and compliments to Allied propaganda only indirectly.
When, however, hostilities had ceased disastrously for Germany and her allies, passions of hatred and pride began to give place to the cold logic of reason. Ludendorff, who, as First Quartermaster-General from 1916 to the end of the war, was regarded as one of the cleverest of Germany's military leaders, sat down to write his "War Memories" (Hutchinson and Co., London). His reputation entitles him to respect, and he has much to say of value regarding propaganda.
He learned one important lesson. "Good propaganda," he wrote, "must keep well ahead of actual political events. It must act as pacemaker to policy and mould public opinion without appearing to do so." This was the great basic principle upon which was built the success of Lord Northcliffe's department. To try to make propaganda shape policy is as fatal as endeavouring to conduct propaganda campaigns without policy or with conflicting policies. Illuminating volumes could be written on failures from all these causes. But whoever follows the history of the operations conducted from Crewe House will find that painstaking study
