The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-26

l The French army remained itself all
 through the war, adapting itself tc
 Successive changes, each of which was i a fresh test of its endurance. Just as in 1914, it had been almost
 the sole bulwark of civilization with
 it's 22 army corps. its 26 reserve di-
 Visions, it's 10 divisions of cavalry, 1 lgainst the onslaught of an empire l If prey with a man power of 14,0o0,- l 100 men, so to the very end, by the | side of its great allies. the French
 army did what 1t had to do. What
 praise could be higher? Puisqull
 fallait y aller, on irait. This saying | of our French peasant-whom I like | so many others had the honor of
 leading in action--magnifcen sums ! up ou rideal of war. With it I will
 end this brief sketch of what France
 In arms contributed of her own free will to victory
 The armistice of November Il, I91S 1 was an unconditional surrender on
 the part of Germany. This was clear
 at the< time it was signed. in the
 minds of those who imposed it and of those upon whom it was forced 1 1t was the logical outcome of the military and political history of the 1 four preceding months.
 l In the first week of July, 1918, Ad miral von- Hintze-appointed by the 1 Kaiser to be secretary of state in the | imperial office of foreign affairs
 wishing to be accurately informed as
 to the military situation before talk
 ing up his duties, left for the front. l At Ayesnes he met General Luden- dorff and asked him
 "In the present offensive are you
 certain to defeat the enemy complete 1 ly and decisively2"
 | General Ludendorff replied without hesitation 1:
 My answer to your question is an
 unqualified 'Yes.'"
 1 At that moment everything seemed l to justify the assurance of the first
 quartermaster general of the German army In March a lightning stroke 1 had broken General Coughs army l and thrown the allies back to the 1 gates of Amiens. In May another
 push had broken the French line at 1 the Chemin des Danes and carried
 the enemy to the banks of the Marne.
 The bombardment of Paris was the visible sign of German victory. Thou
  CTS, to say nothing of enormous stores
 of war material, had been captured. The general high command was busy circulating among its troops that this was the final offensive, "the peace of- fensive." The enemy was powerfully equipped for it; 1856 battalions--226 more than in 1916-made up total or POT divisions. Of these POT divisions, I13O were in line and TT in reserve. Of the latter only 20 recently with drawn from battle needed refilling- Twenty six had been reinforced ana
 31 were fresh. Before dawn on July 15 the offensive was launched in the
 direction of Reims. By the 17th 1t had been halted between our first and
 second lines On the 18th the armies of Mangin and Degoutte counter attacked on the German flank. on the 18th the enemy recrossed the
 Marne. By August they had been
 thrust over the vesle. On the Stn,
 farther north near Amiens. three Ger
 man divisions withdrew in disorder, almost before the allied attack began. Note well these events. They marx
 the beginnings of victory ana ar
 mistice.
 On August IS a numerous company arrives at German general headquar- terS at Spa. EeslueS tht 'N1ASNN' there are gathered there the crown prince, Field Marshal Von Hinder 1 burg and General Ludendorff, Count Won Hertling. Chancellor of the em- pire. and Admiral Won Hintze, min l ister of foreign affairs. On the fol- 1 lowing evening, the Emperor or :, Austria and his minister, Count Bu-s rian, arrive. A crown council IS to be held on the 14th. Late on the 18th 1 Von Hintze takes General Won Luden- dorff aside and questions him as he | had done a month before on the gen l eral situation. Ludendorff replies:
 .In July I told you that was cer- 1 tain by the pressnt offensive of 1 breaking the enemy's will to fight l and of forcing them to make peace. Now I am no langer certain of this.
 Tn that case" asks the minister, 1 show do you imagine the war can 1 be continued?"
 "We are still able by defensive op- | erations to paralyze the enemy's will 1 to fight and thus bring them little l by little to make peace"
 l In word, instead of the crushing | triumph counted upon in July. the ! German high command now pins its 1 hope of success in the weariness of 1 the allies. The crown council meets l