The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-03-21

force could not only be defeated bu
absolutely entrapped in the widespread
lonely marshes and lakes of the Mazuriar
region and. annihilated.
And when he moved up into member
ship on the general stan, then the army
got its fill of the lakes literally. Fol
ten years annually Won Hindenburs
would take his forces out for Mazurian
maneuvers. When the orders would
come, officers and soldiers used to growl
and grumble and say-well, whatever il
is you say in German when you want to
put a big punch in your talk-"Here we
go for our annual bath"
The fellows with the red buttons OF
their caps were the ones to get the bath.
Red buttons were Russians; blue, Ger
mans. The maneuvers always ended Sep
temper %, and on September 20 for ten
years many thousands of perfectly good
German officers and soldiers would find
themselves strategically driven from
points in their anatomy ranging from
their knees to their necks into the waters
of the Mazurian lakes or the black muck
of the morasses. Some of the officers
used philosophically to take along union
suits of rubber.
Then some of the members Of the
general staff grew impatient of old Won
Hindenburg. 1ntrigues began. looking
toward his retirement. But they had to
work very cautiously The kaiser had
great personal fondness for the square
jowled, bold eyed. rollicking. rough spok-
en- war dog. Besides, this isn't the first
time Won Hindenburg has ranked as q
hero. He was only young lieutenant
when he won the Iron Cross of the First
Class at the battle of St. Privat in Lor-
raine in the war of 1870 He was found,
desperately wounded and pinioned by his
dead horse. the only man alive of his
entire regiment.
But in the end-just how the thing
vas done the ablest German journalists
can't tell and Won Hindenburg's old as
sociates just about this time do not care
to-he was retired and put upon a pen
sion. That was about five years ago.
But IL these military schemers thought
they had got rid of Won Hindenburg, that
he'd go quietly of to some obscure cor
ner and nurse his sulks and his equity
foot (for he has govt, though he swears
by all the laundering gods he hasn't
any such thing and can put in as long q
day in the field as the youngest Of his
lieutenants), they were very much mis-
taken. He left Berlin in disgust But
he went to the almost equally lively
city Of Hanover. and from thence his
rumbles and growls were almost inces-
sanity heard. He refused to dry up about
his lakes"
Every little while he would appear at
the fortresses of Koenigsberg and de-
mand the loan Of artillery and SQUADS
of men that he might work out some new
maneuvers regarding the Mazurian lakes
that had come into his stubborn, griz-
zled head. The commandant might per-
haps be on the point Of demurring, but
there would be Won Hindenburg in full
uniform. with certain decorations to be
seen on the old fighters breast that no
German officer could ignore. The COM
loan Won Hindenburg seven
men and two guns and the necessary
horses. The participants in this toy
maneuver would get a merciess deal.
He would tramp them till long after the
sun had sunk through the boys and near
ly impossible places and bring the baby
detachment back with the heads Of the
horses hanging and the knees of the
men sagging in exhaustion.
He didn't let Berlin forget him either.
Every little while he invaded the capt.
al and in full uniform. He likes his
vine and he likes his song and he was
,ail fellow with the Journalists the ar
lists and actors and others of the night
life Of the capital. And the army off,
'ers would flock around him also And
I you started on the subject Of the
lakes" Won Hindenburg would take you
lp zestfully there and then and mark out
map Of the lakes on the tablecloth with
pilling of wine in different proportions
md show you half dozen, dozen,
wenty schemes by which "the bear that
walks like man" would promptly be
TODD on its head II 1t came ambling into
East Prussia.