IF GERMANY HAD WON.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 July 1923, Page 4

IF GERMANY HAD WON.

LUJJENDORFE’S PEACE TERMS,

LONDON, June I. Information of the highest political and military importance is contained in the volume giving the evidence submitted to the German Reichstag Committee a.s to the cause of the German collapse in 1918, which nns just been published in Germany. The volume contains the opinion of three experts, who have examined all the evidence— Col. Schwertfeger. Gen. Tv ti 111 and Professor H. Dolbruek—with many documents which here appear in print for the first time. Specially significant, as they are not given clearly in any of his own works, are Ltidendorlf’s peace proposals, which are here to he lound set forth in official memoranda. Ilium these it an pears that the terms would have been as follows, down to the opening ol his offensive in March. 1918: Annexation of Cunrland and Lithua-

nia. Extension of Prussia by the annexation of a wide belt of Poland, j Absorption of Poland by Austria, ns « Ifapshurg State. Annexation of territory both sides of the Meuse as far south as St. Yit, near Besaueon, thus giving Germany Liege. Namur, Verdun, Nancy and Toni. Control of Belgium, as “the neutrality of Belgium is a phantom which ought not to be taken into practical account.” Military occupation of the Belgian coast, unless I lie British were driven from northern France. Pressure upon Holland to secuie her alliance, with the offer of a guarantee

lor hep Colonies in the East. Return of the German Colonies. There is no mention in these papers of tlie amount that the Allies were to be made to pay Germany, but that is known from William H s letter to Mgr. Puoelli to have reached £0.000,000,(109 from the United States and 08,000.000 000 from Franco. KAISER FRIGHTENED. The extraordinary fact is that budendorff seemed to regard these demands as quite moderate. They were what lie put forward under considerable pressure. The Kaiser 'himself was frightened by them. We me told 'hi head was wanting” in Germany. The Kaiser sank to he a kind of wooden lay-figure and Lmlcndm'lf usurped a.II the power. Indeed it is pointed out here that in his honks lie scarcely deigns to mention the Kaiser. Ludendorlf and 11 Oldenburg were apparently ready for endless war, and this when the odds were turning against them. The Crown Prince had warned them in July ](H7. in a. remarkable memorandum : The fearful saci ifiics in this war that hay. lasted now three years have left nearly every German family in mourning, while the prospect that fresh luyn y le.es nf precious human life must I-e expected, the depression of spirits insulting from privations of every kind.

lilt' sliorUine til I'tjod mill luel—n 11 tliotn’ liiflurs have comliini'il to pioiluci' » ilis(•.istisfuftion which is uitlo.spi'eail imd not conlineil to Social-lk'inociatif til'-

UNBRIDLED AMBITION. Ludendorlf. however, would not moderate his peace demands, lie thought of nothing but a new war, and he is ■specially and severely blamed for not making certain lhat his means were mi accord with his aims. Prof. I lelbnick charges him with ruining Germany and gives this considered verdict on his conduct : The real motive of General Luden<lolif in Ids campaign of 1918 was in no sense love ut his fatherland, but iiis ewn unbridled ambition. It is interesting, since the British strategy ha- been so mien condemned that Ludemhulf's operations have been so exalted for their genius, t r > find it bluntly eleelaied that Ids strategi v a • b id . bmleiidortf, to attain the strategic aim of severing the British and French im tlie offensive of .March, 1918) ought to have attacked along the Somme in the direction of Amiens. Actually lie attacked some 10 miles further to I lie south, because the enemy was weak there.

lie attacked there, it is added, because bis forces were not .sufficient to strike at- the point, which would haw been .strategically best, and there was another fundamental blunder in his plans : Previous offensives had shown that even when a break-through took place, the id t ick must come to a standstill unless the supply of food and munitions was so organised that it could lie earned out over the ground that had been wen. Gould it be imagined that t’e Gorman arniv with its lack of horses and its dubiously efficient motor-ve-hich-s would be able to do what much better equipped French and British armies had not been able to achieve! RUMANIA. There is an admission as to the imI'oitr.nec of the tanks which is worth quoting: Tank panics reviled (in the German Army) when, from August 1918 unw.’.rds our defensive lines grew thinner and thinner, and our troop's suffered more and more from strain and exhaustion. The moral effect of the tanks was ti-on surprisingly great. There is important evidence as to what would have happened had the armistice not been concluded. As the mete result of the loss of the Rumanian oil supply, T.iuleudoiiT reported on October 3. 1918: Aircraft can maintain full activity for two months; after that complete cessation of living. Motor vehicles can continue full activity for two months; after that eonsumption must be halved. Lubricating oil will suffice for six mouths; after that all machinery will come to a- standstill, though this will not affect- industry. Light oil will he completely exhausted in one or two months; this covers petroleum for the civil population and agriculture, whore it is of extreme importance. In a council held with the Chancellor as President, on October 17. 1918, General Selieueli, the War Minister, declared that '‘we could only carry on two war for If months, after the loss of Rumania.’’ Rumania, was lost on November J. 1913. when Austria collapsed. Without nil armistice, Germany must have collapsed about January 20. I DID.