The Story of the Great War, Volume 7: American Food and Ships; Palestine; Italy invaded; Great German Offensive; Americans in Picardy; Americans on the Marne; Foch's Counteroffensive.
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 7: American Food and Ships; Palestine; Italy invaded; Great German Offensive; Americans in Picardy; Americans on the Marne; Foch's Counteroffensive.
World War, 1914-1918
"The conversation was in French. Our proposals to carry on negotiations
for an armistice on all the fronts as a preliminary to a general peace
were immediately handed over to the staff of the division, whence it was
sent by direct wire to the staff commander of the eastern front and to
the chief in command of the German armies.
"At 6.20 we were taken in a motor car to the Minister's house on the
Dvinsk-Ponevyezh road, where we were received by the Divisional General
von Hoffmeister, who informed us that our proposal had been handed to
the highest commander, and that a reply would probably be received
within twenty-four hours. But at 7.30 the first answer from the chief of
the general command already had been received, announcing agreement to
our proposals, and leaving the details of the next meeting to General
von Hoffmeister and the parliamentarians. After an exchange of opinion
and further communication by wire from the chief of the general command,
at midnight a written answer to our proposal was given to us by Von
Hoffmeister. In view of the fact that ours was written in Russian, the
answer was given in German. The reply was:
"'The chief of the German eastern front is prepared to enter into
negotiations with the Russian chief command. The chief of the German
eastern front is authorized by the German commander in chief to carry on
negotiations for an armistice. The chief of the Russian armies is
requested to appoint a commission with written authority to be sent to
the headquarters of the commander of the German eastern front. On his
side the German commander likewise will name a commission with special
authorization.
"'The day and the hour of the meeting are to be fixed by the Russian
commander in chief. It is demanded that the German commander be warned
in due time to prepare a special train for the purpose. Notice must be
given at which part it is intended to cross the line. The commander of
the German eastern front will place at the disposition of the Russian
commission the necessary apparatus, so that it may keep in communication
with its chief command.'
"The Russian parliamentarians decided to appoint as the place the
junction of the Dvinsk-Vilna line, whence the Russian representatives
will be conducted to the Brest-Litovsk headquarters of the German
commander. The time appointed is midnight of December 2, 1917. At the
same time we were informed that no firing would occur unless prompted,
and that enemy fraternization would be stopped. We were blindfolded
again and conducted to our lines."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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