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HINDBNBURG SPEAKS

EXAMINED BY REICHSTAG COMMITTEE

HIS " U "-BOAT POLICY

Tho Reichstag 'building in Berlin, where the war inquiry is bciug held, was on November IS cordoned off by a strong force of Public Security I'olice.. A motorcar, carrying Field Marshal von ilindenburg, General von LudendoriV, and Dr. Helfferich, arrived shortly after ten, escorted by a strong body of mounted soldiers, the' crowd gave the two army loaders an enthusiastic ovation. Thfl following six oucstions were submitted to Marshal Hindenburg liv the committee: (1) From what date did the Supreme Army Command consider-the declaration of unrestricted U-boat warfare of February 1, 1317, no longer capable of being deterred, and on what grounds? ' (2) Wero the reasons against the opening of the U-boat war, as stated, particularly bv the Under-Secretaries von Haniel and Albert, known to tho .Supremo Army Command, and on what grounds were these reasons not recognised as sound? /3) [Oh what grounds dirt the Supreme Armv Command, as appears" from HmdenburpV tele-ram of December 23, lalC.'to the .Imperial''Chancellor, assume that the appeal fo" neace of December -21, 1916, was evoked % Great.Britain, and was not: due to a i)»nc« movement suggested by the Imperial Government? (il Won the various stages of President Wilson'? action known to the Supreme Army .Command, and particularly, were. Count Ticrnstorff's. reports of tho period' from December 21, 1910. to January' 9. 1917, known to it on January 9, ■ when the decision to open U-hoat war wan taken ?' . • , '(B) Did the Sum-eme Command assume Hint Great Britain could by'Julv 1, 1917, at- the latest, be forced to make poaca as'set.forth in ..the Admiralty Staff's me* morandum of December 22, 1016? _ '((!) General Ludrndorff reports in his book, on'iwre 253, that the Imperial Government did not demand a postponement of-the beginning of the unrestricted U-| boat war in a discussion at Mam Head-: quarter? on .Taniinvv 29, 1917. while Hcrr' von Bethmemi JMlweg in his evidence before-tho Committee of Inquiry stated that- he had made such a demand. How is'this contradiction explained? j

Hindenburg's Evidence, Marshal Jiindciibur&, giving evidence, '"Theproportionate numerical strength i as regards men, machines, ammunition, | and other accessories was as unfavour- i able as possible for us from tlie start. J Impelled bv love of the Fatherland, to knew only'one aim, namely, as far as human strength and military means per-, initted, to preserve the German Empire! and the German-people from harm, and, oh the military side to lead them to a. good pence. To that end we had to main-; fain an unshakable determination to, achieve victory, ■ which was indissolubly; bound "up with the belief in our good | "Our peace policy had failed. Why it' did so' mav be left to history. I only, know one thing with absolute certainty,,, and that is,- that the' German people-did, not desire the war; the German Kaiser: did not desire it,;the Government did. not desire it, and the General Staff did, not desire it, for it knew, better than; others -Germany's" tremendously difficult position in a wnr against the Entente. If the central military authorities, had made preparations for the possibility of any unavoidable wan this was only its duty towards the nation. We regarded it as our princi- ■ pal task to end the war bv military ; means as quickly as possible and as' favourably as possible, We were not; for one hour without a feeling that wo were confronted with a preponderance of ' enemies in animate and inanimate war material. We. knew what we had to • ask of our Army and wc know what it lias wi-formed. If there had been a' solid united co-operation of Army'and; '.boinelaml:.-'. we should- ; have • . had ' the .■.-.■ mean- ■*, to— -attaiir • • victory. /While, however, with the enemy, despite his superiority, all parties and all classes of the nouulation united ever more firmlv in the determination to bo victorious, and so-much, the more firmly as the position grew moie difficult with us, although we. were the numerically inferior, iiartv. interests at homo made their influence felt, and this state of affairs led to a breaking of the will to victory.

Dutch-Danish Attack Feared. According to the German official wireless report, in reply to the first o,ue6tinu von Hindenburg stated that he and General Ludendorit', 'after talking over the Hieh Military Command, regarded: the commencement of an unrestricted "IP'-boat campaign »» imperative in order to relievo the- sorely tried Western front, and in' order to prevent the- killins of German soldiers with American munitions, ami the starving of Gcrmau women and children. General Ludendorll said that the nigh. Military Command at first refrained from startiiiE the "If'-boat campaign liecause, at the time, the Imperial Chancellor feared an attack by Holland and Denmark, 'owing to the pressure of England, and there were then no fresh troons at ■ their disposal ■ for security aiicnist r.cw enemies. Herr von Eethinaim Hollweg made a statement in relation to the sixth question, explaining that there was no contradiction between his declaration and the passage in - General Ludendorff s ■ nook, inasmuch as ho, jointly with tho Secretary of State,-Herr Zininiermann, on receipt of Count Bcrnstorff's report, had asked Admiral Holtwmdorff to defer the unrestricted "U"-hoat campaign, but Admiral" Holtzendorff slave a definite rcdlv that this was impossible, and he therefore regarded the question as settled.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19200107.2.8

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 87, 7 January 1920, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
875

HINDBNBURG SPEAKS Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 87, 7 January 1920, Page 2

HINDBNBURG SPEAKS Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 87, 7 January 1920, Page 2

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