New-York tribune., 1919-12-26
Hindenburg's Charge That
Defeat Came When Army
Was Stabbed in the Back
Brings Widespread Denial
Leaders Destroyed Morale
Instances of Champagne Or.
sies Before Nerdun and
Commanders Cowardice
Pv William c. Dreher

gEgLIN. Dec. 4.-The German Of
s,srs' corps is under sharper fire just
.ow than I remember to have seen at
,nr time since MY return to Berlin.
ne charge is made with growing fire.
,uency that many of the officers are
liking in the self-discipline and manly
,nslities that command the respect Of
.,e;r> men. I have myself talked with
German soldier, now publcist of
.,ue reputation. who complained of
rhs. he saw during the campaign
,rsinst verdun. During the terrible
.-htins there. he said. while the COM
iyes and enduring untold hardships,
.renches, not a few Of their officers
.oud be heard carousing at cham
,agne suppers till late into the nights.
md this had d most embittering effect
.pon the troops.
A book entitled From the Marne TO
the Marne,' written by q German of
Ter Of the plebeian name of Mueller.
sas recently brought out here.s While
re gorihes the military achievements
# the officers corps IN general. he does
10. hesitate to show that there were
rsny black sheep Whereupon Colonel
Bauer a protege OF Ludendorff, took
exception TO the book in a newspaper
article Bauer sees in the officers
:orps nothing but glorious guardians
Of all manly virtues But there. per-
nit NE the question: chimes in Muel-
sr-captain. major or colonel, | know
not which-'why then did not the Ger
nan officers corps weed out all those
oticers who during the war and since
showed themselves neglectful of duty
and without honor Is it not known
shat corruption affected wide circles
0i the officers corps during the war,
and how this corruption has since the
var assumed dimensions that should
avaken profound indignation ~
Flinched Under Bad Leaders
Mueller goes on 10 say that those
,roops who flnched before the enemy
lid so because their officers were
worthless men. The service on the
Ines Of communication was corrupt be-
cause part Of the communication Of
1cers were corrupt The troops whose
officers were faultless never fiinched
Does not, therefore, the blame for the
breakdown OF the army rest upon the
part OF the officers corps that was
guilty Of neglect of duty? That is the
ruth and it was upon this crying evil
mat laid NY finger"
another writer was quoting a dav
81 TWO ago a memorial prepared in
september. 1916, by Dr.. Hermann Kan
'orowlcz, professor of law at the Uni
v,ersity Of Freiburg, and presented by
aim TO the German Great Army Head
quarters. His subject was "The Hatred
Of the Oficer in the Germany ArmyS
At one place ne summarizes his con-
clusions thus: How comes it that
the German soldier turns against his
of1cer all the hatred. all the embitter-
ment that has accumulated in his heart
during this war. and will concede that
tue good officer is only an exception
to the general rule? Vengeance is the
only manly thought that still arises in
hls breast-vengeance when we are
once again a. home, II is necessary
10 look this fact fearlessly in the face.
II IS SO significant that, in comparison
With 1t, al the problems Of strategy
and tactics, Of home and foreign poll
Tics, sink into nothingness."
Socialist Victory Forecast
Professor Kantorowicz proceeded even
It that early day TO say that everybody
5ao knew the sentiments prevailing in
me army regarded d Socialist majority
IN Inc Reichstag as certainty. He fur
laer intlmated that this new Socialist
majority o. the nation would not be
AFRAID to use machine guns, even
against their former officers. He also.
described in detail various evils in the
army that called for immediate correc-
uon, Ike injustice in rationing, in pay,
10 the bestowal of decorations. and
.aoed; An army in such & disruptive
s sHte no longer has any prospects of
.letory, unless remedy is speedily
applied. But complete remedy is no
longer possible"
.;., ine man who dug up this old memo
.'si was Dr. Otto Lehman Russboldt,
"so TOOK part in the war as sanitary
vlacer. he has just drawn attention
70 ,ne mistaken view that the German
sv'u'erS were we'll cared for during the
war ana tnat feeling of comradeship
Prevailed between officers and men. on
tae contrary. he asserts, the relation
between the German officer and his men
.esemoIed that between a slave owner
az ssa MS Slaves. The officers made use
VI 'helr privileged position to rob the
""1 "'Iu OF their ratlons and leave them
Omly their barest necessaries." More
ossr, os ne asserts, corruption among the
SHcers and 'non-coms' bhghted the
nn. morale Of the German army; "and
luton s'''' 0A 'e'o-
Refutes Hindenburg Lie"
u; another witness is put on the stand
s7.s,ek s,1.s week by Maximilian Harden in his
rssIA .uIAunls.a man who rose to officers
is..o a.A on the East front. He writes a
H;n jHs;.er to Harden protesting against
con,moeinourg's utterance before the
tsa. ssvmmittee of inquiry into the war,
s-as uermany lost the war because the
hHy was stabbed in the back" He
nra DranAs It Infinitely important to sup
ness ,res thls lie." which rests upon "a
nsualgious misunderstanding of the
chronological conditions and inner con-
"'Stions that led to the breakdown"
mere Is his contribution toward that
shu: thoE "of revolutionary propaganda
mere sn was almost none at the front. and
ven on the lines of communication
NY ilttle was visible The mutiny in
november was able to assume such di-
msnsions only by reason of the in