Evening star., 1924-06-08
Harden Sees Voters Viii FIOuted
In Return, of Mars as Chancellor
Asks What Is Use of Elections If Result Is Ignored
When 1t Is Unpleasant to Leaders of
" Political Parties.

strongest parties German Nationals
ana Social Democr1ts)s nor the real
victor1 In tho recent elections CNa-
tiona1ists, Voelk1schen and Com.
mpntsts) have a single seat in this
What is the use of elections IL no
attention Is paid when the result is
unpleasant to the politicians? The
effect can only be to depreciate still
further democratic institutions and
to infame the indignation of those
who had supposed they won. In such
a situation the opportunity is ripe
for assassinations and coups d'etat.
Chancellor Seipel of Austria has
been wounded by an assassin at the
very moment the Berlin courts were
Seeckt and the writer. AS the victim
of the latter affair, the writer can
only say that twenty years ago
August Strindberg Of Sweden said
that II Harden was ever forced to
drink 5nrsts1, neml0es a1%s II Mcuid 10 be for
Athenian. he could also say: II am
not an athenian (German) but citizen
Of the world"
Devotes Life to state.
Catholic priest, who lives in a
monastery and attends mass every
morning at 5 o'clock and then goes
back to work, who has no private
affairs. but devotes his whole time
to church and state, has, by his
deep religious and cultural convic-
tions, done immense good to his
country; but he has also aroused the
enmity of the nationalists. He is 20
and he never hesitates to realize that
Austria was defeated and must bear
the consequences.
Germany might .be in a bearable
situation today had she industed her
destinies to q Seipel She preferred.
soxsyer ssc r4i. to ieays so1 soem oe TO xon
general whose hard hand was once
felt in Posen, is . typical product Of
German militarfsm. He is tan. thin.
with a small head. and is flexible and
cunning: He. He is good , soldier,
the war he was first sent eastward.
where he had to manage the woman
ish Enycr Pasha- He guided the first
military footsteps of Archduke, and
later Emperor Karl, and then led
the forces of the parade-Gen.
paign against Serbia. He was re-
called from Versailles for advising
an abrupt rupture of negotiations.
Fears LudendorH.
Despite ali this, and despite the
fact that after the Kapp putsch from
which he abStained because he was
not on good terms with Gen. Lnden-
dorff, Won Seeckt made a speech to
students In which he spoke of 1.-The
coming day of revenge" and the
government made him chief Of the
army, thus placing all Of Germany
forces in the hands OF a monarohist.
He might already have attempted
something but for the fact that the
army itself is opposed to restoration
of the monarchy, which would mean
restoration OF conscription and abol-
ishment Of army pay. while Won
SceCkt doubtle IS, fears also that 4
monarch would place his rival,
Ludendorff, above him This explains
why all conciliation with Ludendorff
has been impossible. and why Seeckt
abominateS all nationalist intrigues.
But nevertheless he made energetic
efforts to get the nationalists' seats
in the cabinet, knowing they would
hinder the forward march Of the
Ludendorff-H factions. And so
thus we have an imperial general
who today is showing more foresight
than the politicians who merely cling
to Office, and so the same old motto
appliesa
Don't get angry-only marvel"