Springfield weekly Republican. [volume], September 19, 1918, Page 4, Image 4

About Springfield weekly Republican. [volume] (Springfield, Mass.) 1851-1946

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4
PERSHING’S DRIVE
THE WAR BULLETINS
AMERICANS IN ACTION
CLEAR ST MIHIEL SALIENT
Austria Voices the Central Opinion
That It Is About Time to
Stop
THURSDAY
Allied Drive Halts In Mud
[By the Associated Press.]
Eight weeks to the day, and for the
Drat time, the great allied offensive of
Marshal Foch is at a virtual pause.
True, both the British and French on
sectors of the front extending
'from Flanders to the east of Soissons
•gain have recorded advances, hut
yesterday witnessed no such progress
by the allies toward strategic objec
tives as past days had brought them
—before the torrential rains turned
the lowlands into impassable marshe;
end the badly worsted enemy rushed
large reinforcements forward to stop
the gaps through which the Brit
ish. French and American armies
•re threatening to filter and wreck his
•ntireiy military situation.
Cleared of the Enemy
During the eight weeks that have
passed the allied troops have cleared
•ImoEt In its entirety the enemy-held
territory from the Marne to theAisne
in the great triangle which had Cha
teau Thierry at its apex and Sois
sons and Rheims respectively its
western and eastern anchor points;
from Soissons to Arras, the old 'bulge
westward to Montdidier and toward
the doorsteps of Amiens has, all but
been obliterated and the allies are now
•landing across a large portion of the
old Hindenburg defense line and vir
tually are upon the remainder of it,
while in the north of Flanders, the
deep salients which threatened the
English channel ports have bent west
ward and the enemy is expelled from
the vantage points which he had ex
pected ultimately to make his drive in
an endeavor to gain the seaboard and
thus cause a diversion of the trans
port service from England to south
ern France.
Until the rains began falling there
had been no let-up in the allied offen
sive. notwithstanding the fact that the
German high command had stiffened
Its resistance everywhere, discarding
infantry units as such and turning
»hem into machine-gun companies and
bringing up last numbers of guns of
•II caliber to hold the aggressors back.
"Wherefore it is hot improbable that
Foch. when the skies have cleared
*nd the marshes disappeared, again
will take up with full impetus his task
of putting the enemy on hik mettle
and continue for the two months of
good fighting weather remaining, if
rot beyond that period, his efforts
with his own now great forces to drive
the Germans farther back toward the
Rhine.
For the Prize of St Quentin
The British and French troops ap
parently are in a hard race for the
prize of St Quentin, forces of both
•rmies now being at equidistant
points west of the city—the British
In the vicinity of Vermand and the
French at Etriilers and Coupy. To
the north the British in local opera
tions leave made further progress
north of Epehy in the operation which
has for its purpose the driving of a
wedge midway between Cambrai and
St Quentin and also have successfully
•retained heavy counter-attacks by
the Germans near Gouzeaucourt,
where the Germans are trying hard
to hold back the British push toward
Cambrai.
North of the St Gobain massif the
French have made additional slight
advances notwithstanding the bad
.condition of the terrain and the strong
of the enemy alligned against
ithem L; an effort to prevent the turn
ing of this important position from
the west. Heavy artillery activity <s
in progress all along this front, and
likewise on the sectors northeast of
Boisson.- and between the Aisne and
Vesle i ivers, the operations on which
nave a direct bearing on those north
Of the St Gobain forest.
In Flanders, the British have been
■uccessful in local encounters near
Armentieres and in the region of La
Eassee canal.
Additional American troops have
lrnded at Archangel, northern Rus
sia, to aid the other allied forces in
the putting down of the disturbed
conditions in that region.
FRIDAT
Americans Strike at St Mlhiel
American troops operating in the
Bt Mihiel sector made considerable
*ains yesterday, Gen Pershing re
ported in his communique to the war
department late last night. Already
8000 prisoners have been counted and
the movement is still in progress.
[By the Associated Press.]
The American first army, under
command of Gen Pershing, is in mo
tion against the Germans on a 20-
mile front on the famous St Mihiel
salient in Lorraine, which had stood
a sharp wedge in the French line
southwest of Verdun since the begin
ning of the war.
In the preliminary thrust, ground
was gained on both sides of the tri
angle and also at its apex at St Mi
hiel, and at last accounts the Amer
icans, with whom some French troops
are brigaded, were fast sweeping
across the salient in an effort to close
the mouth of the big pocket before the
Germans can extricate themselves
from the perilous position they are in
as a result of the suddenness of the
blow and the element of surprise it
carried with it.
Tanks Bace Far Ahead
Although the advance of the Ameri
cans was swift and sure and gains in
excess of four miles on the southern
aide of the battle area were made,
the cavalry far outstripped the tanks
and footmen and was last reported
operating along the railroad near
VlgneuUes, almost in the center of
the salient and some 10 miles north
east of St Mihiel, and also northwest
of Pont-a-Mousson, through the for
ests and along the railway line run
ning northward to Metz, the great
German fortress, the southern outer
fortifications of which are less than
10 miles distant.
Thiaoourt. Boullouville, Pannes and
several other towns in the south were
captured in the Initial dash, while
on the west at the northern edge of
the pocket the village of Combres was
captured and the environs of Doir.-
martln la Montagne were reached. To
the south everywhere the Americans
penetrated into the hights of the
Meuse and the French fought their
way into the outskirts of 8t Mihiel.
Unofficial reports are to the effect
that the town has been recaptured
by the French.
The fighting front at the beginning
•f thw battle aggregated 20 miles—
eight jnilpe .OB' theJFgegjJP and
12 mile* on the southern side. The
fishting was preceded by an extreme
ly heavy artillery bombardment, and
the troops and tanks advanced un
der barrage which was carried out
with mathematical precision.
May Not Be Able to Get Out
From the war maps it would seem
almost impossible for the Germans
to evacuate the salient, as they ap
parently are trying to do, although
they are offering resistance with ma
chine guns and artillery, without huge
losses in men and material. The first
reports show that the Americans took
700 prisoners in the first stages of
the battle and had suffered remark
ably small casualties.
The strategy of Marshal Foch ir.
the present maneuver cannot be fore
seen. except that it has as the first
objective the leveling of the St Mi
hiel sector and the straightening of
the allied line from the region of Ver
dun eastward. The obliteration of the
salient, would be necessary before a
direct thrust toward German territory
from this region would be possible.
Whether Marshal Foch has in view
a campaign up to the Meuse valley
or Metz and the Moselle valley in
mind, remains to be seen.
Further Successes for British
In the north Field Marshal Haig
is still hard after the Germans in the
region of Cambrai. Here he again
has advanced his front toward the
much desired German base; penetrat
ed into the old British defense line:
crossed the canal du Nord north of
Havrincourt: taken Havrincourt and
another section of the Hindenburg line
and sent 1000 Germans into the Brit
ish prisoners’ cage in the rear. The
Germans fought hard at Havrincourt
to stay the British, but all through
counter-attacks were beaten off.
Further advances for the British
also are reported in the region south
of La Bassee canal and northwest of
Armentieres.
SATURDAY
Americans Flatten the Salient
The prisoners taken by the Amer
icans in flattening out the St Mihiel
salient now number 13,300, Gen Per
shing reported in his communique for
Friday, received late that night at the
war department at Washington." No
mention was made of the number of
guns and other booty captured. The
enemy, Gen Pershing said, is retiring
before the steady advance of the
Americans and is destroying large
quantities of materials, as he goes.
[By the Associate!}.Progs.]
The American Ist army has carried
out with the utmost dispatch the ini
tial task assigned to it. This task was
the leveling of the famous St Mihiel
salient in Lorraine, and in a little
more than 24 hours not alone had the
work been accomplished,- but-Gen Per
shing’s men had all the important
towns, villages and strategic positions
in the sector within their hands and
were standing on the banks of the
Moselle river at Pagny, looking across
the stream into German territory. The
southern outer fortifications of Metz,
the great German stronghold in Lor
raine, were only four miles distant.
Large numbers of Germans had
been taken prisoner—more than 12,-
000 had been counted and others were
still on their way back to the pris
oner cages—and many guns and
machine guns and tons on tons of
ammunition and other war stores were
in American hands.
Free Railroads in Salient
From Hattonvllle. situated in the
foothills of'theßights of the-Meuse,
on the north, across the salient" east
ward to Pagny, the Americans have
closed the mouth of the big salient
that extended southward to St Mihiel,
trapping within it by their fast ad
vance all the enemy forces who failed
to take refuge in flight when the
great bombardment of Thursday morn-'
ing heralded the approach of the of
fensive.
In addition, along the eastern side
of the hights north of Hattonville the
Americans have debouched from the
hill region and are astride the railroad
running from Commercy to Verdun.
Likewise the Thiaucourt-Metz ’and
Nancy-Metz railroads are in American
bands.
Beginning in the northwest and
crossing the salient eastward, Fresnes
Les Eparges. Hattonville Preny and
Pagny, and all the ground lying be
tween them, are in American hands.
The towns of Vignettes. Thiaucourt,
Pont-a-Mousson and St Mihiel are far
in the rear of the present line. Mont
Sec. the dominating hight in the cen
ter of the salient, from which much
trouble had been expected, fell with
out fighting. Among the numerous
Prisoners taken were men from Aus
tro-Hungarian armies.
Although the operatiqn of the
Americans has been described as hav
ing “limited objectives," it neverthe
less cannot but have a most important
bearing on the future of the war. From
the straightened line growing out of the
obliteration of the St Mihiel salient the
Americans now are in a splendid posi
tion to act with their brothers-ln
arms on sectors eastward when the
time is ripe for a strike into Germany
direct. A.lso they are now aligned on
territory from which it is possible to
get behind both the Meuse and Mo
selle. rivera and thus nullify,, the re
ported plans of the Germans to sta
bilize their front along the Meuse
should they be unable to hold the al
lies in the west in check.
Already, allied airmen are heavily
bombarding the Moselle around Metz
and its outlying fortifications, having
dropped many tons of bombs on the
strategic railway leading from the
great fortress and it seemingly is not
without reason to expect that with ap
parent supremacy in the air, Metz and
the surrounding country henceforth is
to be sadly harassed by the allied fly
ing squadrons.
British and French Make Gains
Meanwhile the maneuvering on the
west front around Cambrai and St
Quentin should not be lost sight of
by reason of the present American of
fensive. Here the British and French
daily are enlarging their gains in the
process of outflanking and capturing
these two important towns, which are
all hut within their grasp. Farther
north in Flanders the British also are
keeping up their encroachments in the
region of La Bassee and Armentleres,
both of which places are imperiled.
SUNDAY
French Strike at Bend Near Laon
[By the Associated Press.]
Marshal Foch. pursuing his policy
of giving the Germans never a min
ute’s rest, followed up the incisive
stroke of the Americans, which wiped
out the St Mihiel salient In two days’
time, by launching an offensive yes
terday morning on the French front
along the end in the line around Laon.
The blow took immediate effect on
the German lines, pushing them back
from one to two miles at points in this
Important sector, where It is well-nigh
vital for the Germans to hold fast if
they hope to retain control of any con
siderable part of northern France dur
ing the coming winter.
Cleaning Up at St Mihiel
Meanwhile the process of cleaning
up the St Mihiel salient was being
continued by Gen Pershing's troops,
who so far are reported to have ef
fected the catsup e of more than 20,-
THE SPRINGFIELD WEEKLY REPUBLICAN; THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1918
000 Germans as the result of the
clean-cut drive of the American first
army.
Thera were indications in the re
ports from the front that the Ameri
can success may have done somewhat
more than straighten out the line
above the former St Mihiel bend, for
the Germans were said to be retiring
near Chatillon, along a front five rr
six miles to the northwest of the for
mer westerly lip of the salient. They
were probably forced to this in the
readjustment of their line to meet
the altered conditions.
The New French Drive
With the lessening of the tension
on the St Mihiel front, interest is
centered at present in the French as
sault on the Atlette-Aisne front. Gen
Petoin’s troops here were gaining
ground where every yard was • ex
tremely valuable, as the German
position along the Aisne and the
Vesle to the east have been under an
Increasing threat for some time by
the French advance on their left
flank. The advance will not have to
be pressed much further before a
German retreat on a wide front in
this sector will be compelled.
By driving in sharply in his pres
ent move. Marshal Foch probably in
tends to make untenable even the
Chemin des Dames, the former Ger
man holding ground north of the
Aisne. He has made marked progress
already in this by taking Mont des
Singes, south of the Ailette. It is but
a short distance thence to the Anizy-
Pinon line, the capture of which by
Petain last fall compelled the German
crown prince to fall back from the
Chemin des Dames to the Ailette line
to the north.
Beach Tailly on the Aisne
The French progress here likewise
represents a renewal of the drive at
the St Gobain massif, and therefore
at the citadel of Laon. which that
bastion defends. Moving directly into
the massif further north, above the
Ailette, the French are reported to
be progressing satisfactorily.
Along the Aisne the advance has
taken the French some distance
further toward the east, and they
were early reported to have reacbcd
Vailly, on the north bank of the
Aisne. pushing the Germans back
from the river as they advanced.
The British front has held intact
against a series of German assaults
in what appears to be a fit of des
peration over the inroads made in the
defenses of Cambrai by Field Marshal
Haig’s forces in their recent progress.
The British successfully beat off sev
eral such attacks at Havrincourt and
Gouzeaucourt. holding their valuable
positions on the high ground in this
sector.
MONDAY
Austria Launches a Big Peace Propo
sal
Overshadowing in interest even
Marshal. Foch's hammer blows against
the harried Germans is a Teutonic
bid for peace made thro.ugh the impe
rial government of Austria-Hungary,
said the Associated Press war sum
mary last night. The formal plea Of
Emperor Charles to the belligerents
for “a confidential and nonbinding dis
cussion on the basic principles for the
conclusion of peace" conies as the
first sensational move in the "peace
offensive" which has been expected
since German arms began to stag
ger back from the fierce thrusts of
the British, French and Americans,
Washington and the allied capitals
hailed the call for a conference oh
neutral soil as another German ruse
to getter better terms' than they might
expect when the war has been carried
to the Rhine. They were convinced
that Austria, whose people have Ion?
been war-weary, had been called upon
to bear the onus of making peace
overtures and thus saving the face of
Germany.
Not Taken Seriously by Allies
Not only in Washington but in
London and Paris pacifists found cold
comfort. None of the governments
involved wag inclined to take serious
ly tlje request that delegates be sent
to such a conference as that proposed
by the Austrian ruler. It was pointed
out that the United States and the
entente allies have made their peace
aims so clear there can be no mis
taking them.
The assertion that "the central
powers leave it in no doubt that they
are waging a war of defense for the
integrity and security of their terri
tcries,” was greeted with added skep
ticism in the face of the Washington
disclosures, unmasking completely
the intrigue which has wrecked Rus
sia. Publication of documents prov
ing beyond all question that Germany
had waited only for a plausible pre
text to plunge the world into war,
cast a sinister shadow over the be
nevolent protestations of Emperor
William’s closest ally.
It was accompanied, also, by the
announcement that a German subma
rine had sunk the British steamship
Galway Castle with the loss of 189
lives. Ninety of those who perished
were women and children. At the
same time U-boats renewed their at
tacks upon shipping on this side of
the Atlantic, shelling only SO miles
off the coast a transport carrying Ca
nadian sick and wounded.
Grim meaning was given the peace
overtures by the announcement from
Paris that Austrian troops which
tried to block the way of the Ameri
cans were utterly demoralized and
surrendered to a man.
The Austrian proposal, which is an
nounced in an official communication
telegraphed here from Vienna, sug
gests that there be no interruption of
the war and that the "discussions
would go only so far as is considered
by the participants to offer prospects
of success." The proposal calls for all
the belligerents to send delegates for
a "confidential and unbinding discus
sion on the basic principles for the
conclusion of peace, in a place in a
neutral country and at a near date
that would yet have to be agreed
upon.”
The proposal says the conference
would be one of delegates who would
be charged to make known to one an
other the conception of their govern
ments regarding those principals and
to receive analogous communications
as well as to request and give frank
and candid explanations on all those
points which need to be precisely de
fined.
Chief Points in Anstrla’s Proposal
"Confidential and unbinding discus
sion” would proceed while the war
was in progress.
There is a growing desire In all
countries for a peace by understand
ing.
Further continuance of the bloody
struggle must transform Europe into
ruins.
Reduced demands of the allies; Bal
four and Lloyd George cited; parti
tion of Austria disclaimed by entente.
President Wilson’s principles fa
vored; "Likely to meet with no ob
jection” if reconcilable with vital in
terests.
Public discussion futile; controversy
makes frank exchange of ideas more
difficult
Proposal of a confidential and un
binding discussion on the basic prin
ciples for the conclusion of peace.
TUESDAY
United States Flatly Refuses
[By the Associated Press ]
The United States has tupped its.
back on the Austro-Hungarian peac"
proposal. Secretary Lansing, by au
thorisation of President Wilson, an-
nounces that the United States "can
and will entertain no proposal for a
conference upon a matter concerning
which it has made its position and
purpose so plain.”
The British secretary for foreign
affairs, Mr Balfour, has also stated,
though unofficially, that he is utterly
unable to see that such a conference
as proposed by Austria could havfe the
desired end. adding, "It is Incredible
that anything can come of this pro
posal."
While the German newspapers com
ment on the proposal as though Ger
many had no part in it. the Vienna
newspapers declare emphatically that
all of Austria's allies had been in
formed of Austria's inteption, though
the action itself was Austria-Hun
gary's own.
Secretary Lansing’s Statement
Almost immediately after receiv
ing the Austrian government’s note
from the minister of ' Sweden, Mr
Ekengren, Secretary Lansing last
night issued this formal statement:—
"1 am authorized by the president
to state that the following will be the
reply of this government to the Aus
tro-Hungarian note, proposing an un
official conference of belligerents:
" 'The government of the United
States feels that there is only one
reply which it can make to the sug
gestion of the imperial Austro-Hunga
rian government. It has repeatedly
and with entire candor stated the
terms upon which the United States
would consider peace, and can and
will entertain no proposal for a con
ference upon a matter concerning
which it has made its position and
purpose so plain.’ ’’
Mr Lansing's statement was given
out within half an hour after he had
received the Austrian proposal It
w-ould have been forthcoming almost
immediately upon the delivery of the
Austrian note, had it not been found
necessary in order to avoid the possi
bility of grave error, to make a care
ful comparison between the official
text and that which was received in
news dispatches Sunday night from
Amsterdam.
No Shadow of Doubt
T.ius, emphasis was added to the
declaration, if any were needed the
quickness of the reply indicating the
existence of no shadow of doubt in
the mind of the administration as to
what it should be. As soon as Mr
Lansing's reply can be put in form it
will be handed to the Swedish minister
for transmission to Austria.
The Swedish legation notified the
state department early in the after
noon that it had received the note
and that it would be presented as
soon as it could be decoded and trans
lated from the French. This consumed
Several hours and it was not until
b.-’O o clock that Mr Ekengren ap
peared. He remained with the secre
tary only two minutes.
There Is some reason to believe that
the secretary acted with this unprece
dented promptness in a matter of
such great importance with the de
sign not only to Indicate clearly the
position of the United States govern
ment, but perhaps to anticipate and
prevent as far as possible newspaper
discussions of the Austrian proposition
which might convey to the enemy h
misleading impression that there was
am- considerable element in the United
States willing to consider a negotiated
Peace, such as the “nonbinding’’ dis
cussions, proposed by Austria might
develop.
Also, it is understood, there was a
purpose to sound the note which the
entente powers might repeat in mak
ing their own answers. All these" pow
ers had gone on record formally as
accepting the conditions of peace laid
down by President Wilson as their
own.
Secrecy Objectionable '
While no reference to it? was mad*
in the reply which the United States
government is making to Austria, it is
known that one of the most objection
able features of Baron Biirian’s propo
sitwn was the secrecy' suggested for
the ‘nonbinding’’ conferences. It was
realized by officials at Washihgton
that the purpose was to barter away
the rights of Various nationalities in
star-chamber proceedings so that the
victims would have no knowledge of
” until it was beyond recall.
This system of barter was particularly
denounced by President Wilson in one
of hi s speeches.
That the German people themselves
were to be kept in the dark by the
military masters and prevented from
having any voice in the peace which
wa ® be imposed upon them was
regarded as an assured fact. There
nas been some apprehension in ad
ministration circles that a combina
tion of great financial interests, that
know- no nationality and fear the de
struction of all wealth and business
spread of bolshevik ideas,
might some way be behind this
movement to bring about a peace and
terminate the war before it had been
f °u£ht to a clear decision.
There is no such apprehension on
the part of the administration of a
cataclysm which will bring down all
civilized institutions, and instead the
general staff has given every assur
ance that the war is proceeding to a
reasonably early and complete victory
which will involve the acceptance by
the central powers of the only possible
terms of peace—namely, those laid
down by President Wilson.
Way for “Unconditional Surrender?”
There is some speculation in offi
cial circles as to what will be the next
step in what is recognized as the great
Germanic peace offensive. Generally,
it is believed that the German and
Austrian military leaders will point to
the American reply as an evidence
that they have done everything possi
ble to bring about peace and thus try
to strengthen their people for another
winter campaign. But another view
Is that owing to the intolerable condi
tions in Austria-Hungary there Is
more than a possibility of a breaking
up of the quadruple alliance; that
Austria, having gone through the
form of making a peace proposal,
which was promptly rejected, has thus
cleared the way for her next Step
an unconditional surrender oh the
terms laid down 1 y President Wilson.
PERU WON’T GO TO WAR
Motion for Declaration Defeated
by Chamber of Deputies
A motion for a declaration of war
on Germany, made at a secret session
of the Peruvian Chamber of Deputies
Friday night was defeated by a large
majority says a dispatch from London.
Instead the Ohamber approved a
motion presented by the minister of
foreign affairs reading; “The rupture
Of diplomatic relations between Peru
and Germany on October 5. 1917. and
the later acts of the Peruvian govern
ment resulting from said rupture
altering the neutral policy of the coun
try define the international situation
of Peru in the present war and con
stitute a demonstration of the adhesion
of the republic to the cause of liberty
and right.
"This position in the event of no new
circumstances should be maintained
and unaltered as a protest against
the outrage of which Peru was the
victim and as testimony of qur soli
darity -with the great American democ
racy which proclaims for the. world,
the reign of Justice.”
It is expected that the Senate Will
approve the resolution.
FIGHT TO THE LAST
PLEDGE TO THE KAISER
BY WORKMEN AT KRUPP'S
WILLIAM MAKES A SPEECH
Says He Has Always Been Heady
for Peace, but His Proffers
Have Been Spurned
Speaking at the Krupp munition
works at Essen, Emperor William de
clared that everyone in the remotest
corner of the fatherland knew that he
had "left no stone unturned to shorten
the war as far as possible for your
people and for the entire civilized Eu
ropean world,” says a dispatch from
Amsterdam.
The emperor said it took two to
make peace, that one could not do it
unless he could overcome the other.
Germany, he declared, was confronted
with her enemies’ will to destroy her,
and she must place against this her
determination to preserve her ex
istence.
After mentioning his. offers of peace
the emperor said. that the German
leaders had made it plain to everyone
who wished to understand "that we
are at all times ready to offer the hand
to peace."
In beginning his address he said: —
“My dear friends at the Krupp
works: I have long felt a desire to
pay you a visit during this war, but,
as you know, numerous political and
military duties have summoned me
to the various battlefields and regions
of war-wrecked Europe. Now at last;
to my delight, I have succeeded in
coming here to the works which I have
been aMs to observe in their develop
ment since my earliest childhood and
the inspection of which has always
filled me with the greatest admiration
for German science and inventive
energy.
"What I want to do to-day is to
express my imperial thanks to the di
rectors of the Krupps, the foremen,
the workmen and trie workwomen for
the absolutely astounding manner in
which the Krupp works have been
placed at the disposal of the German
army and its supreme war lord. Very
great work has been accomplished by
all from the directors down to the last
workman and workwoman, and this
under Increasing food difficulties, cloth
ing difficulties and losses, sorrows and
cares which have spared no home,
neither princely house nor modest
workman's dwelling.”.
’’lndustrial mobilization, without dis
tinction of age or sex, has constituted
a demand such as never before was
made on the German people, and yet
it was responded to willingly and
fully. In that connection I should like,
above all! to express my warm thanks
as the country’s father to .the women
as well as the girls and the men for
their self-sacrificing performance of
their duty, despite their harassing
’cares.
"No one amongst our people should
imagine I am not conversant with,
this. In my journeylngs through the.
land I have spoken. With many a wid
ow, many a peasant, many a member
of the landwehr and the landsturm,.
-frhose* hearts were heavy with cares,
but who glowed with the thought of
duty first. I have been touched by
your cares to- the depths of my heart.
What paternal suggestion could do to
diminish the burden- as far as .possi
ble has been done. Much cduld have
been done otherwise, it is no wonder
there is dissatisfaction here and there.
Who Introduced -Terrible Hate”!
“But to whom, after all, do we owe
this? Who spoke at the very begin
ning of the war of starving out the
German women and children? Who
was it who introduced terrible hatred
into this war? It was the enemy,
"Every one of you In the remotest
corner of the fatherland knows that
I left no stone unturned to shorten the
war as far as possible for you and
your people and for the entire civilized
European world. In December, 101IJ.
I presented the enemy public with a
clear and unambiguous offer of peaeo
in the name of the German empire and
my allies; Jeers, mockery and con
tempt were the answer.
Always Heady for Peace
“He tip above knows my sense of
responsibility. Repeatedly during the
past months the responsible leaders
of the imperial government have un
ambiguously given to understand, to
everyone who wished to understand,
that we are at all times ready to offer
the. hand tp peace. . , ...
The emperor declared the answer
of Germany’s enemy was the outspo
ken will to the. destruction, the dis
integration, the crushing of Germany.
“To make peace." he added, “two are
needed. If either is unwilling, the
other cannot, presuming that he does
not overthrow the other. Thus we
are confronted w-ith the enemy’s Ab
solute will to destruction. And
against this absolute will to destruc
tion we mu6t place our absolute will
to preserve our existence.
"Our brave army out there has
shown you this will and deed, whether
in assault or withdrawal or trench
fighting. The only thing that mat
ters is that the enemy should lose
as much as possible that has occurred
and continues to occur.
"Our death-defying navy has
proved that. It beat the enemy at
the Skaggerack despite his great su
periority. Our U-boats, like a con
suming worm, gnaw at the enemy’s
vitals more than our enemies will ad
mit.
"Even though in the opinion of
many among you It is lasting too
long, every German man and every
German woman must in witnessing
these incomparably heroic deeds of
our army and our navy, be aware that
we are fighting and struggling for
existence and that we must make the
utmost effort to defend ourselves vic
toriously, not only through the work
but ,as legards the thoughts of our
people.
"Many among you have often asked
themselves during this long war:
‘How did such a thing happen? Why
did we have to undergo such a thing
after 40 years of peace?’ I think it
is a question well worthy of an an
swer and which must be answered
fer the future, for our children and
our grandchildren. I have thought
long on the matter and have come
to the following answer:-—
“In this world good clashes with;
evil. That is how things have been
ordered from on high—the yes and
the no. Ths no of the doubting mind
against the yes of the greatest mind.
The no of the pessimist against the
yes of ths optimist; ths no of the Un
believer against the yes of the cham
pion of faith: ths yes of heaven
ajjalnst the no Of hell.
"You will acknowledge that I : am
right in describing: this war as the
pioduct it a great negation. And
do you ask what negation it is? It
is the negation of the German peo
ple’s right to existence. It is the
negation of all our kultur. a negation
of our achievements, of all our work.
"The German people was indus
trious. meditative, assiduous, imagi
native in all domains. It worked with
.hody and soul, .but there, were people
who did not wish to work but to rest
on their laurels. Those were our
enemies. We got close to them
through our profitable work and the
development of our industry, science
and art, through our popular educa
tion and soejal legislation. Thereby
our people throve and then came envy.
"Envy induced our enemies io fight,
and war came upon us. And now
when our opponents see that their
hopes have been deceptive and how
our mighty generals, after whom your
new workshops are rightly named,
have dealt them blow upon blow, ha
tred springs up. We only know the
honest wrath which deals the enemy
the blew, but when he lies prostrate
and bleeding we extend to him our
hand and see to his recovery.
"Hatred manifests itself only among
peoples who feel themselves beaten.
If, therefore, such terrible hatred ex
ists among our enemies it owes its
origin to the fact that their calcula
tions have been wrong. Everyone
who knows the character of the An
glo-Saxons knows what it means to
fight them—how tenacious they are.
We do not know when the struggle
will end, but one thing we do know,
namely, that we must fight the bat
tle through.
“And now. my friends, let me draw
your attention to something more.
You have read what recently hap
pened in Moscow, the mighty con
spiracy against the present govern
ment. The parliamentary-governed,
democratic British nation has endeav
ored to overthrow the ultra-demo
cratic government which the Russian
people had begun to construct because
this government, considering the in
terests of its fatherland, wishes to
maintain its people in the peace for
which it clamors.
"But the Anglo-Saxon docs not yet
desire peace. That is how things are.
It is proof of his feeling of inferior
ity, and the Anglo-Saxon has re
course to such criminal means.
"Everything now depends on our
final exertions. Everything is at stake
and because our enemies know it. be
cause they have the greatest respect
for the German army, because they
see they cannot overcome our army
and navy, they are trying to overcome
us by means of internal disintegra
tion and to weaken us by false ru
mors.
"These do not emanate from the
German people. They are artificial
productions. But whoever hearkens to
such rumors, whoever passes on un
substantiated news in the railway
workshop or elsewhere sins against
the fatherland, he is a traitor and is
liable to severe punishment no mat
ter whether he be a oount or a work
man.
"I know very well every one of you'
will acknowledge that I am right n
this matter. Believe me it is not easy
for me to bear every day the anxiety
and the responsibility for a nation of
seventy millions, and for more than
four years be a spectator to all the
difficulties and increasing distress of
the people.”
The emperor then referred to the
empress, who he said: “By God’s as
sistance again is on the road to re
covery," He recalled the passages of
the Bible: “Cast thy burden upon the
Lord and he shall sustain thee,” and
“But seek „ye first, his kingdom and
his righteousness, and all these things,
shall be added unto you." ~ He then
added:—
"How can we please God and soften
his heart? By doing our duty! Hi
making oujt fatherland'free! Conse
quently, it is "(Star diity to hdld out
with aIT our strength in the' fight
against Our enemies.
“Each one of us has received his
appointed task from on high. You at
your hammer, you at your lathe afid
I on my throne. We must all. how
ever, build on God’s assistance. Doubt
Is the greatest ingratitude toward the
Lord and now I ask you all simply
and honestly: Have we, then, really
ground for doubt?
Will God Abandon Us Now !
“Just look at the four years of war!
What immense achievements we have
behind .us! Half the world stood
against us and our royal - allies, and
now we have peace with Russia and
peace with Rumania. Servia and Mon
tenegro are finished.
“Only in the west do we still fight
and is it to be thought that good God
will abandon us there at the last
moment?.
“We should be ashamed of the faint
heartedness which comes when one
gives credence to rumors. From the
facts which , you yourselves have ex
perienced, forge, for yourselves a firm -
belief in the future of your fatherland.
“We often at. home and at the front,
church and in the open air. have sung:
‘Ein feste. burg ist unser Gott.’ So.
it is resounded in the blue vault of
heaven and in the thunder clouds. The
nation from which such a hymn orig
inated must be invincible.
"My request, my demand, of vou
and through you to all the workers
who have proved themselves so ad
mirable and capable, and through you
again to the entire German people,
is this: For me and my relations to
my peop’e my words of August 4.
1914. hold good. I know no party,
I know' only Germans.
“It is now no time for fac
tions. The most appropriate word
is to be as hard as steel, and a block
of the German people welded into steel
shall show its strength to the enemy.
“Whoever, therefore, is determined
to obey this summons, whoever has
his heart in the right place and who
exer intends to keep faith let him
stand up.
Kaiser Pledges Workmen
“Now promise me on behalf of the
entire German labor: We Intend to
fight and to hold out to the last, so
‘help us, God. Whoever so intends
let him answer ’Yes,’ ”
The assembly loudly chorused "Yes.”
and the emperor continued: —
“I thank you. With this ‘Yes’ Igo
r.ow to the field marshal. Now it is
for everyone of us to fulfill his vow
of duty and to exert his body and mind
to the utmost for the fatherland.
Every doubt must be banished from
mind and heart. Our watchword now
is: The German swords are raised,
hearts are strong and muscles are
taut. On to battle against everything
that stands against us no matter how
long it lasts! So help us, God. Amen
And now. farewell."
DEADLY ANIMALS
I’m glad I was not hereabouts
When roamed the dinosaur;
The pterodactyl would, 1 feat,
Have scared me even more.
No doubt the kaiser of those days
.Enjoyed their little frightful ways.
For tigers with a saber-tooth
I’d be an easy mark;
I'd hate to meet the Java man,
Alone, or In the dark— t '
The kaiser would have lovect.ghe muss
Kicked up by plthysnuthropus!
But there are animals and men
That cause but spritt alarm.
That are more deadly lp thelt ways,
And do us for more harm—
If William reads our dully papers
How lie uvosc-kivc IF 8. Red-Taper's.
- ELI.I.V M KHIMHTH.
\VaH»!l>*Uw, »• *“•, August iitir.iOlS.
AGAINST AMERICA
PLOTS BY BOLSHEVIKI
UNDER GERMAN ORDERS
MORE DOCUMENTS GIVEN OUT
Information Regarding Allies’
Supplies Demanded by Berlin—
Plans for Sabotage and Loot
ing — “Agents Des
Destructors”
Secret activities against the United
States and the allies by the German
paid and controled Russian bol
sheviki government are the subject
of Monday’s chapter of confidential
documents from Russia given to the
public by the American government.
One of the documents, a terse note
from the German geenral staff to the
council of peoples commissaries, dis
,J° S ® S that as long ago as November,
" lltn the Russian regime was
still regarded as an ally of the na
tions at war with Germany, the Ger
mans were brusquely requiring Len
lne and Trutzky to furnish informa
tion regarding the amounts and places
of storage of supplies received bv
Russia from America, England and
France.
Others tell of the launching in
January and February this year of a
bolsheviki peace and socialistic prop
aganda against the United States
England and France at the direction
of the German intelligence service.
This was at the very time that
Seheidomann, the powerful German
Socialist and world socialist apostle
was in. communication with his Rus
sian brothers "regarding the destruc
tion of the traces of the party’s busi
ness relations with the imperial gov
ernment.” The intelligence service
required the bolsheviki to send to the
allied countries through neutral
Europe "comrades” under assumed
names and with false passports to
preach their doctrine of disorganiza
tion and to carry on campaigns Of
counter revolution, sabotage, lootiiia
etc.
Plans of the Germans for sending
three submarines, dissembled, by rail
overland to Vladivostok for service on
the Pacific are disclosed in a com
munication of the German high seas
fleet general staff to the commissars.
Another of the naval communications
.reveals a scheme conceived in Jan
uary; of employing Russian ships on
the Pacific under the Russian flag io
carry agitators and "agents des de
structors’’ to the United States. Japan
and ; the British colonies in easto-n
Asia.
Personal notes from the German
intelligence service to the commissa.s
describe the assault upon and robberv
of the • Italian embassador in tlic
streets of Petrograd in February las!
m a, • vain effort to get possession ol
important papers believed to have
been in the embassador’s possession
OUter notes tell in detail of the watcii
kept upon the American and other al
lied embassies.
Like, the remainder of the docu
ments of tlie series,, those made pub
lic Monday are Accompanied by
notes explaining which are originals
and which photographic copies and by
explanatory comments by. Edgar Sis
son. who obtained the correspondence
in. Russia for the committee on public
Information.
The following documents, with Mr
Sisson’s interpretive notes, expose the
German-bolshevik plot against the
alhes.
DOCUMENT NO 18
[Gr. General Staff. Central Depart
ment. Section M, No 951, Dec. 20,
191 i.J
Secret Dept. Affair 31-a
To the Commissariat of Foreign
Affairs: According to the negotia
tions between the Russian and Ger
man peace delegations at Brest-
Litovsk. the Russian section of the
German. General Staff have the hon
or to request the hastening of the de
parture of agitators to the camps of
Russian prisoners of war in Germany
for the recruiting of volunteers, who
will be .sent to the English and
French troops for the purpose of ob
servation and peace propaganda.
Simultaneously, the staff requests
-thefollowing sailors to be sent to
Germany: Shishko. Kirshu, Matviev.
and Dratohuk. They will receive
special instructions when traveling
through Brest-Litovsk.—Chief of the
Russian Section German General
Staff, O. Rausch; Adjutant, U. Wolff.
Note.—This request was referred
to the commissiariats on military and
naval affairs. A marginal question
asked by E. P. (probably Poltvanoffi,
is: “Dratchuk at Black Sea?" He
was at Sevastopol and may' not have
been sent. The others went, visited
the camps for war prisoners in Ger
many, and then returned to Rus
sia. Shishko in February was
commissar of the naval college in
Petrograd.
Have photograph of letter.]
DOCUMENT NO 22
[General Staff of the High Sea Fleet,
No 79. January 10. 1918.]
Very Secret
The Petrograd representative of the
supreme sea command has received by
wireless from Kiel orders to propose
to the Council of People’s Commissars
to place at the disposal of our agents
at Vladivostok-Buttenholf, Staufacher
and Franz Walden, several steamships.
On these ships must be loaded the
goods indicated by our named agents
and also persons indicated by them
and be sent as directed to ports of
the United States. Japan and British
colonies in eastern Asia. In case of
absence of free tonnage in Pacific
ports it is necessary to charter ships
sailing under a foreign flag. The ob
ject. of sending the ships is to carry
to enemy countries agents, agitators
and agents-destructors. All the ex
penses and risk the Petrograd agency
of the supreme naval command takes
for account of the naval operations
fund. —Capt-Lieut Rudolph Miller.
[Note —The indorsement of Lenine’s
secretary. Skripnlk, is “reported." The
active Vladivostok agents have been
referred to previously. The threat of
the arrival of German agents through
Pacific ports is apparent.
Have photoghaph of letter.]
DOCUMENT NO 23
[General Staff of the High Sea Fleet,
No 850, January 14, 1918.]
Very Sir ret
To the Council of People’s Commis
sars: According to instructions of the
German high sea command, trans
mitted to-day to me by radio A, I ap
ply to the Russian government with
a proposal to take measures to de
liver to the Pacific by. railway three.of
our. submarines, disassembled. On the
conclusion of peace negotiations end
the conclusion of peace between Rus
sia and Germany this transporting
must be begun immediately, whereby
on the conclusion of the war the
transported vessels will remain at the
disposal of the Russian government.
—Capt-Lieut Rus Miller.
[Note, —The letter is indorsed "Re
ported. Secretary Skripnik." The
transporting, according to the cate
gorical demand, was to begin im
mediately after peace was signed.
These are. the. only two communica
tions of Capt Miller that appear;
Have photograph of letter.)
DOCUMENT NO 25
[G. G. S. Nachrichten Bureau, section
R.. No IfiS. Dec.. 17. 19X7.]
Very Secret
To the Commissar of Foreign Affairs:
At the request of the commission on
combating the counter-revolution of
December 17, the intelligence section
has the honor to forward a list of men
watching the missions of the countries
allied to Russia:—
The British embassy is watched by
German scouts Luze, Telman. Possel,
Franz and Gezel; Russian agents,
Ovsiannikov, Gluschenko, and Balia
sin.
The Frencli embassy is watched by
German scouts Silvester, Butz Fol
hagen; Russian agents Balashev, Tu
rin. Gavrilov. Sadavnokov and Shllo.
The United States embassy is
watched by German scouts. Strom,
Bucliholtz. Fasnaeht, Todner; Russian
agents. Spitzberg, Sckolnitzky, Tara
sov and Vavilov.
The Rumanian mission is watched
by German scouts. Suttner, Baider,
Wolf; Russian agents. Kuhl. Nikitin,
dolotov and Arkipov.
, The Italian embassy is watched
by German scouts. Kuhlder, von Geze,
Goin and Burmelster; Russian agents,
Saloy. Alekseievsky, and Kuzmin.
These agents must fulfil all instruc
tions of the commission for combating
with counter-revolution, sabotage,
looting, etc.—Head of Department
Agqsfer.
(Note—The German. Maj Lubfrts
(Agasfer. see Document 5). therefor*
was the keeper of embassadorial hos
tages of the allied countries in Rus
sia throughout the winter. The name*
listed above were unidentifiable in the
establishments of at least the British
and the American embassies. AH may
have been outside watchers. The
method of outside surveillance ie
shown in document. No 27.
Have photograph of letter.]
DOCUMENT NO 27
[Commissar on combating the coun
ter-revolution and pogroms, No 71.
Petrograd. February 14.]
Specially Secret—Personal
To the People's Commissar on For
eign Affairs: Our agents investigat
ing the Italian embassy. I, E. Mae
rov, Imenitski, and Urov followed up
the embassador and conducted a
search of him in the street, with a
confiscation. Documents regarding
relations with German diplomats and
the special papers of the embassador
to the allied embassadors, mentioned
by you. were not found. In order to
mask the attack several articles listed
in the protocol furnished by Com
rade Imenitski *vere taken from ths
embassador.
Tile watch on the British and
American embassadors and the Ser
vian minister has been intensified.
The supplementary observation point
on the British embassy has been es
tablished in the Marble palace—
Lieut Bekker and a member of ths
central executive committee of the
council of workmen's and soldiers*
deputies, Frunze.
On the French embassy, on ths
French quay, house No 8, Comrads
Peters, member of the central cxecu
tlve committee of the council, etc.
Or. the North American embassv
observation has been established at
Fuhrstatskaya street, house No 23,
apartments Nos 1 and 4. In the lat
ter Comrades Goldberg and Spitzberg
carrying on tho observation very
successfully. Telephones have been
installed in the above-mentioned
places. General management of the
surveillance has been intrusted to Al
fred von Geigendorf.—Commissar
Mitopovich; for Secretary R. Baetskf.
I Note—The marginal comment hr
Trotzky’s secretary, Markin, is “Fol
low' up." Most of the names in this
letter, including the signatures at end,
are unfamiliar. Peters, placed in
charge of French observation, is a
Lettish sailor, active and able, a for
mer resident of England, The rob
bery of the Italian embassador took
place late in the evening on a light
ed, frequented central street and was
a day’s sensation. The observation
point on the American embassy was
a yellow apartment house almost op
posite the entrance. After I got this
information I tested the watch and
always saw a head or hand retreating
from a window. But I doubt if the
watchers profited much by studying
the visitors to the embassy.
Have photograph of letter.]
DOCUMENT NO 29
[G. G. S.. Nachrlehten Bureau. Sec
tion R., No 883, Mar. 0. 1918.]
VERY SECRET
To the commission for fighting tho
counter-revolution: It is herewith
communicated that for watching, and
if necessary attacking the Japanese,
.American, and Russian officers who
may command the expeditionary forces
in eastern Siberia our agents Staufa
clier. Krieger, Geze. Walden. Butten
hoff. Dattan. and Skribanovich take
charge, and to whom it is necessary
that either Commissar Kobozeff or any
of th6se named by the commission
must apply.—Head. R. Bauer.
I Note.—Comments to "Telegraph
Kobozeff” and "Telegraph Streaberg”
of illegible signature appear on letter,
and below it is the order "the list,’’
initialed "D. Z..“ corresponding, with
the signing habit of Dzerzhlnski,
chairman of the commission for fight
ing the counter-revolution. Below
this order appears the list of ad
dresses. as follows: —
Report according to List No 3
1. Staufacher, Vladivostok, Fanofif’g
house.
2. R. Krieger. Nikolsk. Ussuri ky.
3. P. G. C. Z. E., Irkutsk, drug
store Zhlnzheroff.
4. F. Walden, Vladivostok, his own
house.
f>. Buttenhoff, Khabarovsk, firm
Kunst & Albers.
fi. A. Dattan, Tomsk, Nechayefe
kaya street.
7. Kuzberg. Harbin, office of the
Chinese-Eastern railway.
8. G. Skribanovich, Blagoves
chensk, house of Kunst & Atbers.
9. PanofT, Vladivostok, his own
house.
This letter was sent me after I left
Petrograd and reached me April 5. It
is important not only for content, in
dicating as it does the names and ad
dresses of agents destructors Wh'> are
called upon for increasing activity
against the United States and Japan
to make the Pacific ocean a new are*
of terror, but showing that the Ger
man general staff was continuing after
the Brest-Litovsk "peace" to work ao.
tiveiy with the Russian bolshevik gov
ernment.
Have, original letter.)