The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-04-29
REPLY TO
 GERMANS SHORT
First Hun Appeal Met With Laconic Answer From
 General.

tiaries, according to Raymond Re- cou1y (Captain X), French bio grapher of Foch and Joffre, in an ar ticle entitled What Foch Really Said" which will be published in the May issue of Seribner's Magazine out today.
 Captain Recouly, describing the historic scene of the morning of Nov. II, when the generalissimo of the Allied forces, attended by a few mem bers of his staff, signed the document in a railway dining car in a forest near Rethonde, a town between Com peigne and Soissons. declared "the sight of butter seemed to fill the Ger man envoys with joy.''
 The radio from the Germans ask ing for "a cessation of hostilfties in the name of Humanity" was received by Foch shortly after midnight on the 7th and at 1:25 a. m- on the Sth Foch sent back his answer: t"The German plenipotentiaries will have to go to the outpost on the main road from Maubeuge-la = Cape1le Guise." i From this point they were brought 1 by delayed stages to Rethonde, which 1 they reached about o'clock in the morning. Two hours later they were l in the presence of the commander of 1 the conQuering Allied armies.
 There was a cold salute,' says Captain Recou1y, "a bow in return; no presentations. The Germans took their places at the table in the dining i car, where their names were written, and remained standing. The officers seemed embarrassed and upset. Not | so the civilians who did not seem to care at all. They talked fami1iar1y together; it was impossible to believe l that their country's fate was hanging in the balance, and they were there to sigh the most kolossar capituIa- 1 ton the world had ever seen.'' Foch's piercing eyes, gruff voice
 and curt manner were impressive.
 ITO whom have the honor of speak
 ing?" he asked. The Germans re-
 piled. What is the object of your
 visit?' he asked. Then followed this
 dialogue:
 'tErzberger: We have come to in-
 Quire into the terms of an armistice.
 to be concluded on land. on sea and in the air.
 "Foch: I have no terms to submit
 to you"
 Count Oberndorf, the dipfomatist in
 the German party, interceded: ''It
 the Marshal prefers, we may say that we are here to learn the conditions on which the Allies would be willing
 to grant us an armistice.'
 ''Foch: I have no terms.'
 Erznerger, drawing forth a greasy
 paper: President Wilson has in
 formed our government that Marsha
 F'och has been invested with the . power of submitting the Allies condi
 tions to the German plenipotentiar
 ies.'
 . 'F'ocf1: Iwin let you know the Allies : conditions when you have asked fol an armistice. Do you ask for al ' armistice ?''
 "Ja!" exclaimed Oberndorf ant ErZberger together.
 | ''F'och: In that case will read yo, the terms drawn up by the Allie,
 governments.' He sat down and tn
 reading began. It lasted an hour, fo = the document had to be translated : The Germans pleading for an i'm
 mediate suspension of hostilities an u for time to permit the Berlin govern a ment to examine the terms. Agai . F7och spoke:
 T am but the mouthpiece of tn l. Allied governments. It is those gov IL ernments that have drawn up tn = conditions of the armistice lfmitin the delay to 72 hours duration.
 have, therefore, no power to suspen hostilities without their authoriza y tion.'
 e The Germans at once dispatched IL messenger to Spa, with credential and the request that his journey b
 facilitated" When the m essenge It reached the German outposts, it , related, the troops were so demor 't alized that they fired upon his whit o flag. Promiscuous vo1Iey firing con IS tinued and the emissary was unabI fn eaI, 1fe IJ1 II day. Meanwhile the German envoy
 had notified Foch of their difficult - and Foch agreed to permit them t
 send a German officer to Berlin b
 air. A plane was equipped and read
 for the flight when word was re
 ceived that the messenger had reach - ed Berlin.
 Captain Recou1y declares the arm
 istice was signed because Foch an at his staff was convinced Germany wa IT already in the throes of a revolution d, The armisice envoys painted ''blac is picture of conditions. While tn Ln German government was analyZin il. the terms the plenipotentiarfes re z, mained near Foch in the forest { O, Rethonde. They were permitted | lg leave their train and, guarded b Is armed soldiers, exercised in the ope 'h air. On the afternoon of the 10t y II OCn 1nIOrmeo ErZDerSeT, IIlS hedu ( he the delegation, that hostilities woul es be resumed at Il A. M. the next da, ez At o'clock on the night of Noven D. Der 10th the following radio messas nl was intercepted by the French: Is German Government to Germa Il. plenipotentiaries: The plenipoter
 tiaries are authorized to sign th
 armistice. (Signed) The Chance 6. Tor of the Empire" Three ciphere
 figures at the end of the messas ts proved its authenticity. More tha 10 twelve hours of deliberation and d. is bate over the harsh terms fol1owe ay Foch granted some concessions an ar refused the others.
 ve Subsequently the wearied FTencI f. English and Germans appended the st signatures to the document, and, Iy, pre- arrangement, six hours aft u- the signing, or II A. M, of the morl as ing of the 11th, operations ceasc al1 along all the fronts. Four years es warfare which had cost more thd