New-York tribune., 1922-06-04

Great Britain by an aggressive naval
policy. he would not have ratified the
sahcr" after Agadir. he would not
have followed Vienna into the Serbian
tran. he would have sought peace az
early as 1915. he would have pushed
20 tho end for o separate settlement
with Russia in 1915. even restoring
Poland. and in 1917. be- hints, he would
have been glad % accede 20 Czcrnin's
proposals FOR n general peace in which
Germany should surrender Alsace-Lor-
raine.
Germany thus. apparently, fought
losing war because Of errors which the
Grown Prince would have avoided. Yet
he says nothing of the one crowning
error which brought about German de-
feat. He docs not mention the de-
eision Of January ]. 1917. % renew un-
restricted submarine warfare. thus
dragging In tho United States. Luden-
dorF was responsible for this move.
and Bethmann Hollweg, 70 the best %
his ability. opposed IL. For that rea-
son. obviously the Grown Prince
om'ts IL from his list Of Germany's
cardinal war sins.
Little Light is thrown on the authors
activities boo the field. Was he a real
army commander and army group COM
mandcr? or was he mere hgure-
head? Perhaps IL would not have been
discreet 20 90 too deeply INTO sNeh
matters. The author makes three criti-
cisms on German strategy. he strong
Do disapnroved Won Moltke's order for
retreat 40 the First Battle OF the
Narnc, and gives a pitiful picture Of
Won Moltke's Generalization az that
time. Yet n German retirement from
tho Marine was o strategic necessity
Re rightly dcprecates Non Falken,-
havn' ~~refusal 20 break on me attack
On Vordun after the first stage Of the
hattie. Finally he says that Ludendorh
erred In July. 1918, in not ordering an
immediate German retirement 70 tne
Antyern- -Meuse line. This last sugges-
zion ig a counsel OF perfection. Luden.
dorT did delay too long his withdrawal
from the dangerous salientS which ms
five ofcnsivcs of 1915 had created. But
IL would have been n physical impossi-
bilitv for him 20 retreat al once 20 the
Antwerp-M Mcuse line-to say nothing OF
the enormous political Disadvantages
Of such a withdrawal.
Tho Crown Prince gives a vivid pie
.ure of his reaction 20 tho hnal drama
at Spa. Although throughout the book
ne insists strongly on his own liberal
and enlightened modern tendencies IN
POLITICS. as opposed 20 his fathers
str.ctcr autocratic notions. he did not
agure az Spa in as disinterested and
patriotic a light as hi- father did.
Neither was o good sport. But the elder
was l.tiie the better loser.
The Crown Prince was all for fight
inc the new revolutionary government,
although ihat would have meant cruel
and useless civil war He berates Gen.
oral Grocner and. by implication, Feld
Marshal hirdenbgfg Tor not preierring
no cause Of the dynasty 20 the cause
of he nation. But Groeuer and n IN,
donburg were right. The dynasty had
sfaked its future on the war and !ost'
h had become an incgmbrance and an
bbs,acle 20 peace. Exile was the only
decen, way out for the Hohenzollerns
This book looks vaguely toward
restoration. painting a startling, hign- /
light picture Of @ neglected statesman /
uho would have saved Germany u ne I
had even half a chance 10 do so. Will .
GERMANY remain incrodulous or viii u +
gratefully fie away this fascinating eN-
hibit FOR future reference