Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-14
Won H|NDENBURG STORY
AGAIN COMES TO LIFE
Interest Centers on Effect Of His Re.
ported Death Upon People
Of Germany.
CLASH WITH IMPERIAL MASTER
Field Marshal Dethroned by Kaiser
Mt Height of His Career-Eclipsed
by Ludendorff Through Regular
Propaganda.

FfOpaSanQ0.
AMSTERDAM. July 13.-Hindenburg
dead or alive-that is not the vital
question.
Has his death-if indeed he is no
more-been concealed from the Ger
man people? How long? why? What
will be the effect when they learn they
have been deceived?
Upon the answer TO these queries
observers here agree depends Infinite
ly more than does upon the truth or
lack OF truth in the sensational re-
port published by Les Nouvelles. a
French language paper at The Hague
to-day that the seventy-one-year-ol
field marshal died of congestion OF the
brain after stroke of apoplexy fol-
lowing violent quarrel with the
Kaiser at Spa. Belgium.
4 year ago the death OF IIindenburE
would have taken the German en-
pirc in its foundations. To the allies
it would have been worth many an
army corps. for it would have taken
from the German people a demigod
and from the German armies the one
man they believed capable Of leading
them 10 victory over world in arms
But at the zenith of his glory, In
the midst OF one of the most remark
able periods of hero worship history
records: the German Hindcnburg craze.
when the aged field marshars star out
shone that OF tho Hohcnzollern; when
he was idolized as the omnipot tent
ia Their" OF 60,00o.0o0 souls-at the
height of that idolatry, one day and
many succeeding days. his iron will
clashed with the headstrong impulsIve-
ness of his imperial master.
Thenceforward when history writes
the Hindenburg drama 1t will record
the most pathetic story of the war.
The chapter may we'll be captioned
Buried Alive The monarch who
dared dismiss a Bismarck and later.
in this very war. a Tirpitz. did not
hesitate to break father HindenburC.
To topple him with a crash at that
juncture would have Embossed a storm
So the other process was employed
the slow. cruelty slow burial. the dirce
of which Is silence
LUDENDOUFF CHOSEN
FOR NEW POPULAR IDor.
a HtndcnburG could not be thrust
ruthlessly aside like Tirpitz or Beth
mann. or kuchlmann. To conciliate
the wirshiDinE millions with the wane
OF this star n new idol must be created
and precisely that was done And all
the Machiavellian cunning of the Pots
dam psychologists was concentrated In
doing 1t. To replace the man OF the
Masurian swamps In the hearts Of his
countrymen his other half" was
CHOSEN the man who on the night Of
august %, 1914. came TO Hanover to
fetch the pensioned general in a spe-
cial train to grand headquarters In
the east and who throughout the east
ern campaign served him as his chief
OF stan-Ludendorn
AS soon as the Emperor had 1acided
upon Hindenburg's doom, the I.uden-
dorn propaganda began Stories bo
gan TO appear in the German press
that the real brains behind the eastern
victories was not the great linden
burg, but his amanuensis But thar
was only the beginning. Hindenhurg
was to the German people the embodi
ment OF the old-time general, the per-
sonifcation of the victorious sword. or
ruthless strength. But this war. the
experts begun to tell the people, T.
not carried on by brute force alone:
Notwithstanding battles are not won
by generals who. like Eluecher Ito
whom Hindenburg had been generally
compared. the people calling him the
Marshal Forwaerts" Of this wary, dash
into the fray with drawn sword at the
head of their troops. This Is war
OF science, of technique, OF organiza-
lion, and these magic words 1uden-
dorff was gradually pictured as pcr-
sorifying. and gradually. with linden
burg's name being mentioned less and
less and Ludendorff's more and more.
the people began to look indeed to the
now almighty Quartermaster-gencra
as the military master-mind.
Thus. If Hlndenburg is confirmed to
be dead to-day. tomorrow, with little
ado. Ludendorff automatically takes
his place. The campaign of iGol re.
placement was unquestionably success
full.
But for that very reason It Is in
evitahle that, should the German peo-
pie tomorrow be told that Hind ,nburE
has been dead for weeks or months
they Will rise in wrath against the
powers that deceived them. What
else is there we d. not know?" will be
the question in all minds and on all
lips. and the Socialists will not fail