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CHAPTER XXXVII

GERMANY SURRENDERS

HE armistice which ended the war was signed by the German plenipotentiaries at 5 A. M., Paris time, midnight, western time on November 11, 1918. It went into effect at 11 A. M., French time, six o'clock, western time, on the same day. Negotiations for an armistice had begun on October 6th, when Prince Maximilian, of Baden, the then German Imperial Chancellor, sent to President Wilson a letter, reading as follows:

The German Government requests the President of the United States to take in hand the restoration of peace, acquaint all the belligerent states with this request, and invite them to send plenipotentiaries for the purpose of opening negotiations.

It accepts the program set forth by the President of the United States in his message to Congress on January 8th, and in his later pronouncements, especially his speech of September 27th, as a basis for peace negotiations.

With a view to avoiding further bloodshed, the German Government requests the immediate conclusion of an armistice on land and water and in the air.

On October 8th, President Wilson replied asking whether the Imperial Chancellor was speaking merely for the constituted authorities of the empire, who had so far conducted the war. He stated, moreover, that he would not feel at liberty to propose a cessation of arms so long as the armies of the central powers were upon the soil of the Allies.

On October 12th, Dr. W. S. Solf, the Imperial Foreign Secretary, replied to President Wilson, declaring the German Government to be representative of the German people, and that it was ready to evacuate all foreign territory and to accept President Wilson's terms. This was regarded in Germany as the ending of the war, and was received with great enthusiasm. An Amsterdam despatch to a London paper declared, "People in Berlin are kissing one another in

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the streets though they are perfect strangers, and sending peace congratulations to each other. The only words heard anywhere in Germany are 'Peace at last.'"

On October 23d the President announced that he had transmitted this correspondence with the German authorities to the allied governments with the suggestion that the terms of an armistice should be prepared to insure to the associated governments the unrestricted power to safeguard and enforce details of peace. He pointed out that it was not clear that the German Government were veritable representatives of the German people, and declared that if the United States "must deal with the military masters and the monarchical autocrats of Germany now, or if it is likely to have to deal with them later in regard to the international obligations of the German Empire, it must demand, not peace negotiations, but surrender.'

On October 27th the German Foreign Secretary acknowledged President Wilson's previous note, declared that peace negotiations were being conducted by a government of the people in whose hands rested both actually and constitutionally the authority to make decisions, and stated that it was now ready for proposals for an armistice.

On October 31st representatives of the allied governments met at Versailles to consider the terms of an armistice. Among those present were Premier Clemenceau, of France; Premier Orlando, of Italy; Premier Lloyd George, of Great Britain; and Colonel E. M. House, of the United States. Among military advisers present were General Tasker H Bliss, Marshal Foch and Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig.

Meanwhile, the allied armies were smashing the German lines, which were retreating from Belgium and France with enormous losses. On November 5th a note was sent to Germany by Secretary of State Lansing in which he stated that Marshal Foch had been authorized to receive German delegates, and to communicate to them the terms of an armistice. It also stated that the allied governments were willing to make peace according to the terms laid down in President Wilson's addresses, except that they reserved to themselves complete freedom on the subject of Clause 2,

relating to the freedom of the seas, about which there was some difference of opinion.

The German Government acted at once. On the 7th of November the following communication from the German High Command to Marshal Foch was made public:

The German Government, having been informed through the President of the United States that Marshal Foch had received powers to receive accredited representatives of the German Government and communicate

CHART SHOWING, IN THOUSANDS, the Battle DEATHS IN THE WORLD WAR

A TOTAL OF 7,582,000

to them conditions of an armistice, the following plenipotentiaries have been named by it: Mathias Erzberger, General H. K. A. von Winterfeld, Count Alfred von Oberndorff, General von Grunnel, and Naval Captain von Salow.

The plenipotentiaries request that they be informed by wireless of the place where they can meet Marshal Foch. They will proceed by automobile, with subordinates of the staff, to the place thus appointed.

Later in the day, it was announced that the German plenipotentiaries had left Spa and would reach, by five o'clock

in the afternoon, the French outposts at a certain point on La Capelle. Orders were given to cease fire on this front at 3 P. M. until further notice. The delegates arrived in three automobiles at 9.15 P. M., having been delayed by the condition of the roads. They were received by officers whom Marshal Foch had detailed to guide them. They were then escorted in automobiles, with the window curtains drawn, to the Château Francfort in Compiegne forest, where they passed the night. The next morning they were taken to Rethondes where they found Marshal Foch in his special train.

They were speedily acquainted with the harsh terms of the armistice and told that it was to be accepted or rejected within seventy-two hours. Permission was given to send a courier to Spa, and to communicate with that place by wireless.

With General Foch at the time of the interview were Major-General Maxime Weygand, his assistant; Vice-Admiral Sir Rosslyn Wemyss, First Lord of the British Admiralty, and the American Vice-Admiral William S. Sims.

A German courier, bearing the text of the armistice arrived at German headquarters at 10 A. M. November 10th. There had been some delay because the German batteries were bombarding the route he had to follow. An attempt was made to send him across the lines by airplane, but in spite of orders from German headquarters the German batteries went on firing without intermission. At last the batteries directed against La Capelle ceased fire, and the courier, Captain Helldorf, was able to start by automobile.

Nineteen hours after he reached the German headquarters the armistice was signed, official notification being made at Washington at 2.40 A. M., November 11th, by the Secretary of State.

On November 7th it was announced in New York, four days before the armistice was actually signed, that Germany had surrendered. The announcement was based on a false report sent out by the United Press Association, a private corporation supplying news to many afternoon newspapers throughout the country. A cablegram had been received by this association from the city of Brest, which contained the

information. It had been obtained from Rear-Admiral Henry B. Wilson, one of the most distinguished officers of the American Navy. The dispatch had passed the censor in France and was taken as authoritative.

The next day Admiral Wilson assumed the responsibility for the mistake, stating that the news had been made public from his office on the basis of what appeared to be official and authoritative information. The mistake probably originated from the order to cease firing at 3 P. M. at that part of the front where the German delegates were to cross the line.

The news was sent widely throughout the United States, and was followed by a tremendous celebration, in every city, village and hamlet of the country, as well as in the city of Brest, where the report originated. The city of New York, in particular, went mad with joy. Crowds paraded the streets. Fifth Avenue was jammed for three miles and the whole town was aroused. The courts were closed, and all business ceased, except theatrical performances and the dispensing and retailing of food.

The tremendous tension of years of war was over, and when the sirens, whistles and bells began their clamor about one o'clock in the afternoon, men and women of all ages, and all stations in every part of the country stopped their business and joined in a hilarious carnival of joy which was beyond comparison with anything ever seen in the history of the country. The streets were filled with a jostling, squeezing, crushing stream. Familiarities that would have been horrifying in old friends were forgiven to passing strangers. Everything was turned upside down. By some mystic understanding people in the cities all over the country were emptying wastebaskets of paper from windows, and tearing up newspapers and throwing them into the air to serve as confetti. In some streets the pavements were ankle deep with paper. Society girls, shop girls and factory girls, rich men, poor men, soldiers, sailors, anarchists, capitalists mixed together in the crowds. In New York the mob was too dense to penetrate. It was a vast quivering jelly of men, women, street cars taxi-cabs, trucks, limousines, and delivery wagons.

When the real news came on Novemeber 11th the celebra