GERMAN COMMAND ON WEST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11593, 11 January 1916, Page 4

GERMAN COMMAND ON WEST.

That Field-Marshal von Hindenbung lias refused to accept command on the western front unless he is allowed complete independence from tho Crown Priuco of Germany And the Crown Prince of Wurtemberg and Bavaria is declared in French newspapers to bo confirmed from several sources, says an American correspondent on the Continent. It also is stated that the incident is arousing bitter discussion in Germany.

Generals von Kluck and von Buolow are said to bo in disgrace. Recently, for the first time, German newspapers have begun to discuss the battle of the Marne, and it is believed the Government is willing to allow them to find a scapegoat. Mr A. Smit, a prominent journalist and a Dutch subject, recently made a trip through Germany, where he talked with many acquaintances. In "Le Petit Parisien " ho confirms these rumours.

Field-Marshal von Hindcnburg's refusal to go to tho French front is said to have been couched in terms which included a phrase almost textually as follows: —"The command offered would involve & measure of subserviency to the three Crown Princes, and this the Marshal could not tolerate." Tho difficulties in the way of acceding to the General's suggestion of an independent, and therefore superior, form of command are very great from the German, point of view.

Apart from the normal hierarchial obstacles, there is a special difficulty with regard to tho Crown Prince of Bavaria. The heirs of Prussia and TTurtemberg might have their poirfmands diminished by the Kaiser and tho General Staff, but tho heir of Bavaria is not to be meddled with. BAVARIA'S BOND WITH AUSTRIA. For some time past the Bavarian Press has been expressing discontent with the progress of events. Particularly significant is the action of Bavaria, in piittiiijg troops at tho disposal of Austria in the war with Italy, although the. latter country is not at war with Germany. Other incidents have pointed to an intensification of the good feeling of Bavaria for Austria, her traditional friend and ally, and to a lessening of tho bonds with Prussia. The leading newspaper of Bavaria.

the "Munchener Neueste Nachrich-1 ten," even has published an article making lieht of Field-Marshal von Bin- j denburg's achievements against Rus- j si a. The Bavarian newspapers are jatona joutsCpoken than those of any J other part of the empire, but it is' believed this article would not have, been allowed to be published were it not that there was an intention on the part of the Bavarian authorities _to forestall the question of the Bavarian Crown Prince's command in the west being made of subsidiary rank to one ; to be created for Field-Marshal von • Hindeuburg. The article said in part : " The fate of the bulk of the Russian army can only bo decided by field operations. It is not the taking of fortresses and cities that should be the aim of military operations in modern warfare; the one and only proper ob-1 jective is the enemy's eitectives in the j field. This must always be the objective. "The capture of cities is a means to the end, but the campaign is not ended until the enemy's army has been reached and destroyed. If our chief command was to be satisfied with the taking of cities the Russians would be jubilant. There is no use, therefore, in our asking ourselves every morning if this, that or the other Russian city lias been taken. What we should ask ourselves is, When is the Russian army to be crushed or destroyed? SINCE THE SEPTEMBER DRIYE. "To be or not to be, that is the question for tho Russian army and also for the German army." Since tho great Franco-British drive in Artois and Champagne in September the Germans have been anxiousiv discussing conditions on the western front. To allay public sentiment Major Moraht, the military critic of the " Berliner Tageblatt," recently announced that conditions are nearly ripe for a new drive on Paris. But the German people no longer are satisfied with such statements and wish to know- where the blame is to bo laid for the army's lack of success. For nearly a year the battle of tho Maine was not mentioned in tho German Press, and the general public had no reason to know that any specific battle had already gone into history , ; under that name. Then the "Post, 1 ' ! a notably conservative newspaper of Berlin, made reference to it, admitting '; there had been a battle of the Marne, '■ but minimising the importance of its j results. . i Since then there has been much dis- j cussion on the battle, the decisiveness of which gradually has been impressed ' on the Germans, and the question has j been posed legarding the personal re- j sponsibility for the loss of the battle, j Debate has raged around the name of General von Kluck and latterly also around that of General von Buelow, the commanders of the firsi and second German armies during the £roat drive on,,

CROWN PRINCES IN HINDENBURG'S WAY.

SAID TO DEMAND COMPLETE INDEPENDENCE.

Paris in the first *ix weeks of tho war. VON KLUCK'S BLUNDER. It now is believed almost generally in Germany as ii is in France that General von Kluck committed a serious blunder when, either being unaware of the possibility of a. French army coming out of Paris on his right flank or regarding tsueh an army as negligible if it existed, he swerved to the south-eastward and exposed his flank. General Maunoury's '.' phantom army" went out of Paris and was later supplemented in most timely fashion by the division scraped together out of odds and ends of troops in Paris by General Gallieni, who requisitioned 0000 taxieabs to hurry it to the lighting line. It is true that General von Kluck soon repaired the blunder, so far as it could bo repaired, by bdinging up his reserves, but tho brilliant French' General Maunoury for four days stood off an army of Germans four times as numerous, thereby winning the battle of the Oureq, which immediately led to the battle of the Marne and tho great French victory. So positive have been the statements of General von Kluck's recall and' disgrace in Germany that the Government recently had photographs circulated' shoeing him in the garden of his residence near Berlin, where, it was added, ho was recuperating from •wound's suffered at the front. General von Buelovr, it is said, is accused of not having_ kept in touch with General von Kluck's army in the advance, when they -wore attacked by General d'Esperay, General French and General Maunoury, nor again in. tho retreat from the Marne, so that General von Kluck, to avoid envelopment, was forced far back beyond his prepared positions. It is being commented in Germany that not a single commander on the western front has succeeded in an operation impressive enough to make his name known to the public in a way to inspire confidence. On this account, it is believed, every effort will be made to overcome the difficulties that stand in tho way of Field-Marshal von Hindenhurg's assuming a command in the west.