New-York tribune., 1920-02-01

CIc nave JOSt IA
this country under the title
of "Ludendorf's Own Story" Will
remain war document of high
value. 1t is the personal narrative
of one of the foremost actors in the
great war drama. Ludendorff was
Gernany's most conspicuous mill
tary leader. He exercised control Of
military operations on large scale
from the Battle of Tannenberg, in
August, 1914, until within sixteen
days of the signing Of the arr,is.ice
IN November, 1918.
In continuity of command he out
ranked al the other war chiefs,
either Teuton OF Enterte--Jofre
Cadorna, French, Eais, Foch, NJ
velle, Diaz, Pershing, Ho.tzendorff,
Ar, The Grand Duke Nicholas
Foch was Allied Generalissimo for
only seven months. IuHendorff was
ae che head OF the armies OF the
Quadrrpla Alliance for more thar
two years. Hindenburg is not taken
into account III these comparisons,
because, az will be shown later, Hin
denbu1g was only . convenient altt.
ego for Ludendorff
Moreover, after August, 1916
LudendorF became almost d dictator
lii Germany, Ills will was exerted
in the political and diplomatic fields
as well as IN the field Of military
operations. The three spheres over
Tapped He therefore assumed bur
Gems which in the Entante countries
we're borne by the political leaders
Germany--uniortVnatcly for her,
fortunately for the rest of the world
never produced a strong man IL
nolitics Fl as Clemencaau or Lloyd
George. lroblerns whica the Kaise
ari his advsers shou.~ na7'e solveG,
out who they were incorc petcnt to
solve, returned again nd again to
plague the overburdenaj quarter
master general.
Wia}a Heart F.aN & Venom
Ludcndorf wrote his book in the
shadow OF deieat and humiliation
He had been oustot. from his cicta-
torship before the German armies
gave up the fight. r heart was
ful| IF venom. lie felo called on t.
defend himself and to refute his
domestic enemies. What he gives us
is an apologize, pure and simple. 1t
IS, III the main, q special plea at the
bar of history an attempt to cover
over his own responsibility for Ger
lnany's failure. What he says m st,
therefore, be taken always with a
ilLeral allowance for his intense de-
sire to Justify himself by accusing
others In much Of his comment on
the military situation he is frank.
But he puts all frankness aside when
he accuses the German civil govern
ment and the German people of los
ing q war which he himself lost by q
specific error Of military judgment
Germany lost the war when she
resumed unrestricted U-boat war-
fare in February, 1917, thus forcing
the United States to join the En-
tente. Ludendorff consented to that
fatal step, and defended it, when it
was within his power to veto it. His
whole book is artfully constructed so
as to gloss over the consequences OF
the crucial blunder of inviting war
with America ard to focus attention
on the alleged failures of the govern
ment and the public to support him
when the submarine campaign went
bankrupt and he had to face the
American reinforcement
Relations With Hiudenbura
Outside Germany the peculiar ml-
p itary partnership of Hinaenburg and
4.adendortY has caused much mystiti-
cation. Why did Hindenburg retain
t;tular seniority, become the popular
German war divinity, rise to unique
fame through Ludendortf's success