Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-10-29
CHAPTER XIII.
Germany's Terror of Invasion.

Ludendorff' S. glaring contradictions
exasperated the minister's. especially
Secretary of State Solf who reminds
General Ludendorff of his appeals of
October first. The reply is:
why didn't you send me long ago
the reinforcements about which you
are talking today"
And Colonel Heye adds:
when the great general headquar-
ters decided to make an offer Of peace.
1t believed that an honorable peace
cept the decisive battle if the condi-
tions imposed upon US touch our
honor" e@-...,
Mr.. SoH replies.
IF refusal breaks off the nego-
tiations, with Wilson, will you take the
responsibility?
Yes" answered the general.
They separate without coming to a
decision and on the twentieth Luden-
dorff pushes forward Marshal Hinden-
burg who writes m embarrassed epistle
of which this is the essential phrase !:
If we were beaten, our situation,
which is bad. would not be appreciably
worse than If we now accept the terms
it is sought to impose upon us. We
cannot, insist, give up submarine war
fare without compensation. 1t is bet
ter to fight to the last man to save
our honor.
These are only words. They are
without effect, for the high command
has lost it's face 1t talks. it writes;
no one believes it. Baron Won Lers-
rer. liaison officer at German head
quarters, telephones few days after
wards:
The great general staff is furious.
But basing myself upon the long ex-
perience l have of it | can only place
you on your guard in the most pressing
manner against the possibility of having
faith in its promises. and / recommend
that you do not allow yourself to he
turned away from the policy Of peace
which we have adopted. The military
situation is today every bit as desper-
ate as it was three weeks ago. No
is to be looked for and
the invasion of our territory is only
question of weeks or at the very best
of a few months.
Ludsndorff Wrona
The truth is that it is Ludendorff
who is wrong and Lersner who is right.
Since Septerber 20. Marshal Foch, who
had regained the initiative on July Is.
has exploited his success. Three con-
centric and uninterrupted attacks on
wide front have deeply modified the
situation. In the north. from
1S to October Is, the enemy
has been driven from the Belgian. coast,
from the region of Lille. from the basin
Of Lens and has been forced to estab-
lish himself behind the Tervueren
canal, the Scheldt and the Northern
canal. In the center, from September
p to October 10, the Hindenburg line
has everywhere been broken through
and the enemy is. thrown back beyond
Serre. InnChampagne and in Argonne
hard and arduous battle brings us, be-
tween September 16 and October II,
up to the Aisnc and the Aire. On Oc-
tober 20 the German armies from the
sea to the Meausc are everywhere in
retreat. In four weeks they have had
20 engage 139 divisions out Of total
IF 191. They have only seven fresh
in reserve and A are utterly
worn out. The average strength Of the
is only 30 men, although
10 per cent of the battalions have been
from four companies to three.
Two thirds of their divisions have been
almost constantly in line since Sep
ember 1. They are short 10000 rein
every month, although 1.-THE
slHhS OF 1O@V IL AlECdOy SdHcu 10 tue
,olors.
Short Of Material
War material cannot be renewed.
Compared to June there are % per
cent less machine guns. II per cent
css field pieces, and 20 per cent less
heavy artillery, The lateral railways
which from one end Of the front to
he other permit transports of men
and material, the voies de rOcade, of
which the German staff made so
fruitful use during the war. are no
onger at. their disposal-four of the
lines and one principal line
ire wholly or in part in the hands Of !
he allies. Those which remain are
almost blocked with supplies and !
SO much so that in the
hree first weeks of October it has
,nly been possible to displace three |
divisions laterally. instead Of 10 SO
moved in May. Remember also that /
in enormous amount of war material |
8 scattered all along the front and !
,ehind it, ToAsave this. Germany has
(Co7lfAaed sn Pase Thrse.)