Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-16
CERMANY'S LATEST
FOREIGN MINISTER
Pen Picture of Paul Won Hintze,
Who Has Been Called to Sue
ceed Won Kuehlmann.

ceed Won Kuehlmann.
One better qualified Paul won llntzc
90 represent the kaIscr S aims and as
pirations could hardly have been chosen
To fill the place in the German Imperial
Government made vacant by tho retire
rnent of DIR Richard Won kuehmann.
| For wears Won Iiintzc has been at once
the confidential messenger, the chief
intriguer. and the willing tool ot his mas
ter. Favored early in his career hY the
notice of the man whose consuming am
hition II is to ovCrrun and ovcrawC tho
world, Won Ilntzo was selected rs the
most promising person IN the court TO
! travel about among nations friendly to
Germany. accept their hopSitalitv. take
note of their points Of strength and weak
ness. and plan for their betrayal or, #
need be, for their rum. Long before
| August. 1914. Won lllntzc was known to
keen Observers, m and out of Germany,
| as a night prowlcr. a douhlc-dealCr and
| no better than a common Spy.
The first real knowledge which the
| United STATES had Of hum was when. rs
| flag lieutenant 10 tho German Vice Adj
mral Won njcdcriC,ls. he undertook 10
carry on negotiations hooking to the
| voluntary or forced evacuation of Mamma
/ BAY hv Admiral DCwCys fleet These
! advances were st FIRST Insnuabng. then
! persuasive, then offensive Their pur-
| pose was to convince the American com
| mandcr that he had no right To give or
! ders winch tho German commander won
/ pcdcricbs should respect After a shot
| had been tired across the how Of the Ger
| man warshlp IoTinpTan, to make II clear
! that the American fleet meant to dominate
/
/ rlchs. according tn Admiral Dewey
testimony sent a capable young officer
| at the staff to me with a memorandum OF
grievances When ! had heard them
through made the most oi the occasion
10y ,isuug him as n third person 70 state
randIdly and firmly my attitude IN a
verbal message which he conveyed to his
superior 50 successfully that Nice-Admiral
won Dleaicrichs was able 90 understand
my point Of view There was no further
interference with the blockade. nor breach
ot the etiquette which had been estab-
| lshod hy consent OF other foreign com
manders
The capable young officer" Was no
other than Paul won llintze. who later.
doubtless At the suggestion of vnn Rede-
uch 4. and with the approval Of the I'm
Tcror. endcavored 10 conceal from the
statement the fact that III Manila Bay.
following the destruction OF the Spanish
feet. tho German fleet. which had come
10 that harbor with the settled purpose
of taking possession of the Philippines,
was completely and humilIatinEiy defeated
IN a hloodIcSs battle hy tho American
commander But the truth has become
/ known to the world and q part OF this
truth Is that IN tha accomplishment OF
his victory Admiral Dewey received in.
valuable aid from Captain Chichcst er
commander Of the British fleet. who also
took occasion to inform Won nCdCriChs
that If he made a hostile move against
the Americans, the English feet would
do its utmost To blow his ships out Of the
water This message, It may he SAID IN
passing, marked the first step toward the
AnCIo-AmcrIcan entente that has sInCc
npcncd SO hapAly for civilization and
humanity.
1t was after this episode that Won
Hnt7e was commissioned ty the kaiser
IA make friends abroad In order 10 be-
, tray hem tie was, as Admiral Dewey
described him, capable He acquInd
the English and French languages per-
fcCtly He courtcd society IN foreign
capitals, and won condolences He was
described rs a person "hard as nails en-
tlTciv impcrylojIs to any general human
tartan or altruStlc ideas one who III all
international matters was barbarian.
''Thc possibility OF war was never out OF
lus thought SAID a writer who described
him IS he was eighteen years ago " hen
] spoke 10 hlm of the horror Of such way
Of settling disputes among civilized beings.
! was met bv look Of utter lack of com
prehension The thought that IT might
ss.- 10 hrc ft4sfr tn war n :
people he bad visited gave him no pain
4 seemed TO ham the right and only
thing
Won Hintze. who before becoming a
diplomatist had attained the rank of
admiral IN the navy, played his favoTIte
role Of IntTlguer both III China and IN
Mexico. In China his conduct became
50 n0torlously reprehenslble hat be had
to be recalled IL Was openly alleged
that he was the associate of robDer bands |
and spies. In Mexico he LAID Z ne ground |
work of the conspiracy which later brought !
Zlmmermann and Won Bernstorti into |
disgrace and Tidlcule and FASTENED the |
entrance of the United States into the /
war. Il was Won Hintze who Matched the |
plot for international Intervention ln /
Mexican affairs. and who made 1t seem /
probable 10 the Berlin Foreign Office /
that ali former Mexican territory could |!
be taken from the United States. He had |
10 leave both China and Mexico under |
false name and IN disguise After his |
unsavorY diplomatic exploits IN those I
countries he sought appointment Ii the |
navy, but this was denied hun How /
ever while even the Kaiser baked at |
placing mm in charge of fleet, he deemed /
hlIn tlt TO represent the empire ID Norway |
dc II, ~ short. a person generally dis
trusted Vet he has now been chosen for |
position IN which Germany. more than /
any other nation on earth. needs a man
~ whom at least a modicum Of confidence |
might with some degree Of safety b. |