The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-28
KAISER DIDN'T
WANT TO QUIT
Inside Story of Crash Of Ger
man Empire Now
Coming Out.
MAX URGED ABDICATION
Claimed Kaiser Wanted to
Remain Dutifully by
Post.

In ihoiNS oeoA va 49,
81 Germany's mighty military ma
NJ chine; of how the kaiser wanted
" to head a German army and
march into the fatherland to re-
\ store order while the balance of
the troops were opposing the al
lies on the western front, and OF
how the former emperor and
crown prince "abdicated' with
out knowing anything about it,
were all revealed in hitherto
hidden chapter of the war made
public here today.
The former kaiser then proposed
that he return to Germany heading
| an army to restore order at nome
in the meantime instructing Won
| Groener to prepare for the opera
| tions.
Told Plain Facts.
On the same night there was con-
1 ference of Hindenburg, Plessen and
1 Groener, at which the last-named
I officer told of the decentralization OF
n the army and the shortage Of sup
I plies and ammunition. The revolu-
/ tionaries had seized all of the rail-
| way functions blocking the Rhine'
/ which made it impossible to fight the
I enemy at home and the entente
y simultaneously, Won Groener pointed
\ out. Hindenburg, after listening to-
the facts, supported Won Groeners
views.
" On the morning of Nov. there
was another military council, at
which the ex-kaiser received all or
the before mentioned generals and a
number of others. Hindenburg pre-
sented his resignation as chief OF
staff, but the ex-kaiser rejected IT,
Proposed Armistice.
Plessen and Schulenburg proposed
an armistice, saying that only that
action could save Germany and the
imperial throne. Hindenburg and
Won Groener opposed an armistice'
but the ex-kaiser finally consented.
At the same time the ex-kaiser
abandoned hts Intention of making
war on the revolntionaries, declar-
ing that he would return under the
escort of the commanding generals
4 but never under troops that had
4 been disloyal to him. Towards the
A end of the conference the chancellery
of Berlin got headquarters on the
telephone, and the first official de-
mand for the abdication of the ex-
emperor and the ex-crown prince
was made.
Some of the pan-German news
napers print details of events, be-
ginning Nov. /, 1918. tending TO prove
4 that Prince Max, then chancellor, an
nounced prematurely the abdlcatlon
of the eX-kaiser and his flight into
Holland from Spa, then the seat or
. German government headquarters
The statements contained in the pam
German exposure are said to be
vouched for by Field Marshal Won
I Hindenburg, then German chief Of
staff: Gen. Won Plessen, aide de-
camp to the former emperor; Ad-
miral Won Hintz, former German II,
nancial secretary; Gen. Marschall
and Cen Schulenburg, all Of whom
were at the headquarters at the time
Max Urges AbdlcatIon.
According to one press report
which covers two pages OF news
paper, Prince Max sent the Prusslan
minister OF the interior from Berih
to Spa on Nov. l, to advise the war
lord that domestic developments were
serious and to propose his abdica-
tion. ,,,,x
" the presence of Hindenburg,
plessen and Gen. Won Groener, the
av-kaiser replied that "he was deter
mined to remain dutifully at his
post" .,nioo, pr,s
sian officer and one time food CON
troller of Germany, was sent 10 Ber-
lin to investigate.
On Nov. s Won Groener returned 10
Sna and reported that abdlcation was
Inevitable, although, as an othcer' ne
personally opposed the STEP
Crown Prince Appears.
rho crovn prince then appeared |
tron, the garden of the villa, where
Tho conference was being held' ms
tntber instructed him not to leave |
tbe army, but to lead his divisions |
home in safety
later thirty-nine generals arrived !
ot beadauarters to report on sehtl-
roent in the army, a majority OIL
+hen, EXPRESSING the opinion that IL /
,ras doubtful if the eX-kaiser would
Ne ahlo to suppress the uprising or
troons at home and to fight the nol-
sheyiks. all being tired and wantihg
an armistice'
AGAIN the Berlin chancellery got |
,rtn communication with headquar-
tors on the telephone. Prince Max
himself was on the wire, and he an
swered that it was imperative that
( abdication be an accomplished tact
"uitbin a few minutes" or every
thing would be lost.
Denies Authority.
Hindenburg contended that neither
tho chancellery nor the reichstag was
authorized to demand the abdicatlon |
~ William as king of Prussia. The
ox-kaiser then declared that he
would be willing to renounce the I'M
nerial throne onlY-that Is TO apdl-
cate as German emperor but not as
King of Prussia. Thereupon he trans
ferred supreme command of all but
tho Prussian troops to Htndenburg,
the war lord himself desiring TO re-
main at the head of the Prussian
army.
while composing the decree of alb
dicotion Admiral Won Hintz tele-
nhoned TO the Chancellery in Berlin,
getting Prince Max on the wire. The
nripce declared that the Wolff bu-
. r,au (the Official news agency of the
German governmen) had already
sent ou tthe announcement that
both the kaiser and the crown prince
Ind abdicated everything, including