GERMANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 August 1919, Page 5

GERMANY.

IJUDENDORFFS CANDID CRITICISM. GERMANY'S LAST GREAT GAMBLE By TileEtiph —Prw Assn —Copyright. London, Aug. 22. Ludendorff's book is strikingly candid, tracing the chain of causes leading to the offensive in the spring of 1918, which he describes as the last great gamble of the war. Austria was obviously worn out had verging on revolution, Bulgaria tfnwillinjt to continue fighting, the moral of the German troops was going to piece* and Bolshevism threatening to spread westward. It was only a wild hope that the Germans would win somehow that kept the quadruple alliance together.

Ludeadofff refers impatiently and contemptuously to the Bolshevik demands, and believed that the Allies' regarded the attempts at negotiation at Brest Litorslc as farcical and only disclosing Germany's weakness. The Bolshevists were not in'the least interested in selfdetermination, they merely wanted more power.

ThaJodeciaiveness of the offensive on March 21 is attributed by Ludendorff to the failure of the 117 th Army and the Wry losses in the onslaught, which otherwise was a brilliant feat. His second -big.disappointment was the failure to capture Amiens, leaving the enemy astride the Somme. The decay in the moral of .the Germans in the later months of the fighting Is repeatedly mentioned. Germany's black dav in the history of the war was August 8, when the British, Australians, Canadians, and French attacked with ■vigor and the Germans between the Somme and the Luce allowed themselves to be completely overwhelmed, 'tanks surprising even divisional headquarters. "I was deeplv confounded and Sum-1 tnoned the commanders. I then heard of deeds cf brilliant gallantry, also of conduet which I had not believed possible in the German Army, including instances of whole detachments surrendering to tanks or single troopers."—Times SeTHoe. • FORMING A SECRET RESERVE. FORMIDABLE ARMY CONTEMPLATED

Berlin, Aug. 21. Socialists declare that Volunteers are Still being secretly enlisted in the army. The newspaper Freie Hoit has published confidential* documents showing that the Llghtsla? Corps is appealing to disbanded members to form a secret reserve. the paper points out that if this example hi followed, with or without the Government's connivance, a -very formidable army would be available at a moment's notice.—Times. JUOKENSEN'S FORCES RETURNING. Received AVg. 25, 130 p.m. / Berlin, Aug. 23. The frrrt detachment of General von Mackenaen's army has arrived in Vienna en route for Germany. Fifty thousand Are following] including General von Maefcenaen.—Renter.