announced the good tidings to the Allied armistice representative at Rethondes, and the final talks got under way. (Up to that moment Erzberger had no way of telling whether or not he represented a German authority empowered to accept the Allied terms. The French were even more confused about what was happening in Berlin, and at one point Erzberger had to explain that a telegram ending with the words, THE IMPERIAL CHANCELLOR SCHLUSS, did not indicate the emergence of a new revolutionary leader in the German capital since “schluss” was merely German telegraphese for “stop.”) Three hours and
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