Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-04-28
INCIDENTS SURROUNDING Plea
FOR ARMISTICE BY GERMANS
Bu The Associated Pres.

| By The associated Press
NEW YORK, April 2S.-Germany's
appeal for an armistice on November
z, 1918 met with the laconic reply,
II have no tesms," from Marshal
Foch to Erzberger and the other
| plenipotentiaries, according TO Ray
Imond Recouly Captain ~, sFrench
biographer OF Foch and Joffre, in an
article entitled What .F'och Really
Said' which will be published in tho
May issue of S~cribner's Magazine out
today.
Captain Recouly, describing the his
| toric scene of the morning of Nov
ember IL, when the seneralisslmo of
the Allied forces, attended by a few
members of his staff. signed the docu-
ment in "a railway dining car in a for
est near Rethonde. a town between
| compiegne and Scissors, declared
the sight of butter seemed to NJ
tho German envoFs with JOY"
The radio from the Germans asking
for "a cessation of hostihties in the
name of Humanity was received by
Foch shortly after midnight on the
9TH n at 1:25 a. m. on the Sth
Foch sent back his answer: The
German plenipotentiaries will ave TO
go to the outpost on the main o
from Maubeuge-la-Capelle-Guise."
From this point they were brought by
i0SAsaI w 1AaoN W N'M
reached abou Z o'clock in the morn
ing. Two hours later they were In
the presence of the commander of
the ~conquering Allied armies.
"Erzberger: We have come to in
quire into the terms of an armistiee.
to be concluded on land, on sea and in
the air."
"Foch: I have no terms to submit
to you"
Count oberndorf, the d~iplomatist In
the German party .interceded: IF the
Marshal prefers. we may say that we
are here to lear nthe conditions on
which the Allies ould be willing TO
grant us an armistice."
"Foch: / have no terms"
Erzberger, drawing forth a greasy
paper: President Wilson has inform
ed our government that Marshal Foch
has been invested with the power of
submitting the Allies conditions TO
the German plenipotertiaries."
There was a cold salute says
captain Recouly, +" q bow in return;
no presentation. The Germans took
their places at the table In the dining
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 Familiarity
together; IL was impossible to believe
that their country's fate was hanging
in the balance, and that they were
there TO sign the most Kolossal' capt.
tulatlon the world had ever seen"
Foch's piercing eyes. gruff voice
and curt manner were impressive. ITO
whom have / the honor of speaking? ?"
he asked. The Germans replied.
what is the object of your VISIT" he
asked. Then followed this dialogues:
"Foch: l will let you know the
Allies conditions when you have ask
- al e.,
an armistice?
"Ja!" exclaimed Oberndorf and
Erzberger together.
"Foch: In that cas- L Will read
you the terms drawn up by the Allied
governments" He sat down and the
reading began. 1t lasted an hour for
the document had toy be translated.
The Germans pleaded for an lmmedi-
| ate suspension of hostilities and for
time to permit the Berlin govern
ment to examine the terms. Again
| Foch spoke:
81 am but the mouthpleee of h
| Allied governments. 1t Is those gov
men that have drawn up the
| conditions of the armistice limiting
the delay to s~eventy-two hours dura-
ton. / have therefore, no power TO
suspend hostilities without their au-
thorization."
The Germans at once dispatched n
1 illtSOtilbtI ~ bBa II
and the request that his journey to
| Berlin be Facilitated" When the
| messenger reached the German out
posts It is related the troops were so
demoralized that they fired upon his
white flag. Promiscuous firing con
tinued and the emissary was unable
to reach his destination until the
| next day. Meanwhile the German en-
] voys had notified Foch of their diff
| Guilty and Foch agreed to permit them
to send a German officer to Berlin by
air. A plane was equipped and ready
for the flight when word was received
that the messenger had reached Ber-
lin.
Captain Recouly declares the arm
| istice was signed because Foch n
his staff were convinced Germany
| was already In the throes OF a revolu-
ton. The armistice ENJOYS painted a
"black picture" of conditions. While
! the German government was analyZ-
ing the terms the plenipotentiaries re-
manned near Foch IN the forest at Re-
thonde. They were permitted to leave
their train and guarded by armed sol
diers, exercise in the open air. ON
the afternoon of the 10th, Foch in
! delegation. that hostilities would be
Presumed at IL q. m. the next day. At
z o'clock on the night of November
10th the following radio message was
Intercepted by the French:
German government to German
Observation-Disclosures: The plenipotentia-
ries are authorized to sign the arms
tice. (Signed) The Chancellor OF the
Empire" Three ciphered figures at
the end of the message proved its au-
thenticity. More than twelve hours OF
deliberation and debate over the
harsh" terms followed. Foch grant
ed some concessions n refused the
others.
Subsequently the wearied French,
English and Germans appended their
signatures to the document and by
Encouragement six hours after the
signing. or IL a. m. of the morning
Of the 18th. operations ceased along
all the fronts. Four years OF warfare
which had cost more h 9'ooo'ooo