New Britain herald., 1916-04-03
MACKENSEN KNOWN
 TO FEW GERMANS
Popular Hero OVerShadoWed by
 Yon Hindenburg

tcorrcsponde-ce or +he Associated PressI
 Berlin March 20-It is doubtful whether any popular national hero in Germany is in general as little known, either in Germany or abroad as General Field Marshal August Von Mackensen, he who was in strumental in driving the Russians out of Galicia and to whose credit the conquest of Serbia lies.
 Hindenburg, when the war began, was an unknown, but the public quickly familiarized itself with every detail of his life when his victories of Tannenburg and the Masurian lakes made him an idol of all Ger many. Mackensen, however, Hin denburg's rival for public affection at present, was only a name until the summer of 1915, and, despite his great reputation, is little more now. Hndcnburg An Idol.
 Countless streets all over Germany have been named after Hindenburg; statues already have been erected 10 him; he is weekly in receipt of re- quests to allow the use of his name in this or that connection. Mackensen however, though certainly a rival of Hindenburg insofar as military achievements are concerned, is still far behind him when it comes to popular esteem of idolatry.
 Mackensen's pictures, however, are 10 be seen everywhere. They perhaps are responsible for an impression that seems to be almost universal that the field marshal is stern and unapproachable, whereas the oppo- site is the case. Scarcely any of his innate personal characteristics eX- cept that of unusual ability seem to be depicted on his strenuous features. Mackenscn Towers Up.
 When Mackensen began to tower above the other German army leaders by his achievements against the Rus sians, and the Kaiser in frequent tel egraphic messages conferred honor after honor on him, it was 8 matter of surprise to Germans unfamiliar with Mackensen's career that warm personal note should manifest itself which had been lacking in earlier messages to Hindenburg.
 The surprise came largely from the fact that the general public did not and to a great extent still does not know how long-standing and cordial are the relations between the Emperor and Mackensen. The latter, surrendering the command of his Body Guard Hussars years ago, serv- ed for a long period as Kaiser's per sonal adjutant, and in this position accompanied his chief on the noted trip to the Holy Land
 Planned to Be Farmer.
 Few know, either, how narrowly Germany missed having Mackensen as a great military leader. He is the son of a man who in America would be rated as a gentleman farmer, and himself was trained to take his; fathers place. Though he emerged from the Franco -Prussian war as a reserve lieutenant, he immediately went back to civil life, in deference to his parents wishes.
 For years he resisted the impulse to go back into the army, and fought with himself a battle which his most enthusiastic biographer describes as a conflict between ideal and reality. His university education, belated be- cause of the war with France, was almost concluded. and he was fast becoming in theory at least a farmer when the opportunity to go back as
  a line officer into the "Death's Head Hussar'' regiment with which ne had served in France arrived once more, and his father reluctantly "lthdreW his objections to this career
 A number of characteristics pos sessed by Mackensen stand out prom inentlv. and have stood out ever since he joined the Second Body Guard Hussars on May 13, 1873. Some of them obviously have contributed 70 his military success: others belong to those peculiarities which successful men in general have.
 Tn the former category comes, first of all an astonishing memory which enables him often-times to direct. operations without the aid of a map, provided of course that he has at some earlier time studied the terri tory in question. Incidentally it might be remarked that he generally has