The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-30
BITTER fEUD ARISES
BETWEEN LEADERS
Gnashing Teeth. Stand Facing
Each Other.
LIKE sNARLING HYENAs
Would Grab the FIRST Chance to Bite
At slightest Move or Drop OF n Hat
Back to the Wall.


has arisen between Hindenburg and
Ludendorff.
There are hints In today's German
dispatches that irreconcilable an
tagonism between the two has been
| fermenting for months. Amid the
frantic ticking of the Berlin telegraph
one hears the undertone of rafting
skeletons.
The historic clash. of which true
history Is yet to be written, between
HidenburYs defensive school and
Ludendorfrs old Prusssian aggressive
general emerged victor last spring.
thanks to the sword-eating crown
princes aid, is recalled.
Ludendorffs retirement and the
su bseQuent revelation that IT was he
who originally instigated Prince
Max's first kamerading move, appear
, to have torn down the camouflage of
bosom friendship and hand-in-glove
cooperation.
Tonight the two men who, through
four years, have been represented to
their compatriots and to the world as
"one heart. one soul and one brain"
who. on the surface, always acted and
talked Jointly, are facing one another.
!
and probably by his own section of
the army, in the first round Of what
promises to be a dramatic fight, the
end Of which no one can foretell.
With the aforesaid camouf1age-
| veil ripped wide open. all attempts to
keep up appearances have been
abandoned. Hindenburg has at last
broken his grim silence and has
| openly challenged his former amanu-
ensis--some have called Ludendorff
| the field marshafs brain--before the
judgment OF the Fatherland.
Hint at Court-Martial-
Late this evening there was. in
deed, one German report that Hin
denburg will order Ludendorff TO ap-
| pear before court martial"
| Ludendorff, after the kaiser's ac-
ceptance OF his resignation, sped back
| to headquarters in the field to take
! leave from the army. Soon after
| ward Hindenburg received newspa per
| men and threw his bombshell. He
openly accused Ludendorfr u having
played politics, not once. but often.
He explained that the Guartermas-
ters retirement was due to the new
civil control of the army, thus con-
firming yesterdays exclusive Univer-
sal Service information.
Tie SAD, mat
had first advocated the bid for an
armistice. considering the German
| position in the west desperate. but
| had later changed his mind and at
tempted to interfere in Germany's
policy, as he had often done before"
Reports and rumors that {.uden-
dorff was behind the first peace move
had been flying thick and fast for
weeks. In the last few days they had
been openly mentioned in the reich
stag Leading Berlin papers repeat
ed them. IT was said EudeHdorHes
change of mind" came when he saw
the German retreat in the west could,
after ALL be managed without incur
ring disaster.
Mfitarists Disconnected.
But by that time the peace CORE
spondence was in full swing and the
political leaders have driven clear
through the breach in the milttarist
front
Ludendorff. when he tried to stave
the drive OF democracy, found it had
already swept away his autocratic
regime. He had dug his own grave.
Frantic With fury at the giant form
the political pfgmies-so long puppets
in his hand-had assumed overnight,
he sought means to slay them by brute
IOFCe. Ever n EamDleT, ne MT upon
the scheme OF coup d'etat 1t is said
in Berlin he planned a counter revo-
luton. Some iiken him to Mornilon.
With the aid OF the junkers. he proc
posed to make himself chancellor.
But meanwhile the old man OF the
| Masurian lakes was not idle. He had
bided his time long enough When
LudendorfY was about ready to turn
the desperate trick he found the cards
were stacked against him. All that
| remained for him to do was the for
| mality of rendering" his resignation.
What ne will do now is probla-
matical. However, that he will die
hard is regarded AS certain His in
| fiuencc Is known to be strong and
wide. His leanings toward the crown
prince and through him tc the totter-
ing dynasty and it's junkerist pillars,
are expected to play an important
| part in his future actions.
nAaaur ann Aa1n1nrnan n