The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-07-22
LUDENDORFF, GERMANS REAL LEADER,
"DIABOLICAL GENIUS" SAYS ANOLYST

whether or not General Won Hin
denburg is dead or alive is not known.
But General Ludendorff is conceded
to be the real leader of the German
military forces Albert De Pouvourville
of the French colonial council, intel
ligence bureau points out this fact in
a psychological study of Ludendorff,
which has just appeared The French
author refers to the "diabolical gen.
ius of the man" and says the nature
of his war game is irony set in mo-
ton" and that for him the interest
ing, the important thing, is to fool
his enemy, to set traps for him, the
more scientific the better"
Here are the principal parts Of De
Pouvourville's study, translated from
the French:
Ludendorff is the type OF general
staff officer, Of logarithmetic strate-
gist, of an memorable and cool chess
player. I have known this man very
slightly in the usual way Of social
with him. Others have done the
intercourse. I have met him, talked
same. If my knowledge ended there
would know him no better than they.
But my knowledge does not end there.
So | know him better-at least diff
ferently.
Still I have some recollection Of
those personal interviews. l recall In
somewhat condensed fashion an
angular profile, disquieting and row.
ing eye. wise, cool expression which
owes much to a couple of hedges Of
stiff bristles on his upper lip, and at
his neck the flesh is forced into ridges
by too high and close collar
He was. and he freely admitted
himself to be, an enigma. But he
was at that time accompanied, like
his shadow, by Captain Won SpitZ,
and rather exaggerated the attitudes
Of his master, but who, having the
need of couple of bottles Of stout
before he could sleep. became talka-
tive after sunset. 1t is through this
Won Spitz. who died at Heiden, on
the Lake of Constance, from an at.
tack of delerium tremens, that one
could, at favorite intervals, decipher
Ludendorff.
As to Hindenburg.
The conduct of men and events,
secret authority over the armies, auto
cratic but ignorant direction of all
that pertains to war, such is the role
formerly coveted and now played by
his stout eminence Hindenburg. The
Jovelike marshal of the Mazurian
lakes struts about, glares here and
there, shows himself everywhere, and
covers all Germany with his mons
trous dominating shadow.
In this shadow, silent and fatal.
~
the obscurity he manipulates the
rods which lift the Teuton gen.
eralissimo, like a puppet, here
and there. placing him at ban
quets, at the imperial councils,
and on the front with the troops.
Meanwhile, in his own solitary
and closed office, he bends over
maps, logarithmic tables, makes
his calculations and solves his
problems. He plays his game of
chess against an automaton OF
his own fabrication. He attempts
to change destiny. Such is the
game played by this redoutable
and consuming man who tries to
observe the end before the end
comes, who despises the noise of
acclaim and the uselessness OF
glory.
But the nature of this war game is
unique 1t is irony set in motion. To
vanquish his enemy by sheer brute
force appears to him to be an inferior
and easy conception-good enough for
his general in chief and his sovereign.
And with that these two are satisfied,
and in his heart he despises them
for it,
His Idea Of War.
For him, the interesting. the i'm
portant thing, is to fool his adver
sary, to abuse him. to set traps for
him-the more scientific the better
into which, carried by his own stu
.pid enthusiasm, credulty. or human
ity even, he is almost certain to fall.
And this does not, by any means
apply to military strategy. Austerlitz
and Auerstadt were evidently good
strokes of strategy, but they do not
provoke laughter or even a smile.
They. are not sufficient for Luden-
dorff who wishes. to amuse himself
at his enemy's expense. No, Luden
dorff is the complete gamester, who
knows and utilizes his every chance,
and who, with the same brain with
which he conducts military strategy
and sheds blood COnceiyeS and ma