OCR Text |
Show GERMAN AMIES ARE UNBEATEN Staff Officer Says Reason for Request for Armistice Is Not Military Defeat. FRENCH HEADQUARTERS, IN FRENCE. Nov. 3. (By tho Associated Associat-ed rress.) Germany's armies are unbeaten, un-beaten, according to a German divisional divis-ional staff officor. recently taken prisoner pris-oner on tho French front and Germany's Ger-many's request for an armistice was the result of the influence which.pcssi-mists which.pcssi-mists have gained iu the government and over the emperor. This officer, an Intelligent representative represen-tative of his class, said: "The Germans' request for an armistice arm-istice is proof to mo that the grand headquarters has been submerged by tho criBis in the interior of Germany. Influence of the general staff over the emperochas been exaggerated. Emperor Surrounded by Pessimists. "The emperor is surrounded by people peo-ple who feel and talk defeat of the spee'rs of Schcidemann (the German Socialist leader) They are continually setting before the emperor the unfav- orablo situation of Germany from their point of view and painting in sombre colors the frightful responsibility he has incurred, as well as the possible consequences to his person In case of defeat which appears to thorn to be Imminent. "There are days when no officer' of the general staff can gain access to the emperor. These are days of acute pessimism, pes-simism, passed by the monarch almost entirely in prayer and Bible reading. German People Want Peace. "The German people want peace at once and at all costs. They have had enough of war. "Another cause of anxiety is the separatist movement which has become be-come very serious lately. The talk-through talk-through all south Germany now Is: 'Let us separate from Prussia.' Bavaria Against Prussia. I "Bavaria is the worst. There every one, evon the soldiers, may insult Prussia without provoking a word of defense in our behalf. The Bavarian press employs the same tone and we are beginning to think that this is desired de-sired by tho Bavarian army which will make no further effort. Their attitude is an enigma. "There appoars to be no military necessity for conclusion of peace now. in spito of constant retirement of our forces since the middle of July, and this is tho opinion oC the majority of my comrades on different staffs. Hoped for Favorable Peace. "We thought generally our retreat on Siegfried positions would continue till winter, in tho meantime weakening weaken-ing the enemy by our stubborn resistance.. resist-ance.. We would have utilized the winter win-ter to reorganizing, nnd regrouping our forces, while our diplomats would have entered into negotiations that would surely have terminated in a favorable peace for us "Abandonment of Alsace -Lorraino torritorv, evacuation of Russian torrl-torv torrl-torv and creation of a Polish kingdom are equivalent to tho ruin of Germany., taking from us raw materials of Alsace Lorraine which are indispensable to our industries and markets that wr aim to create in th? east. "In consequence there will be stoppage stop-page of a great part of our industries for several years, impoverishment of tho working class, Interior troubles, separations and complete upheaval. Facing Complcto Annihilation. "Then our enemies will have what they have desired complete annihilation annihila-tion of Germany. That would be peace due to Schcidemann. "Wc thought our present retreat would end on a position chosen by us; that war would finally terminate by success or our arms at some part of the front with nid of our now tanks and would bring about conciliatory peace favorable to us." The division staff officer revealed it was opinion of the military casto In Germany that but fomintoward events Germany, after a successful tormina tion of the present struggle, would ; have industries in slppe to furnish war material to both sides in a hypo- ,' thelical war between lhc United States j and Japan, and then, "after both sidn t had become exhausted, would have ' joined hands with one country to crush the other." ' Japan and United States to Clash. Ji The officer said: "Japan and tho United Stales would -1. surely clash some day and we would -M-then furnish both sides with enormous ; quantities of material and munition-'. 4 We would have extinguished our debt. 1 armed ourselves and at tho moment jfttfl when the two parties were exhausted jlAfa would have joined one of them. pro'o-SBI ably Japan, and would have imposed HO conditions which we are unable to ob-ffl tain at this timoi' ffitJ "The sole hope that remains to niCaflw is that tho present German retreat ofi fers nothing but a feint to sow discord bM into camps of allies and to gain time 41 to reassemble and regroup our forces, 'fljl il .ii ... . - .i .j i ii i-warmM .&fl |