Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-25
CHAPTER XXXIII
Germany Capitulates

ing Wilson for the benefit of
clergy"
On the 9Th day of October, 1918,
the following note from Prince Max,
of Baden, was delivered to the presi-
dent by the secretary of state:
The German government re-
quests the president of the
United States of America to take
steps for the restoration of
peace, to notify all belligerents
of this request, and to invite
them to delegate plenipotenti-
aries for the purpose of taking
up negotiations. The German
government accepts, as a basis
for the peace negotiations. the
program laid down by the presi-
dent of the United States in his
message to congress of January
8, 1918, and in his subsequent
announcements, particularly in
his address of September q,
1918. In order to avoid further
bloodshed, the German govern
ment requests to bring about
the immediate conclusion of
general armistice on land, on
water and in the air.
. (SigneD MAX, Prince of Baden,
Imperial Chancellor.
The president was not surprised
when the offer of peace came, for on
all sides there was abundant evil
dence of the decline of Germany and
of the weakening of her morale. The
president felt that Germany, being
desperate, it would be possible for
him, when she proposed a settle
Inv D1,i,o
Max, to dictate our own terms and
to insist that America would have
nothing to do with any settlement
in which the kaiser or his brood
should play a leading part. I stated
to him that the basis of our atti-
tude toward Germany should be an
insistence, in line with his speech
of September 81, 1918, wherein he
said:
We are all agreed that there
can be no peace obtained by any
kind of bargain or compromise
with the governments of the
central empires, because we
have dealt with them already
and have seen them deal with
other governments that were
parties to this struggle, at Brest-
Litovsk and Bucharest. They
have convinced us that they
were without honor and do not
intend justice. They observe no
covenants, accept no principle
but force and their own interest.
We cannot come to terms with
them. They have made it i'm
possible. The German people
must by this time be fully aware
that we cannot accept the word
of those who forced this war
upon us. We do not think the
same thoughts or speak the
same language of agreement.
At the time of the receipt OF
Prince MaX's note by the state de.
partment, on October 5, 1918, the
president was in New York, staying
at the Waldorf-Astoria, preparatory
! to attending a concert given by the
Royal italian grenadiers. A mes
sage from the army intelligence de-
| parement, conveyed to me by Gen
| eral Churchill, at the Knickerbocker
| hotel, New York, where 1 was stay.
| ing, was the first word we had OF
| Germany's desire for an armistice.
| General Churchill read me the Ger.
man proposal over the phone, and
carried it to the president, who
was in conference with Colonel
House at the Waldorf.
IN the books of Ludendorff and
Hindenburg, we see the shatter-
ing effect of the presidents an
sWer upon the German military
mind. Whatever misunderstanding
and misrepresentation of the presi.
dents position there might be in his
own country, whatever false rumors
spread by party malice to the effect
that he had entered into negotiations
with Germany without the knowl.
edge of the allies and was imposing
soft" terms on Germany to pre-
vent a march to Berlin, the German
commanders were under no illusions.
They knew that the president meant
capitulation and that in his demand
he had the sanction Of his Euro
pean associates.
Says Ludendorff:
'This time he made it quite
clear that the armistice condi-
tions must be such as to make
it impossible for Germany to re-.
sumo hostilities and to give the
powers allied against her I'M
limited power to settle them
selves the details Of the peace
accepted by Germany. In my
view, there could no longer be
doubt in my mind that we must
continue to fight"
Said Hindenburg in an order For
the Information of All Troops" an
order never promulgated:
"He (Wilson) will negotiate
with Germany for peace only II
she comedies all the demands of
Americas allies as to the inter-
nal constitutional arrangements
Of Germany . Wilson's an
swer is a demand for uncondi-
tional surrender. It is thus I'M
acceptable to us soldiers"
Wilson in Daily Contact
In Andre Tardieu's book we read
that from October 9Th, the day when
Germany first asked for an arms
tice, President Wilson remained in
daily contact with the European
governments, and that the. Ameri-
can Government was in favor of
writing into the armistice harsher
terms than the allies thought it
wise to propose to the Germans. 1t
will be recalled that the popular cry
at the time was ION to Berlin" and
an urgent demand upon the part of
the enemies of the president on Cap
itol Hill that he should stand pat
| for an unconditional surrender from
| Germany; that there should be no
soft peace or compromise with Ger
many; and that we should send our
| soldiers to Berlin. At the time we
| discussed this attitude Of mind of
| certain men on the hill, the presi-
dent said, How utterly foolish this
is: Of course, some of our so-called
military leaders, for propaganda
| purposes only, are saying that it