THE SEESAW OF HISTORY

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23055, 25 June 1940, Page 8

THE SEESAW OF HISTORY

Compiegne: 1918 and 1940

FRANCE IN VICTORY AND DEFEAT?

"If the historic forest of Compiegne is chosen for handing over the terms, this was done in order to wipe out once and for all .a memory | which was not glorious for France, and which was felt by the German nation as the deepest shame.of all times." Thus concluded . the preamble to the armistice conditions imposed by Germany on, France during the week-end and read over to the French plempotentiaries in the same railway carriage on the same siding as that in which Marshal Foch had dictated the armistice of November • 1918 The ceremony of June, 1940, recalls the dramatic scene of 1918, a summary account of which is given below from Captain Lid--1 dell Hart’s biography, “Foch; Man of Orleans.

It was on November 7, at 12.30 a.m., when Foch received a wireless message from the German Supreme Command giving him the names of-envoys, and asking him to fix a meeting place. It added: “The German Government would be glad if, in the interests of humanity, the arrival of the German delegation might cause a. provisional suspension of hostilities.” Foch ignored this request and simply told the German envoys to present themselves at the outposts on Dekeney’s front. At 5 p.m., accompanied by Admiral Wernyss as naval representative, Foch left Senlis for Rethondes, in the forest of Compiegne. His train was run on to a siding built for super-heavy rail- ■ way guns. There was another track still empty. Not until 7 o’clock next morning did the other train steam slowly into the siding. Weygand boarded the train to announce .that Foch would receive the German delegates at or after 9 a.m.. • “It was the best day of my life . . . when I saw them in front of me, aligned along the other side of the table, I said to myself: ‘There’s The German Empire!’ I thought; ‘Well be polite, but we must show them who we are.’ ’’ At the Table As the envoys filed into the earriage they were received “stiffly but courteously” by Weygand and Admiral Hope. A few minutes later Foch appeared and exchanged salutes. His stern face showed no -trace of pity for the envoys’ humiliation. He had much to repay. Satisfied with their papers, he seated himself at the table, Weygand on his right, Wernyss on his left. Faithful to his principles, Foch took the offensive; “What’s the purpose of your visit? What do you want of me?” Erzberger replied they had come to receive “the' proposals of the Allied Powers towards the conclusion of an armistice. ...” - “I have no proposal to make.” Disconcerted and mystified the Germans sat silent. Then Oberndorff asked; “How do you wish us to express ourselves? We are not standing on any form of words/ We are ready, to say that we ask the conditions of an armistice.” “I have no conditions to give you.” Erzberger then began to read put President Wilson’s Note/ Foch stopped him. “Do you wish to ask for an armistice? If so, say so—formally,” “Yes, that’s what We are asking. “Good; then we’ll read out to you the conditions on which it can be obtained.” Weygand thereupon read the principal clauses, which were , translated as he read them. When Weygand finished, Erzberger intervened to ask that military "operations should be immediately suspended, saying that revolution had broken out. and that the soldiers were refusing to obey orders. ■ ■ ' I

He feared that Bolshevism might gain a grip. The account of Germany’s internal state provided facts to confirm Foch’s faith, and reinforced his bluff. He abruptly rejected Erzberger’s plea, "You are suffering from a loser’s malady. lam not afraid of it,” The" Germans did not contest any of the chief conditions, but they protested that the surrender of so many machine-guns left them insufficient to maintain order; that the tirrte allowed for withdrawal across the Rhine was too short for an orderly retirement; that the maintenance of the blockade " and the surrender of railway material were inhuman, as these would paralyse the task of feeding the people. Few concessions were made. Seventytwo hours Were given the Germans to make up their mind. November 11 Foch awoke on Sunday, November 10. with the feeling that the day would see the end of the war. He left the train to go to Mass. - But while he was praying uneasiness was growing among those who stayed behind. The Kaiser had abdicated, and a new Government had been formed in Berlin. Both the Allied and German delegations were now in a quandary. Would the new Government recognise the . . authority of the. envoys? Evening came, and still no word had come. Ax 6.30 p.m. Foch sent a note of reminder. Buftowards 8 o’clock a wire-" less telegram was intercepted indi-,. . eating that the German Government accepted the conditions of the armisFoch thereupon asked the Germans if they were at last "ready to sign, and the sooner the better, if they ; truly .desired, as they had not ceased repeating, to avoid useless bloodshed. But they asked permission first to decipher and discuss a long telegram which was just arriving from Hidden- ,• burg. * ■ : \ ' . , Two o’clock came oft the morning, of the eleventh, the Germans were still in their own train. Five minutes past—they sent word that they were ready. Fifteen miniites —the delegates ;; assembled in Foch’s saloon.. Weygand ) read out the slightly modified text,!" which was discussed anew,, clause by I clause. At 5.5 a.m. discussion fin- W ished. Five minutes later the dele- t V gates affixed their signatures to the f agreement. At Foch’s suggestion the hour of signing was timed as “5 a.m.,” so that hostilities might cease exactly at 11 a.m. Erzberger read out a declaration that, while the German Government would make every effort “to see that the terms are fulfilled,” the , delegates registered a formal protest that these “may plunge the German people into aharChy and famine.” The declaration concluded; “A nation of 70,000,000 suffers, but does not die.” Foch made the comment “Tres Wen!” but whether in irony or in pomage to a soldierly sentiment will never b« known. _ - ■’ ■ 1 ;