The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-10-18

ly-I was overthrow by my own Gev-
eminent. and-Herr Solf reclaimed.
When the Imperial Chancellor,
Prince Max, heard of my resolve to go
TO the front. he did all he could to pre-
vent it. He asked why | wished to go
and received the answer that | con-
sidered it my duty, as Supreme Com
mander, to return to the front since
| had been separated for almost a
month from the hard-fighting army.
When the Chancellor objected that
was indispensable at home, l retorted
that we were at war. that the Emper-
or belonged to his soldiers Finally
declared, once for all, that / would
CO. that in case Wilson's armistice
note arrived, it would have to be dis
cussed anyhow at the General Head
quarters of the army. for which pur-
pose the Chancellor and other mem
obliged to go to Spa for the confer
ences.
"Joyfully Received" by Army
| went to the army in Flanders,
after having once more given the Gen.
eral Staff at Spa definite orders to
fall back as quickly as possible to the
Antwerp-Meuse line, in order that the
troops might finally be taken out OF
the fighting and given rest. Despite
objections that this would take time,
! that the position was not yet ready,
that the war material must first be
taken back and so forth, l stood by
the order. The retreat was begun.
In Flanders / saw delegations from
the different divisions, spoke with
the soldiers, distributed decorations,
and was everywhere joyfully received
| by officers and men Particularly ar.
dent enthusiasm reigned among the
| soldiers of royal Saxon recruit de-
pot, who greeted me with wild cheers
| at the railway station when | was re-
turning to my train. While | was Civ
| ing out decorations to members of the
/ Reserve Guard Division an enemy
/ bombing squadron, followed by heavy
| fire from anti-aircraft guns and ma,
chine guns, flew directly over US and
dropped bombs near the special train
The commanders of the army were
unanimous in declaring that the spirit
| of the troops at the front was good
and reliable; that, further to the rear
among the supply columns, C was not
/ so good; that the worst of all were
the soldiers back from leave, who, il
was plain to be seen, had been worked
upon and infected at home, whence
! they had brought back a poor spirit
The young recruits at the depots, il
was stated Furthermore, were good.
At Spa, whittier | now went, news
came constantly from home about the
ever more violent agitation and hostile
attitude against the Emperor and the
growing slackness and-helplessness o.
| the Government which without initia
| tive or strength, was letting itself be
! pushed around at will. 1t was ALLUDED
| to contemptuously in the newspapers
as the debating society and Prince
Max was called by the leading news
papers the Revolution Chancellor" As
l learned afterward, he lay in bee
for ten days, suffering from grippe
and incapable of really directing af
fairs His Excellency Won Payer ant
Solf, with the so-called War Cabinet
which was in permanent session, gov
erned the German Empire.
At such a critical time, to my way
of thinking, the imperiled ship O
state should not be steered by rep
resentatives of the Imperial Chancel