Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-12-11
Stories From the European Firing Line
As Related BY Some Eye Witnesses

ger dBdlnSt MIN. hinQenDorE was
heaTtbroken; at 81 years his career
seemed smashed.
When the war broke out the Kaiser
ordered lists should be prepared in
GLIDING the name OF every general
who might help Germany. linden
berg's name was not put on the list
The Kaiser noticed the omission.
where's Hindenberg?" he asked.
Germany needs him."
That was one of the first surprises
the war office sustained. But a great
er surprise was in store for the men
in the big stone building in Berlin
in connection with this same linden
berg.
Hindenberg has been a one-idea
man throughout his life. Every Ger
man general in the war Office is
specialist on some tactics OF plan,
but Hindenberg was considered
queer" in regard TO a certain plan
he had for crushing a Russian force
in Eastern Prussia.
He had figured when he was
young officer that. If Germany and
Russia ever fought each other and
that, II Russian troops started for
and that. II on their march they got
near konigsberg or Tannenberg, and
that II he were In charge of German
troops in Eastern Prussia-if all
these Ifs came true, he would get
the Russians into a trap and drive
them back into the swamps In the
lake country and let the swamps whip
them, providing more "if''-that
all this would not occur in the win
ter time when the swamps were
frozen
All Of Hindenberg's success In life
in fact depended on all these 'ifs"
coming true and he was laughed at
in the army and in German court
circles for stalking his career and
his place in German military history
on such a slim and, apparently. inn
practicable chance. He was called
'swampy Hindenberg" by his init
mates. Many of his holidays he spent
in the lake country in Eastern Prus-
STA studying the ground There was
not mudhole in the area that he
did not know: its width, its depth,
the nature of the earth around It,
Eastern Russian swamps we're his
life study. When the war broke out
Hindenburg was sent to Eastern
Prussia. At the age Of 81 years, af-
ter decades of theorizing and friend
ly ridicule he was to be given his
chance in life at last
The war Office kept its eyes on Hin
denberg. In the early days Of Au-
gust the Russians crossed the border
| into Eastern Prussia, Five great
army corps. apparently irresistible
in their might, began their ponderous
progress toward Konigsberg. Miles
and miles they went into Prussia un-
challenged. Hindenberg held back
as he had planned to do His life
dream was coming true. The Rus
SLAMS destroyed villages, seized large
towns and fastened on toward the
great modern city of Konigsberg with
its 100000 inhabitants and its rich
storehouses. "The Russians are
overwhelming Prussia" said worried
Germany. Weak German lines fear.
to meet oncoming Russians" said the
! American newspaper headlines. Bu
the German war office held its peac
and its breath, waiting 10 see wheth
er Hindenberg's lifelong dream
had been all a mistake and his entir
career only an error At last tn
Russians reached the Tannenberl
country.
And Hindenberg struck Americ;
knows by this time that IL was on,
of the most terrible battles in human
history. Hindenberg folded bacl
the Russian left wing. The Russian.
found only a swamp behind them in.
to which they retreated and found
themselves helpless. The Russian
center Hindenberg drove back against
another great swamp area. Here his
men took 10000 Russian prisoners
The oncoming Russian left had still
another swamp reserved for Il. Hin
denberg's men fought like demons,
but II was the swamps that whipped
/ the Russians. TIE G(rmans were
outnumbered three to one but 5000
Russians we're prisoners Of the Ger
mans within SO hours and the losses
on both sides we're 100000 men, dead
and wounded.
The decorum Of the war office
went TO pieces when the first news
came of Hindenberg's success
"Swampy Hindenberg's" whole life o
81 years had been justified by &c
hours Of fighting.