has he not published
explanation Of his campaign? And has he not IN that
explanation showed disposition to aib" himself out Of
public in Germany by roundIy scOlding Moltke
and FaIkenhayn for their alleged bunders?
The way Ludendor tells it. those two old fossils messed
things up that he could not possibly win He blames
everything Moitkes alleged defective strategy and
FaIkenhayn's alleged incompetence.
ParentheticaIy, this reminds one very much Of the
princes explanation of his failure to take Verdun
His ex-ruya highness said he was much averse to making
the assault but that dOddeng general staff, words
to that effect ordered him to 60 ahead and he had to
Anyway. we nov have twO-thirds Of the German high
commands excuse for having lost the When Won
Fakenhayn and MOltke write about Ludendorf the
remaining third wiz be made available.
Brief summaries Of the Ludendor statement cabled to
this country do not state IN what respect MOke
eor II may be that accused Of laundering in
having made the initial drive in 1914 through Belgium thus
dragging an exasperated Great Britain into the war It
could be argued that Germany could evOided that by
driving straight against the French front and reducing
Ferdun and Toul fortTesses with the mighty howtzer
which worked such havoc the big Belgian massifs Of
Lege and HamuL
That Is probably what Ludendorf Is driving at and in
the light OF subsequent events It reads well Won Moke
chief Of staff quite awhile before the
the general staff Of which be head that devised the
strategy which Germany used N opening the war.
there is this be said Molfke. /.
the best information the service able 70 OBJ
tain which TO the effect that Great Britain too
stuPeed with peace, too completely enthraed by pac
fists too fat and lazy to entertain the thought Of This
view corToborated BY Implication at least BY the
stateents Of many leading Engshmen who were deelaT
ING tnat England was done with warfare and entirely
eugrossed IN peaceful pursuits German could i'm
agzne that England would throw off its ethargy IN
ent and grasp the sword to defend little country like
with England counted ont therefore, the plan to strike
through Belgium was strategy Of high order. Here
Germany planned a short immense administering var
Time essential element. France was to be throtted
before French mobilization could be completed The Ger
mans were 70 have been IN Pans before France could
cover from the first shock Of surprise at being attacked
To 90 this impossible If frontal assaults were delivered
ar the strongest points Of defence France lad TouI and
through Belgium The German high command knew what
The big hoEzers would do to the Belgian forresses Il
planned 70 dash straight through the factories and
ZION and coal mines Of France IN the first few DAYS and
then strike straight for Paris.
IL was big plan and from 4 cold bIooded military
VIEWPOINT an excellent plan but It went wrong In the
rst place. Belgian resistance much sitter than was
expected and the march Of the German arv was DELAYED
merely Second an infaed Britain dashed headIong into
the war when Belgium invaded Belgian resistance al
lowed the British to get their Contemplate little arvS
INTO the field time assist the fast obiliziug French
and the two Of them fought brilliant retreat bac TO The
Name where they took desperate chance and started The
Gsrlans backward Won Moltke failed because he didn't
1ut his major strategy, considering the information
ne mad was beyond repr0ach to anyone but Iudea5off
seeking an abb Moltke having failed he was ousted
promptly and replaced BY Falkenhayn
Won Falkennaynt strategy also good but
m vas created with devising the system whereby Ger