AN AMAZING DOCUMENT

Evening Star, Issue 16225, 21 September 1916, Page 1

AN AMAZING DOCUMENT

Despite the disingenuous character of the recent German official reports, the German public know, if only from the

map, what is reahy happening on the bom me, and hence the swift descent into an abyss of despair. The news that the Kaiser was on the Somme front, instead of heartening the Berlin public, had the effect of increasing their fears. The same result was produced by the amazing “appeal to the people at home” issued a few days ago from the “Groat Headquarters,” ns it was dated. Believed to be inspired, if not worded, by the Emperor himself, this extraordinary appeal, instead of calming the public, as was intended, suggested that something dire might happen against which they must steel their nerves. It paid ; “At last something lias come to pass which realises at least part of the object of our enemy to obtain unity of front. The general storm against the protecting wall of our noblest blood is to obtain for him victory hitherto denied in all the individual theatres of war. The masses of steel which half the world prepares for him ho flings against our brave men to break their will, and then rushes upon them in thick waves of white, yellow, brown, and bind:. Never has the" world experienced anytb'ng so stupendous, never ban an army braved what ours has braved. To tiie campaign of arms our enemies unite, the will to starve and a campaign of lies. Both, the latter are intended for the heads and hearts of those at home. His flood'of lying telegrams is intended to undermine our determination —to wash it away. This scandalous game will not be successful. In reading the brief but entirely reliable announcements they receive from their own leaders the German people will recognise the enemy’s reports for what they arc worth—namely, a wicked attempt to rob them of the rest, reasonableness, and confidence which the soldier must feel at his back if he is joyfully to continue doing his dutv for the protection of the fatherland. Our armv braves iron a.nd fire. At homo we will not, allow ourselves to be shaken by an ocean! of printed paper. People and nrmv must ! be at one in the will for the belief in j victory.” i This weird flood of nonsense was fob ! lowed up by articles in nearly everv ! newspaper appealing to the public to “ let I the army in the field know it has got the ; people at home behind it.” Even blajor ■ Moraht substituted similar advice for his j customary military soothing syrup. “ Our • upper ami} 7 command,” he said, “deserves ' our confidence. The army give it their ; confidence. Why should those at home not do ’so? Let us listen to the warning from the Great Headquarters, to this ap” j peal, which I regard ’as extraordinarily I important to those of us at. home.” * I