The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-04-15
BY MILTON BRoNNER


wa $50
By MILTON BRONNER
European Manager, NEA Service.
copyright 1882, NEA Service Incl
Berlin, April 15.-In the gray
light Of an early morning in the
latter part of August, 1914, an old
gentleman in civilian attire nerv-
ously paced up and down the rail-
way platform at Hanover, accom-
panied by a solicitious old lady. 1t
was Paul Won Hindenburg and his
wife. waiting for the special train
which was speeding from the west
front in Belgium, bearing General
Eric Ludendorff, who was to be
his chief-of-staff.
The two men had never met.
All that Ludendorff knew about
Hindenburg was that he had at
tanned high rank. had retired.
had reached the age of 81, but
was, nevertheless, reported to
have sharp wits and considerable
military ability. 1t Is doubtful If
Hindenburg knew that much
about Ludendorff.
German military headquarters
was greatly displeased with Colo
nel-General Won Prittwitz, who
was in command in the east and
who was clamoring that he must
withdraw his troops beyond the
yistula. This would mean giving
ND most of East Prussia to the
: Russians, and If the Germans
were then beaten, would open the
way for the Russian steam roller
to 60 crashing towards Berlin.
Then somebody at G. H. @. re-
nlembered Hindenburg; that he
was an East Prussian and had
formerly been stationed at Koen-
igsburg. so that he was probably
well acquainted with the terrain.
Ludendorff was also an East Prus-
sian. 1t would be q good scheme
to send the older man as general
and the, younger man as strate-
gist. So said. so done.
When Ludendorff's special train
drew in, he stepped down, saluted
and shook hands. 1t was the first
time the famous pair had ever met.
They quickly boarded their train
and started off in haste for Koen-
igsburg. IA Il
The German situation was Sc
rious enough. Their army had
General Rennenkampf. with a
huge Russian army on one side
and General Samsonoff. with an
other army further south. May
be Hindenburg knew something
about the hatred between the two
Russian commanders. which had
begun in the Russo-Japanese war.
Whatever it was, he determined
t0s put his fortunes to the test.
He withdrew most Of the troops
facing Rennenkampf, leaving only
A. slight screen. He concen-
trated all the troops he could Sc
cure in an endeavor to draw Sam
sonoff into a trap. 1t succeeded.
The Russian army was almost
prisoners were taken. Samso-
nnff shot himself on the battIe-
field which Hindenburg named
Tannenberg. It was the revenge
for the defeat his ancestors had
suffered here nearly 500 years be-
fore. Joy bells were rung all over
East Prussia. Germany. as a
whole heard Of this old dug-out
for the first time. Small fortunes
were made selling his pictures. \
Hindenburg now went hotfoot
after Rennenkampf's army, which
narrowly escaped a trap and got
out Of German territory. BY
niid-Steptember East Prussia was
cleared of Russians,
But as q whole, things were
not going well for the Central
Powers. The Allies had more
than held their own in the west.
They had won the battle of the
AIarne. In the east. the Russians
were in Galicia and were threat
ening Hungary.
Hindenburg was made COM
niander- in chief Of the armies of
the east. AS such, he wanted 10
make an offensive towards War
saw, but his plans were limited
by the timid Falkenhayn. then
generalissimo of the German
forces. Notwithstanding that. he
did lead his armies near to War
saw and was then compelled. to
s fan back because of Austrian de-
feats. =. Z.
THEN Hindenburg turned about
ana captured Lodz in Poland.
The Grand Duke Nicholas, chief
of the Russian armies, had lost
100000 men in six weeks and
\ winter was coming on.
Nevertheless. in response to the
call of the Allies in the west. he
prepared another grandiose plan.
Involving millions of men. One
huge army was to force its way
through the snowy passes of the
Carathians into, the wheat plains
OF sHungary-the breadbasket of
the Central Powers. At the same
time. another big army was to
invade East Prussia. Hindenburg,
himself took charge of the troons
in East Prussia and in February
was fought the second battle of
the Masurian lakes. resulting in
10000 Russians being cantured.
Hindenburg believed, If given
the troops. he could put Rnssia
out of action completely in 1915.
compel Russia to sue for peace
B apd thus give Germany oppor-
tunity to concentrate all her
troops on the western front in the
end.
but Falkanhayn did not believe
Russia could be CONQUERED. Ma
4 peleon had tried and failed. So
& FIindenburg never got all the
troops he wanted. He had beaten
the Russians nearly every time.
byt the Russian ARMIES were still
gigantic, still full of fighting
spirit.
a.4s $3.50
But Y Hindenburg drove on.
Ilbau, Mitau. J.emberg were cap
fured. Novo Georgievsk. with n
s,s.fsrsson of 100, 900 men, fell, Then
Warsaw was taken. and Grodno.
IN six weeks the Russian front
h1d receded $50 miles.
Grand Duke Nichols was re-
moved and the car himself. as
stirned supreme command. Once
1s1ore the Germans moved, par
fltuIrriv in the north. Riga. Kovno
ann Wilma were occupied. and by
Tho late SUMMER Of 1915 the Rus
rirns began to think OF defending
Pef-oxrad from capture.
But IN HIS main object. Hinden-
bofz had failed. His attempt to