The Washington herald., 1916-09-25
GERMAN ARMY'S BRAINS
SUPPLIED BY COMMONER
Ludendorf. Who Guides Hindenburg,
a Man of the People.
By JOHN L. BALDERsT0N.
tOopyriRht. lsel

German war machine indicates to the
initiated in all armies that a new
spirit has taken hold of German STRAIT
egy. And his name is not Won Him
denburg.
The man who controls with a ned
the movements of mightier armies than
the world ever saw before the pres
ent war. whose word sways the des-
tiniss not alone Of the Germanic, but
Of the HApsburg and Ottoman en-
pires and of the kingdom Of Bulgaria,
has scarcely been heard OF IN the
United States His name Is General
Won Ludendortr. His new rank. that
Of "oberQuartiermeister Is in effeot
that of chief of stan to the new chief
Of the Great General Stan, Hinden-
burg, and ever since the great VIC
tory Of Tannenburg in August. 1914.
he has been called in the German
army the brain OF Hindenburg."
The reason why the Hindenburg leg
end has been so sedulousIy fostered
in Germany and the name Of Luden-
dorff kept consistently in the back
ground is the pride OF the military
caste. Although not OF great prom
inence before the war Paul Won Be
neckendorfr und Hindenburg belongs
to the Junker caste, or the squireo-
cracy, from which all the leaders of
the Prussian armies, even the great
Moltke, have been recruited. No com
moners" have ever been permitted to
rise to supreme command in the Prus-
sian army.
His Family Obscure.
Ludendorfr, on the other hand. comes
from an obscure middle-class family, not
even remotely connected with the nobil-
ity. He won his commission IN the Prus-
sian army by brilliant work in a military
school, which is permitted to nominate to
the army one candidate a year from the
middle class who particularly distin-
guishes himself IN military studies. His
ten years Of army life prior to the begin
ming Of the war were spent in obscure
berths, for his lack Of family apparently
barred him forever from hope Of high
command. His brtlliance won such recog-
milton from his superiors, however, that
the war found him head Of a minor de-
partment in the German general stan at
Berlin, and when the Eighth German
army, under Won Francois. was routed in
East Prussia and desperate measures
were necessary, not only was the retired
Gen. Hindenburg rushed TO the east from
Belgium, but some one in authority took
Ludendorff from his desk, gave him the
rank OF colonel and attached him to
Hindenburg as chief OF stan.
The brilliance OF the strategic combin-
alton which resulted in the utter destruc-
ton Of samsonoH and all his Russian
army-the most complete victory Of this
warts accredited now by military opin
ion all over Europe, and in Germany it.
self, to Col Ludendor1.
Hindenburg. It is pointed out passed
through the German stan college forty
years ago, at a time when modern STRAIT
egy was IN its infancy, and has never
served in the general stan IN Berlin since
he attained the rank OF major. twenty
FIVE years ago, and the stan work which
resulted in the Tannenburg victory seems
hardly likely to have been the product
Of the brain Of an old veteran who has
received practically no training in mod
ern held warfare. The present writer
has no means Of confirming the supposi-
tion that Ludendor4T and not Hindenburg
won the battle. but the opinion is wide
spread.
Hindenburs the Id61.
HIndenburg, overnight, became the idol
Of all the Fatheriand. and rose step by
step IN rank, always accompanied by the
inevitable LudendorI. who gained a pro-
motion every time his chief moved up the
ladder. Already. in the winter Of 1915,
long before the great drive against Rus
STA, there were rurnors IN Germany Of a
great military genius behind Hinden-
burg and when former Senator Bever-
idge visited the Kaiser and Hindenburg
at this time, he was permitted to hint at
the existence Of a man behind" in an
article printed IN America, though at the
time Ludendorfs name was not di-
vulged-
when Hindenburg became commander
in-chief Of the northern group Of German
armies In Russia the Kaiser tackled on
the won" which denotes nobility, on
Dudendorrs name, in an endeavor to
conceal his plebian origin, at the same
time that he raised Ludendorff to the
rank Of lieutenant general Hindenburg
became in turn generallssimo on the
eastern front and supreme German war
chief under the Kaiser when last month
he took over the direction Of the great
general star. And still Ludendorff Is
with him, now a full general, his name
with the new won" emerged little from
the shadows, since the Kaiser publicly
wrote to him, My heartiest thanks for
the excellent services which you have
rendered to me and the army during the
last two years Of war
Men of the People Command.
II there was any doubt, French and
British military men say, whether Hin
denburg or Ludendorf won the battle of
Tannenburg. there can be none now about
WHICH man 10 uIESCllnB lHS dLIIlcS u
central Europe. No man without the mod
ern stan training which Ludendorff has
and Hindenburg lacks could face such a
task. they say. Hindenburg's name in
spires confidence IN the public and up
holds the prestige Of the military cast
The lowly-born Ludendorff, In the back
ground, does the work.
The four great armies Of Europe-Ger-
man. French, British and Russian-are
now after two years Of war directed, de-
spite caste prejudices in each country.
by men sprung from the people,
In France, Gen. Joffre Is Of peasant
stock. Gen. Alsxietf. boss Of all the Rus
sian armies, succeeded the Grand Duke
Nicholas Of the blood royal. One look
at Alexieffs picture shows the square
face, thick lips and projecting ears of
the despised Mongol blood Ludendorft
from the middle class, controls the proud
est military caste in Europe, who even
yet try to save their face at his expense.
And as remarkable Is the rise OF William
Robertson. in his youth a footrnan and
later a private IN India, to the post Of