The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-08-04
cERMANYs MEN OF TO-DAY NO: s-
New Chancellor Still Facing
 War Charge
BY MILTON BRoNNER

EurOpcan Manager, NEA Service
 Beriifi.-Still under indictment in the United States for his wartime activities, yet spokesman for the powers that now dictate Germany's policies on political, commercial and financial matters affecting America--that is the strange posi- ton in world affairs held by Lieu tenant Colonel Franz von Papen, Tnonarchist- minded chancellor of this republic.
 Scholarly, astute, aristocratic- Won Papen presents problem even to the German populace. to whom he is comparatively un- whether to laugh at their new chancellor or weep over his me- etoric projection into the national picture.
 But none can blink the fact that he is the man chosen by linden burg to serve the key position in this sudden surge of the junkers to the top of the heap.
 And none can blink the fact that the monarchists, in office or out, at last have come boldly to the fore in national politics with a de- termination that the warning rival parties find hard to resist.
 Who is this man who but for his diplomatic immunity might have languished in an American prison?
 Franz von Papen was born Octo- Der 20. 1879, at Werl in Westphalia of an old Catholic, artistocratic family, which owned great estates In, that region.
 Like so many of his class in the old days of the German mon archy, he naturally turned to the army for his career. For a time he was an officer in the Fifth Uh- lans, stationed at Dusseldorf and was then transferred to the gen. eral stuff.
 Just before the World War. at 35, he was sent to Washington as military attache to the German embassy. When the World War broke out, he was one of the pre- cious coterie of five Germans who sought to block the manufacture of munitions in America for the allied account. His colleagues in this enterprise were Captain won Bernstorff, the ambassador; Cap tain Boy-Ed, the naval attache; pr Dernburg and the egregious pr Albert.
 service officers of the United States, Great Britain and France was soon centered upon them. It was suspected that they were not only fomenting strikes in muni- tions factories, but also, knew more than little about myste- rious fires and explosions in those
 In the winter of 1915 the American government got the goods on Von Papen. As he held a diplomatic passport. he could not be arrested. The government him out of the country,
 After his departure, Won Papen and the four others were indicted by a United States, federal grand jury for participation in a plot to blow up the Welland canal locks in Canada.
 That indictment still stands and Won Papen could be arrested ina- mediateiy he stepped onto Ameri- can soil in any except a diplomatic capacity.
 For an officer to undertake such work, be caught at 1t and kicked out is one of the cardinal sins, but Won Papen did not suffer. He was soon given a position on tke general staff of; the Turkish army where he served the balance of the war.
 The conflict over and Germany a republic, Won Papen retired to his vast estates. but in 1924 he N-i- l. S~~ !, ties and in 1924, as member of the Catholic centre party, was elected to the Prussian Landtag-. the state parliament.
 He soon began to find himself out of touch and sympathy with his party. The centre leaned towards the left often collaborat-