The Washington herald., 1920-07-19
"Inside Story" of the Armistice Shows
Peace Treaty Signed to SaUe Lives -
of Countless Soldiers of the Allies

moral greatness. You asked him
! this question, Will you tell US.
Marshal. solely from military
point Of view and apart from any
other consideration. whether you
would prefer the Germans to reject
or sign the armistice as outlined
here?'
Marshal Foch's answer was:
Fighting means struggling for GER
tain results (on ne fait la guerre que
pour ses resultats); If the Germans
now sign an armistice under the
general conditions We have just de-
termined, those results are in our
possession. This being achieved, no
man has the right 10 cause another
drop of blood to be shed
Another day when details of the
draft were being discussed at the
Quai d'Orsay. Marshal Foch object
ed to the insertion of a clause which
was strongly supported by the naval
advisers OF the allied governments
and by which the Germans would
have been compelled to surrender
Immediately and Internationally.
some of the battleships which were
afterwards interned at Scapa Flow.
His arguments were these:
What il the Germans, after sub
mitting TO such severe conditions,
will not accept this further humilia-
ton? For the mere pleasure of re-
ceiving at once a few more of those
warships which during the whole
! war hardly ever Ventured out of the
harbor. will you risk the renewal of
| hostilities on land and the useless
sacrifice of many thousands of
I lives?'
One of the prime ministers, ]
| think il was Mr.. Lloyd George,
: asked him what would happen If the
/ Germans refused to sign and how
long it would take to drive them
back across the Rhine. He answered,
! opening both arms, a familiar ges-
ture with him. Maybe four or five
| months. who knows?
Never Alluded to Final Blow.
He never alluded to a final blow
in the next few days when. he
brought from Versailles his draft of
the military terms of the armistice
convention. He simply said this:
The terms your military advisers
are agreed upon are those we should
he in a position to enforce after the
success of our next operation There
were discussions. Of course, about
the details OF the convention, but
there seemed to be perfect agree
ment between the allied govern
ments and between the soldiers and
statesmen as to the desirability of
concluding the armistice, provided
of course. that Germany accepted tile
conditions laid down, which amount
ed to little less than capitulation.
Neither the soldiers nor states
men knew then all we have learned
since about the condition OF Ger
many and of the German army. Our
losses, which were so great at the end
of four years of hostilities, had be-
come particularly heavy during the
weeks of intense and continuous
fighting that marked the last stage
of the war. Apart from purely mill
tary considerations, there was in the
minds of the statesmen strong
feeling that the populations, after
showing themselves ready to accept
every sacrifice for just cause,
would never forgive their leaders IL
they thought the lighting had been
prolonged beyond the limits of
necessity.
"I do not presume to judge Of
what was or was not necessary. 1
can only recollect what in those
critical days appeared to be thought
and desired by the men responsible
for the decision when you sat among
them around the table. I thank you
for keeping in memory the very
modest part / had the privilege to
play in those meetings and for the
kind reception you gave me when
we met again. Believe me, yours
sincerely,
PAUL MANTOVx"