The New York herald., 1921-11-27

prevent the conclusion Of peace. We
did not fight an hour for the realization
OF these aims nor prolong the war on
their account. AS often as negotiations
appeared possible a basis for these was
established between the political and the
military authorities. This was the case
In December. 1916. In the event that the
peace offer of the Central Powers led to
negotiations.
The protagonists of Peace of Un-
derstanding." says Ludendorff. seek to
cover UP their own failures by pointing
to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and rep
resenting it as the prototype of the ex-
tortionate Treaty of Versailles. The en-
enny statesmen are far too wise to as
sert anything of the sort, for they know
that they could not justify it. The
peace of Brest-Litovsk was based en-
tirely upon the principle of the right of
self-determination of the nations and
imposed no limitation of armaments
upon Russia, nor commercial restrlc-
tions. nor any indemnity except a sum
of few milliards of gold marks as
damages for the losses inflicted upon
Germans by Russia's war measures.
THE champions of the Peace of
Understanding are also free with an
other assertion, which is very charac-
terstic. They say that we have no
right to protest against the conditions
Of Versailles. for in the event of our
having won a victory in the West. we
would have made similar peace with
the Entente. No, we would never have
done this How could we possibly have
done anything of the sort in view of
our entire predisposition? Never. even
in the most intimate circles of the S. a.
c. was there mention made OF conditions
which departed In any way from those
set up in the memorial of September,
1917. Only in connection with the strip
Of protective territory toward Poland was
1t necessary, in view of the attitude
of this people, to exceed the original
intention"
wilson's offer Brought Up.
The peace offer of Germany in Decem
Der, 1916. and the subsequent offer of
mediation by President Wilson on Dec.
lS, 1916, are also treated in full In the
book. It mentions Wilson's offer to
mediate, dated Jan. 81, that is five
days after Wilson's message to the
Senate and four days before the begin
ming OF the unrestricted U-boat war
fare. Col. House transmitted to Count
Won Bernstorf a new proposal OF the
President. Count Won Bernstorff cabled
Wilson offers first of all confiden-
tial mediation of peace on basis of
his message to Senate, that is. with
out interference in territorial con-
ditions of peace. Wilson regards the
request which he is making at the
same time for the communication of
our conditions of peace as not con-
fdential.
There can be no doubt that the
fact that the unrestricted U-boat war
was to begin on the first Of February
was known In Washington at that
time. England and America were
able to dccipher every secret des-
patch Our methods in this respect
were most imperfect. 1t was in vain
that we pointed this out to the Ger
man Foreign Office.
An important fact revealed by Ludcn-
dorff also deals with the U-boat war,
and is corroborated by Bethmann-Holl-
veg in the still unpublished second
volume of his memoirs. Ludendorff
writes:
when the new Supreme Army Com
mand assumed office during the end of
August, 1916, conference was immedi-
ately called at Pless by the Imperial
Chancellor to discuss the question
whether the unrestricted U-boat war
was to be carried on as the Admiralty
wished it, or not. The new Supreme
Army Command was obliged to support