Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-06

General Ludendorffs book on the war
ia dedicated "To the Heroes Who Fell Be-
heyiny in Germany's Greatness" 1t Is
not n revelation: II is q corroboration.
II is more valuable as a psychological
document than as volume revealing
the secrets of German military tactics
during the late war. II any man ever
deserves respect for the virtue OF con-
s;stence-which is. after all, n doubt
ful Observation-Disclosures deserves that
resnect of the world He is a typical
example of the thoroughly trained Prus-
sian officer, with only one idea, the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of his country through
an inf1exible and centralized system OF
irnperial government, which IN ITS es-
.snce must be military. He holds that
there is a great German TRINITY, one
and indivisible-the army, the navy ana
the people-and by a strange mvsticai,
hvpostatic union the emperor must De
the permeating spirit OF thus TRINITY. :,
The war has in no wise changed either
I,,dendorff's ideas or his ideals; and ne
.t;ll looks forward with some hope to
time when the German people will reaiize
that their only salvation is TO return TO
the old order of things. Stability OF gov
ernment. Capitalization of power, thorough
union in the faith that Germany must be
over all. are still the ruling desires IN very
larce class in Germany of which Ludendorh
Is q tvnicaI example This book must be
rlo.ely read and carefully weighed In
orjer 10 piece together the numerous
details with which it is filed. As guide
20 the difference between the foreign
Office and military authorities, between
the diplomatists and the admiralty, 1t
will have great value to the future his
torian: in fact, IL is the very best contribu-
tion 10 the German history Of the war
vet made, or likely to be made.
NOT A MARTYR.
The sincerity of Ludendorff is evident;
hc does not pose as a martyr TO the
weak" and liberal ideas which, he
saws, his opponents frequently stood for;
he does not admit for a moment that the
German military policy Is wrong, OF that
there were really any flaws IN the plan
and methods laid down by him and Won
Uindpnburp and the whole military
caste. So far as one can see, or read
netween the lines, he has not moment
os conjunction for any breach OF faith,
for the ruthless submarine war or Tor
any Of those criminal operations under
taken hv Germany under the name OF
Justice and peace. In fact, none OF the
Germans OF his period seem to beiieve
more than he In the direct inspiration
Of Prussian Holy Ghost.
Cromwell was never more self-right-
aous or Napoleon more determined TO PC
ieve that might was right. In the
mids. of great movements he did not
forget the needs of the good German
stomach. He does not love the chan
celIor. Prince Max, who appears SIS
malign and liberalizing influence toward
the end of the second volume, but he
oCrees with him that the ordinary fleld
cooking was not suitable TO gentlemen.
His point of view of conquered terri
tory is less liberal than that oi any of
The old Roman generals. HIS analysis
of the Polish situation. in the first vol
rrne. is typical. The legal system In
Poland. adopted by the conquerors, was,
he says:
In accordance with The Hague Con-
vention-this required IN the matters
NJ private litigation that the local popu-
la;ion should have the benefits OF It's own
laws. Our first business, however, was TO
find out what the law really WAS. This
was no easy matter, owing to the con-
fusion of the Russian system. confusion
which had existed in this region even be-
fore the war. When we ound out what
tha law was. it had to be translated into
German TO enable the German Judges
10 give Judgment accordingly. / firm
~ believe that only the Germans would
have taken so much trouble In con-
n,lered country In spite Of that,
enemy propaganda announced US as
Huns TO the world at large success
fully that we were helpless against IT.
President Kratzenberg did excellent work
in his quiet, clear-headed WAY. The Ger
man Judge administered foreign Laws to
the poor. vernin-infested villages OF
Lithuania in the same spirit of justice and
irnpartialitv that would have been shown
in Berlin. Who could emulate this?
The bewildered Lithuanlans. bending
under the laws, as interpreted by Ber-
Iinese, represent an exquisite picture
of Prussian self-detamination. Major
Altman, inspector of schools In the
Prussian ministry of education. drew up
schedule for the benefit of the un-
happy Lithuanians and Poles. de did
not like the Polish schoolbooks- They
dared TO blaspheme the sacredness of
Prussian imperial authority. He was
shocked by the national spirit inter-
preted for the Polish youth IN these text !
books.
Danzig, Gnesen, Posen and Wins were |
Polish towns. This fact impressed me |
deeply, as the systematic manner In which |
France had educated her youth In the idea |
of revanche made deep impression upon |
me. The Poles and the French have by |
these means kept alive a strong national !
feeling. which stands them in good stead |
now The text books and the whole sys- |
TEN OF education In Poland must be /
changed .
and members of the Landsturrn who
spoke only German were put into the |
schools 60 teach the young Lithuanlans |
and Poles how superior German kultur |
was to the nefarious system into which |
their ancestors patriotism was induct- |
ing them. General Ludendorif pats
himself on the back when he says that /
nobody was expected to change his re- /
ligion The good Germans, although /
they were called Huns, did not demand /
this They found the Jews excellent /
niddlemen when it CAM to the ques-
ion of agriculture and other supplies
Indeed, W went so far In our tolera-
ion as to give the Jews wheat and -four
Ior unleavened bread"
AGAINST POLISH CLERGY.
The Polish clergy, he says, were the
pillars of the Polish national propa-
zanda. He cannot understand why they
ire allowed, even under the Russian
10 tbair tha h1st-