GROWN PRINCE'S VIEWPOINT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17026, 6 December 1918, Page 5

GROWN PRINCE'S VIEWPOINT

NEVER WISHED FOR WAR.

MISTAKES OF THE STAFF. ENEMY UNDER-ESTIMATED. (Received 7.15 p.m.) Renter. LONDON. Dec. 4. An interview with the ex-Crown Prince of Germany has been published, in which ho declared that the downfall of German military power was the result of a revolution induced by four years of hunger among civilians and the troops at the rear, together with the overwhelming superiority of numbers secured to the Allies by the entry of the Americans, which undermined the confidence of the German fighting forces. Tho Crown Prince added: My troops had no rest. Sometimes whole divisions had but 600 rifles. Contrary to all the statements made abroad, I never desired the war. I thought the moment inopportune. I was never consulted, and the. report about, a Crown Council being held in Berlin to decide on the war, I deny on oath. I was enjoying a stay at a watering place when mobilisation was ordered. My father, also, lam sure, did not desire war. If Germany had sought the best opportunity for war, she would have chosen either the Boer war or the Russian war periods.

From the beginning I was sure Britain would enter tho war. . This view was not shared by Princo Henry of Prussia and other members of my family. People blamo me for the Verdun failure. I refused twice to attack there with the troops at my disposal. On the third occasion my attack was successful in the first three days, but was improperly supported. I thought the Veidui, attack a mistake.

The Prince was bitter regarding the work of the General Staff, which was responsible for numerous mistakes. Lut'sndorff and staff continuously underestimated tho enemy's forces. They never believed the American contribution would be great. He regarded the armistice terms as very severe, and almost impossible of execution. If Germany had been victorious, he said, she would not have made the terms so hard.

The Prince said he always entirely disagreed with air raids on unfortified cities, the fierce submarine warfare, the deportation of women, and the bombing of Paris. The German diplomats made awful mistake*, being unable to see the viewpoint of the countries where they were stationed, and misreading the opinion of other countries. Referring to the notorious Boer war telegram, the Prince declared, "My father was made to send the telegram by his political advisers. Every time his disagreed ho was told to attend to his own business of commanding armies." Ho declared the air raids on London, and the long-range gun used to bombard Paris were useless militarily. In fact their use was silly. He said, " I suggested two years ago an international agreement confining air activities to the war zone. My opinions were disregarded. The orders to the submarine commanders were read differently by the various officers, some of whom went much too far."