The Unchanging German

Hokitika Guardian, 6 May 1922, Page 4

The Unchanging German

STAFF IIISTpStY OFTHE WAR

ODD LIES .BEI’KATm

!London .Daily .Mail.) A great Italian historian has pointed out th’:ii tlie,’Dermans seem entirely to have their critical faculty and has. attributed to this tlieir defeat in the war. Jhe truth of,his judgment is! illustrated at every point by .General Schwnrte in tlie ninsSivc history of Ger-j man operations and organisation inj the war' which he is publishing and] which is to ,Lc completed in ten volumes. • j

To first has just appeared (“Derj Grosse Krieg, I<Jl4-1«.).1S; Dcr Deutsche] Landkrieg,” Yol. 1, Barth, Lcipsiz). It contains contributions from six high officers of the former German General Staff and is"evi(leii't,l,v meant to he aj detailed, authoritative history. In reality these six officers, who claim to give “an entirely truthful represent ation of cvenis/’' ‘ have systematically falsified history. Their work, for that 1 reason, is of small value, but it is of great importance as showing the tone and temper of modern Germany anti tlie habitual untruthfulness of her leading men. It reiterates charges which those who make them know to'lie false, which; are disproved by the German documents,'and which have been' so repeat-, tally exposed. Any lie is good enough, .for these generals and colonels. Tlie war 'fli’ey ascribe to “tlie revenge j idea” in Franco, ignoring the .fact that; Germany war, after preparing] for it, ns tlie German 'diplomatic documents have revgaled- The Allies are impudently accused of arranging for the filing of the shot which killed the Arch-’ duke Francis Ferdinand, (hough it is; admitted that the Austrian Note to Serbia which caused the first - collision j was of ‘''extraordinary sharpness.” ; Sir Edwarci Grey, we are informed, “on duly .1(1, 1.5)11, had in his hands the draft of the Note. It was sold by a j treacherous official to the British Am-, iiassaddr in ( \ ieiina. So far as Russia , was concerned, nothing that happened in ’Vienna or Budapest could lie kept secret from her.”

' STf(:‘'KL.\'G AT NOTHING. It is safe to say'Unit this is entirely false, buf the modern German staff officer sticks at nothing. As'for Belgium, We arc informed: “She was not genuinely neutral; and there was for years before the war no doubt that she had concluded military conventions with France and Great Britain for the event id'war. So far hack as lflOo conferences took place between British and Belgian staff'olfieeis which had a theoretical character, 'bul secured contact and a mutual umlerstamliig. Before llH‘2 these convei sat ions led to a more derided result. They secured an exchange of military secrets through which the Belgian command was ,!e , priced of all strategic fre dom.'' This i> grossly untrue; there were conversations in 1!'(!■,» and Bill, Ini' they led to nothing; ai d U e Belgian Vr'iiy when it mobilised, with pathetii iniKir-etH"‘, disposed a large part of its iraiy to meet a Inning by the Ibitis! iml an invasion by the Fiench which was one of the ca’tis. s ol the early fall of Liege. Nor was any sullied considered in the di cussnns other than what action should he taken by Great Britain if Germany treacherously invaded l?elgiiiug as she did. The.e are further false charges against the luckless Belgians. Tin whole population is licensed of “francfirefir” tactics—which,' by t 1 e way, were permitted by the Hague Conventions when a country was invaded in this fashion hut which actually were nowhere carried out in Belgium. The civilians were blamed for the resistantoffered hv the Belgian troops: “Tlie German forces crossing the frontier almost everywhere encountered oh studies and barricades. They had also to face the fiercest armed resistance on tlie part of the populace, which had been openly organised for this purpose with the utmost care. The behaviour of the people clearly showed that this ‘frane-tircur’ war had been thoroughly prepared beforehand.' The land everywhere ottered shelter to guerrillas ; they tired from behind the iiini.Mimerahle thick hedges iiilc'rserting the country, and From the thickets and woods. JVliile the Belgiim women invited thirsty German cavalry to drink in front of (lie inns', our men were mortally wounded by'shut's fiom the cellars.” CROCODILE TEARS. In all this there "is licit one single word of truth. Crocodile tears U'e shed over the woes of Amleiine, Dinant, and Louvain, and the hideous crime's committed there by the German troops, hut for these, it appears Mie L Igians were entirely to hlame. Ail Amleaiic, we are told, “l''icnii the panels of the .Mayor, who was executed, it was (-lea 1 that the attack on the German troops had been carefully i repared.”

Sv sucli papers were found, and General Seliwarie' should be challenged to produce bis documents. Of the British Army the German history says: "The Tlritish.soldier was in high Gorman military circle's regarded as a serious opponent. Through his service iii the Colonies and the numerous wars there, the long period ot service, and his natural bodily and mental qualities, lie Lad been admirably developed. llis equipment and armament was in keeping with modern requirements. The officers were liravo Imt' had little experience in handling large masses.” This is one of the few just judgments in the hook. At lions, where 11 German corps were in action with 1} jVrltisli corps, it is admitted that: “['’earful was the effect on the Germans of tlie well concealed and invisible (Iritis!) infantry, machine-gun, and artillery fired’

As wo know from Bloom, the battle issued in a sanguinary repulse for the Germans; but the retrofit of Lord French’s little force was necessary because both its Hanks were turned. POLYGON WOOD FIGHTING. One example of an extraordinary exaggeration of Hritisii force is contained in the account of the lighting at Polygon Wood, where we are tolij that:

“The division of the (German) Guards attacking together in the morning engaged the Itritish Guards Division which was "occupying polygon Wood. A doubtful struggle closed with the approach of darkness. The Prussian Guard held its position in the wood but was not able to break through into Yprcs.”

There was no Guards Division in the .British Army at that date. (A division it should be said, has 12,QQ0 infantry.) In .Polygon Yc’ood was only a brigade, 2,1)00 strong, with two ,Guards and two line battalions, all four very weak. This was certainly known to the German Staff, hut to state the correct facts would not have given (he propaganda a hand.