Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1920-08-20 | Page 4 | What They Thought of Americans

I WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF AMERICANS Ludendorff lias written Ins book of the- war and now Count Bernstorff has committed nil recollections to paper, and thr- two publications make interesting reading as disclosing ihc German side of the mighty si niggle. Bernstorff on his inp home i Germany, was delayed bj the British ai Halifax, as they feared he might har n message for the Germans which would cause a courting of America's good will. After the ambassador arrived in Berlin, the courl as slow in receiving him and finally when he was granted a hearing Ins story was discounted. dis-counted. Bernstorff gives this interview with Ludendorff: "General Ludendorff received me with the following words : " In Anion.Ni you Wanted to make ponce Yon evidently evi-dently tiioughl we were ai the end of our tether ' T replied : "No, I did not think that; but I wanted to make peace before we came to the end ol our tether ""Whereupon the general said " 'We. however, did nl want to. Besides, it would not have been surprising ii you had thought that wc hail come to the end of our resources The communications you received, which 1 read from time to lime, certainly led to that conclusion.' "Later on in the conversation General Ludendorff asked me when, in my opinion, the Americans would participate partic-ipate in the war with great force 1 replied that in twelve months a large ' American arm) was to be expected in France, and that this army uould be organized with comparative com-parative ease To this the general rejoined that in that .asc we had ample time to end the wai meanwhile; for the U-boats would force England to a peace in three months He had re eived absolutely certain information n this point When T was on the point of Leaving, General Ludendorff repeated re-peated this remark ver positively It is stated that Bernstorff, although he measured America more accurately than did Ludendorff, still had doubt 8s the fighting qualities of the Americans and one one occasion, referred to this country coun-try ns "a trading nation." That was the general valuation "i tin country by European military minds Even General Poch, prior 10 iiateuu Thierry and St. Mihiel, plainly indicated by his war policy a doubt as to the fighting qualities of all army made of "soft material." i The Spaniards, when thej defied the United States in the Cuban trouble, trou-ble, opened the conflict with expressions of contempt lor the shop j keepers.'' Even before the ' 1 v i I war. Tom Moore who visited the United Slates, told of the nation of "shopkeepers " The war of the Union and the South should have wiped out those false impressions, but it did not It required the challenge from Germany, which brought the American boys Erom every walk ol life into the battle lines, to shock the world out of its misunderstanding of the courage and ability of a might people, prefcrablj devoted to peace but ready to die foi .1 principle. General Johnston said the American arinj was the mosl re sourceful fighting force ever assembled and he gives an illustration: When general Johnston s troops were crossing the Atlantic they were on a British steamei The coal passers were taken down with influenza Volunteers were called for and a crew was organized organ-ized to fin the boilers The new force got better results than the regulars. Then six men at the wheel were afflicted, ami from the troops were drawn VOUUg EellowS who knew how to steer a big 'hip At last the captain was confined to bis cabin, and the ship from the bridge to the hob' was being operated by American soldier ho