Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-02-12
Won Hindenburg

| ID EFoRB Germany went 20 war, standing on
| ID street in Berlin when open automobile drew
up 70 the curb and stopped.
from the tonneau there ailghted with much dit
flculty an aged of frame dressed in the
uniform OF an army officer Ills face wes warty; his
features rugged He was square OF iovi, and wore a
sweeping mustache. somewhat less aggressive m
than the kasers but equally as characteristic on
equity foot he hobbied into cafe
That" volunteered weli-informed friend who
made hts home In the capital rs old Won Hinden-
burg the only man who told the kaiser he had
made mistake at military maneuvers. They cay he
Is afraid Of nothing the face Of the earth. His
principal hobby is demonstrating on paper and at
maneuvers how he make the bear that walks like
man stand his head should he atternp(to nvddo
German territory"
That was four years ago. Today vonHindenburg
or. to give him his full name and title, Paul Won
Beneckendcrff und Hindenburg. generaloberst,
commander-ln-chief OF the German forces in East
Prussia Is one Of the most popular military leaders
the nation has ever known He Is the Idol n all Ger
many And, indeed why should he not be?
Figuratively he has not only forced the Russian
bear to stand his head but he has slapped brun
m the mouth and defed him to bite back literally
ne has succeeded not only in the stupendous under
taking OF stemmng the tide OF the gigantic armies
OF the czar which threatened sweep through Prus-
STA and on to Berlin. when younger and more active
men utterly failed. but he has rolled signal vic
tory for the Prussiam arms.
Won Hindenburgs success has gained for him
among army men the world the reputation OF
being the foremost military strafegist in Germany.
He should be- for practically his entire life che is IS
years old has been dedicated to the Of mill
tarism He himself has declared many times that he
would rather work out problem in military strategy
than do anything else he knew of.
Consider his record Upon being graduated from
the military academy at the age OF r. he
signed to the infantry as second lieutenant Then
came the with Austria. and Won Hindanburg &C.
cured his first practical experience in the science Of
making war.
At the battle OF Ronigsratz he and fifty infantry
men uneer his command suddenly came under the
srapeshot fire OF the eneys guns, which placed
upon slight rise OF ground. Won Hindenburg
promptly ordered his men to charge the guns About
the same time bullet grazed his skull and he went
down For three minutes he remained stunned
by the time he gained strength enough to lift him
self upon his elbow and look around hts
about TO capture two Of the guns Three Others
ever were being dragged rapidly away by the Aus
trian gunners who had been attending them. The
young lieutenant gained his feet and. with trail Of
read streaming from his forehead. started after those
fleeing Austrians and their with sixteen of
HE men. summoned by shout and flourish OF his
sword from the struggle around the guns he fol-
lowed the Austrians for than mile and at
tackled the force which. although three times larTe
his own. soon surrendered. For his bravery he
was decorated with the Red Eagle Order.
Then came the Franco-Prussian war. and by that
time Won Hndenburg had been promoted to be first
lieutenant He took part In the battles of Graveote
and Sedan. well the siege OF Paris and the
heroic storrnlng of lie Bourget It was during this
last named action that he the Iron Cross. Eight
years after declared he further recog-
nzed and promoted az the age Of 81 to be a CAPTAIN
on the general staff
From then on his rise in the army was rapid He
was made major after two years as a member OF
the general staff and by 1890 he was department
chief at the existing infantry department In iSos
he was chief Of staff OF the Eighth Army corps In
1908 he was in command OF the Fourth Army corps
and from 1904 to 1911 he general in the nfan-
try. II in 1911 that he resigned on account II
was officially stated. Of his advanced age.
In the two years that preceded the war Won Hin
dcnburs's sole activity consisted in working the
proben for the defense OF the border at the Mazuan
lakes.
In recent years Won Hlndenburg- never appeared In
the war office without portfolio full OF maps Of the
lake region under his Every time he met the
kaiser or OF the officers OF the army he would
talk lakes. Finally Il got that when Won Hindel-
burg would SO in any place. the army men who knew
him would promptly 80 out In-the Rs,cnstag one day
IL was proposed that the lakes be filled up and
reclaimed ground be given over to farming Won Hin
denburg heard OF the proposition and being out OF
the capital, he caught the first train he could
Berlin With bis bundle OF maps he FASTENED to the
kaiser. He talked lakes strategy and defense for
soid half hour Then the kaiser stopped him. For
heavens sake. keep alesl" said he TO Won HIM
denburg; II promise you they shan not be filled IN"
When Germany went TO war Won HndenburE was
at his home near Posen. He Immediately offered his
services to the kaiser and requested that he be
with the force operating against the Russians.
But the kaiser had generals with the army in East
Prussia whom he believed 10 be the most competent
In all Germany. For instance. there General Won
Prittwitz. just what errors he committed am not
in position TO state II Is common knowledge how
ever that the kaiser's ermy In fair way to be
defeated. Two million Russians were awaiting an
opportunity 70 get started their way 70 Berlin
Then the kaiser teleeraphed 10 Won Hindenburg.
offering him complete command OF the forcSs in East
Prussia IL took the general less than five minutes 10
accept the offer.
Three hours later special train was waiting TO
take him 10 the capital When the general reached
the railroad station and looked his train and
corps OF officers aides ana crderlies standing
tention beside II. he smiled. We'll well That Is
pretty good for old pensoner. gnessn'
Tho following night high-powered automobile
driven by young captain OF artillery sped out Of
Berlin In the seat beside him sat General Won Hin
denburg. All night long the machine raced over the
roads Il tore through village after village.
shortly after daybreak the machine came to
STOP From automobile three officers alightea
One OF them had a roll Of maps under his arm
There was quick conference, and shortly after Il
the second automobile turned around and started after
that IN which the onetime Joke Of the German army
again speeding toward the front
All the way to his headquarters Won Hindenbury
studied those maps. BY the time he reached his
destination he knew the position OF every regiment
under his command lie knew just where each trench
was and the location OF every battery. That an
he studied the maps for He had been over practically