New-York tribune., 1921-02-13

LENS: The History of the Relations Be-
tween the High Command and the Cor
man Imperial Government as Revealed
Tnd.nses osIstsi Documents. BY General
~, 1tuoepuorH. n Two volumes. sVo. pp.
York. ~ ''' WV
N THESE two volumes, General
4 Ludendorf has collected q mass
- Of documents revealing the re-
lations of the German General
Staff to the political departments Of
the German government and illustrat-
ing its activities outside the field of
military operations in the stricter
sense. They show a constant concern
as to matters affecting the economic
and political conduct of the war, and
justify to a great extent the impress
sion that misunderstanding Hindcn-
burg as his stalking horse--aimed at
making Main Headquarters the final
arbiter on all questions of imperial
policy. This is not, of course. the I'M
preston which the author intends to
give. AS in his earlier book, Ny War
Memories, his chief purpose is to show
that the war was lost. not through his
faults but through the faults of
others. So 1t is necessary for him to
emphasize the occasional cases in
which he. failed to get his own way.
One Inexcusabie Blunder
Ludendorf's preoccupation is to ab-
solve himself at the expense Of the
civil administration. But he cannot
shift to anybody else's shoulders re-
der which sent Germany down to de-
feat. That was the renewal Of unre-
stricted U-boat warfare in February
1917. But for that critical error it is
clear that Germany would have had
more than an even chance: Of bringing
tho war to a draw in 1917 or 1913
and a draw for her would have been o
partial victory.
The documents which Ludendorff
himself presents are conclusive. as to
his own responsibility for Germany's
defeat. They show that in August
1916, he was against the U-boat enter
! prise. His attitude then greatly
strengthened Bethmann- Hollweg, SINCE
General Falkenhayn had previously
been urging return to the policy OF
sinking neutral and enemy merchant
shipping without warning. Bethmann-
| Hollweg was able to stand off the rabid
U-boaters for a time by saying that the
General Staff had vetoed resumption
| of unrestricted submarine warfare.
But after Rumania was overrur
Ludendorff turned to the idea OF
Starving OUT, Great Britain az the
| quickest and easiest means of ending
the war: He fell victim to the Ad-
miralty's faciIe promises. On Deceua-
Der 20, 1916, he telegraphed in his own
| name to Zimmerman, who had sue
ceeded Jagow as Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs: "After Lloyd George
has refused our peace offer by his dec
laration in the House of Commons, I
am convinced, in view of the impress
sions I have gained ON the Western
FRONT, Cnlt tHS o-Dudt Campaign hAhoG
now be inaugurated in full force"
Zimmerman Feared America
Zimmerman replied the next day:
"At the moment there are serious OBJ
jections to the unrestricted submarine
campaign, not only on account of Amer
ica, but with regard to European neu-
trails also. This is the view of His Maj
esty the Kaiser also"
Ludendorff renewed his demand on
December 23, appending Hindenburg's
name to dispatch to the Chancellor.
1t ended thus: 1.-THE diplomatic and
military preparations for the unre-
stricted submarine campaign must be
taken in hand at once, 80 that it may
start at the end of January. re-
quest your exceliency to call confer
ences on this matter with Main Head
quarters and the chief of the Naval
Staff"
Bethmann-H Hollweg consented to this