Evening star., 1921-10-27
CHAPTER Nj.
Ludendorn Panicstrlcken.

From August IA to September 20
events. both political and military. were
to disturb these hopeful expectations.
The local successes did not come off;
on the contrary, five times in five weeks
the allied forces advanced. The Franco
British attack, which. near Amiens.
throws back the Germans to their old
Chaulnes7 7Rihecourt front; the Franco
British attack. which, from the 18th to
the .26th Of August. reaches the Ba-
paume- -PerroneN Nesles-Noyon line; the
Franco British attack. which, from Au-
gust 80 to September 10. throws back
the enemy from the Vesle to the Aisne
and farther north almost to the Hin
denburg line; the Franco British at
tack, which. from September IL to 22.
pierces this line between Cambria and
st. Quetin: the Franco-American at
tack, which, from September IL to IL.
reduces the ST. Mahiel salient. BY Sep
tember 20 the enemy has lost nearly all
the ground he had gained from March
to June: His forces have severely suf-
fered. He has engaged 1853 divisions. of
which seventy-five have been in line
two o. three times. He still has sixty
eight divisions in reserve, which is nine
less than in June. but of these only
twenty-one are fresh divisions-ten less
than in June. To keep up the effect
iveness of these units in the absence of
sufficient reinforcement. he has had to
break up sixteen divisions and use them
6s replacements.
Austria Urging Peace.
At the same time political diff
Gulties have begun. On the evening
of the 14th of August and on the
18th. at Spa. Emperor Charles of
Austria and Count Burian expressed
the opinion that direct overtures for
~ H.
possible. We have noted the de-
cisions arrived at by the German
crown council on the 14th. The
kaiser. the chancellor the generals
protest against the suggestion, of
their allies. They hold that such a
step should only be taken later on
and that then it should only be taken
through neutral channels and not di-
rectly. The Austrians departed un-
convinced and. on the 21st tele;
TO the belligerents. after having tried
to obtain for this plan the support
ef Bulgaria and Turkey. Excitement
runs high in Berlin and at Spa. The
discussion continues three weeks.
From September 3 to Won Hintze
and his undersecretary Of state. Won
Stumm, so to Vienna to preach re-
sistance. They seek delay-at least
ished the strategic withdrawal which
is under way. Hndenburg intervenes
on the 10th with a telegram disap-
proving the Austrian plan for di-
rect appeal harmful to our arms
and to our peoples" On the other
hand, he accepts 1.-The intervention of
a neutral power with view to an
immediate negotiation" Note the
change compared to the decisions of
August IA.
Direct proposals of peace viii not be
made but neutral will be asked to
suggest it Immediately. The Austrians
persist. nevertheless, in their idea, and
on September 13 launch their note.
Germany. at the same time. seeks the
neutral who will undertake the mission.
The search is long and vain. On Sep
tember 81 Ludendorf telegraphs from
the great general headquarters that it
might be possible to get in touch with
the United States. It is a confused and
anxious period. Anxiety and confusion
are made worse on the .26th by news
that Bulgaria intends to conclude a
separate peace. Germany decides to
send troops there. But it is already too
late and On the Goth the Bulgarian
Rrmistice is signed at Salonica. Chan
cellor Won Hertling had declared on
September at the council of ministers:
I'VE must say to our enemies: You
See that you cannot beat us-but We
are always ready. as We have told you
unequivocally on several occasions. to
conclude a peace full of honor"
Victories Change Situation.
The succession Of allied victories. the
Austrian manifestations. the Bulgarian
armistice, completely change this stu
alton. Is Germany ready to sue for
peace-not offer it? That is how the
question now presents ITSELF Listen to
the answer.
This answer comes from a quarter
whence even yesterday it was the least
expected and in a form which aggra-