GERMANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1918, Page 5

GERMANY.

THE CROWN PRINCE. AN ATTEMPT AT WHITE-WASHING. CAUSE OP GERMANY'S DOWNFALL. INTERESTING REVELATIONS. Received Dec. 5, 5.5 p.m. London, Dee. 3. A Renter message, via America, records an interview with the Crown Prince, published in the Motherland Bulletin. in which he declared that the downfall of German military powet was the result of revolution induced bv four years of hunger among the civilians and troops at the rear, together with the overwhelming superiority in numbers secured to the Entente 'by the Americans' entry, which undermined the confidence of the German lighting forces. The Crown Prince added: "Mv troops had no rest, and sometimes a wholo division had but GOO rifles. I have not been in Germany for a year. Contrary to all statements niade abroatl, I never desired war, and thought the moirftnt inopportune. I was never consulted, and the report about the Crown Council being held in Berlin to go on with the war I deny on oath. !■ was enjoying a day at a watering-place when mobilisation was ordered. My father also, I am sure, did not' desire war. If Germany had sought the best opportunity for war she would have cnosen either the Boer or the Russian war periods. From the beginning I was sure England would enter the war. This view was not shared by Prince Henry and other members of my family. "People blame" me for the Verdun failure, I refused twice to attack there with the troops at my disposal. On the third occasion my attack was successful in the first three days, but was improperly supported. I 'thought the Verdun attack a mistake." The Prince was bitter regarding the work of the General Staff,'which was responsible for ' numerous mistakes. Ludendorii and tho Staff continually underestimated the enemy's forces. He never believed America's contribution would be so great. He regarded the armistice terms as very severe and almost impossible of execution. If Germany had been victorious she would not have made terms so hard. The Prince said he always entirely disagreed with air raids on unfortified cities, the fierce submarine warfare, deportation of women, and the bombing of Paris. German diplomats had made awful mis.'',„i*- - )e ir. b unable to see the viewpoint of ch& _<runtries where they were stationed, and misreading the opinion of other countries. Referring, to the notorious Boer war telegram, the Prince declared: "My father was made to send the telegram by his .political advisers. Every time I disagreed I was told to mind my own business of commanding the armies." The Prince declared that the air raids on London and the big gun used iu uombard Paris, were useless militarily; in fact, silly. He said: "I suggested two years' ago an international agreement confining air activities to the war zone, but my opinion was diregarded." Orders to submarine commanders were read differently by various officers, some of whom went much too far.

THE RED FLAG. HAULED DOWN BY THE KAISER. BIG LAND SETTLEMENT SCHEME. Received Dec. 5, 9.25 p.m. Amsterdam, Dee. 4. Tlie Rhenish Westfaelische Zeitung reports that the Kaiser, true to the soldiers, twice hauled down the Red Flag at the Stadhouse at ICreuznach, and burned it amidst the cheers of the crowds, who applauded the pro-Kaiser speeches. In order to avoid bloodshed, the Workers' and Soldiers' Council resolved, provisionally, not to again hoist the Red Flag. Marshal von Hindenburg has issued a proclamation to the troops, appealing for patience a little longer. He announces that preliminaries for a oig scale of land settlement have begun, and will be expedited. It provides for the building of hundreds of thousands of houses upon cheaply acquired land, with public funds and at low rates, for farmers and gardeners. Similarly the building of houses in garden suburbs for town workers, including those engaged in sedentary occupations.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. ALLEGATIONS OF CRUELTY. RUTHLESS PUNISHMENT PROMISED Received Dec. 5, 7.45 p.m. Amsterdam, Dec. 4. Berlin advices Btato that Herr Erzbergcr is opening a war prisoners' commission to investigate the allegations of cruelt. He promised the ruthless punishment of those convicted of ill-treat-ing the prisoners. A meeting of delegates of the field armies resolved to support the Government against coun-ter-revolutionary attempts.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and^Reuter. RUSSIAN PRISONERS. TURNED BACK BY BOLSHEVIKS. Received Dec. 5, 7.45 p.m. London, Dec. 4. The Russian. Government has refused to admit 1 i million Russian war prisoners from Germany, and turned tliem back from the frontiers.

The incident is regarded seriously in Berlin, because of the necessity of feeding such a host. The food situation in Berlin is rapidly becoming more serious. The price of meat has advanced six marks since Friday. Thousands of legless and armless war cripples are seen on the outskirts of the city, 'but are not allowed to enter, evidently for fear that their pitiful appearance would inflame the popu-Uft»,-»»ttt«,