Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-26
Bruening- German Enigma


| placable hatred Of the German Nation
alistS. who delight in describing him a.
q mollycodd1e and defeatist.
With the end Of the war the worlc
which was Capt. Bruening's had crum.
bled to dust. and he saw with dismay
the emergence Of q new world domi-
mated by chaos and disaster. He was
not slow, however. to perceive that out
| OF the chaos came new message which
urged him to place himself at the dis.
posal OF the pioneers of German democ-
racy. Under the leadership of Mat
thiaS ErZberger the Centrum party be-
came the stronghold Of republican senti-
ment, and Bruening found In this new
allegiance q promise for the future OF
Germany and for his religious convic-
tons.
In Parliament 6 Years.
The Zentrists sent Bruening 10 Par
Lament about six years ago. His ca
reer as a parliamentarian began inaus-
piciouSly. When he mounted the speak
erS' tribune, which he did infreuuently
the benches were not filled with Depu-
ties anxious to hear the word of wis
dom. His advice was not sought by
newspapers and public in the great ma
tional emergencies which have made
German history q record Of adversities
he a darling of the political salons
where whispers start regulations and
where myths are minted into realities.
Yet, in the obScurity Of COMMITTEES
rooms the fame Of the young zentrist
Deputy commenced to sprout wings
The word spread that Herr Bruening
was an expert on government finances
Older Deputies met him in secret con-
clave and pumped him for enlighten-
, ment, Tor which he received gratitude
and they received fame and glory.
Gradually Bruening's fame spread
and In 1929 he was the leader Of the
centrum party, In line for the chancel-
lorship II the chancellor then in power,
Hermann Mueller, should fall. Herr
Mueller did his best to fall, and BrIen-
ing did his best to keep him in power
This was one Of thO most curious tugs
| of-war, In which both sides tried TO
| yield victory to the antagonist. The
chancellor then In power had more than
sufficient reason to say good-by to
power. He was sick man and his
party. the Socialists, were faced with
the necessity Of making a compromise
with their political conviction which
they were not ready to accept. Herr
Bruening Stunned the ordeal, partly,
no doubt, because Of the monkiSh quail
| ity Of his which finds no happiness In
the spotlight of worldwide publicity.
Had to Bide His Time.
In the Spring Of last year the issue
came to q head. The cabinet of Her
mann Mueller was involved in an I'M
employment crisis which would have
neceSsitated the mortgaging Of the
nations resources. The way out Of the
dilemma for the Mueller cabinet was
to have Bruening try his hand.
In those critical days many Germans
hoped for Teutonic Mussolini. Bruen-
ing was not one, and as an unknown
quantity he had to bide his time. As a
strong man." made In the image of
the italian dictator, he would have run
the risk Of messing things up beyond
relief. II he had betrayed his affection
for the conservative factions Of the
country. the Socialist party, the largest
Of the Reichstag and the first organized
in the whole Of Germany would have
declared war on him. II he had sought
contact with the radicals, he would
have challenged the opposition Of the
reactionary forces which would have
found means to expel him from the
seat of the mighty.
Bruening followed the dictates Of
common sense, which looked extremely
simple to the outsider. but was less
simple to an environment in which
common sense was all but outlawed.
The cardinal point Of his policy was
to preserve order and restore confidence
in Germany's political and economic
stability by restraining the extremists
from doing mischief while he was clip
ping their wings.
With remarkable insight into the
mentality Of the average German, Herr
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