Evening star., 1932-03-13
he aRreed to dismiss Chancellor Bruen-

he agreed to dismiss Chancellor Bruen-
ing, then all the parties Of the Right,
| the Hugenburg party, the NaZis and the
Steel Helmets, would vote solidly for
1 Hindenburg; otherwise they would put
up a candidate of their own.
This move proved again that what
ever political qualities Hugenburs may
possess. the gift of psychology certainly
is not among them. The President in
all the events of his long life has shown
| himself loyal and fearless. The idea
that he might be induced to sacrifice
Bruening, trusted prime minister. in
order to secure his own election was
/ ludicrous.
| Hindenburg fatty refused and HUI
genburg suddenly found himself in a
| position of great embarrassment BY
the terms Of his own ultimatum he was
forced to nominate q presidential can
didate for the parties Of the Right.
Hitler and Husenburg Split.
Confusion ensued, and the latent an
tagonism between the two leaders, Hitler
and Hugenburg, led to a split in what
had been called the Harzburg Front Of
| the United Right. Hitler was put up as
candidate by his own people. Hugen-
| burg sure that large sections of his
| own party and the Steel Helmets would
not vote for Hitler started to search
| for q candidate. Junior sons of the
J Kaiser were mentioned and discarded
as hopeless. There was no one available
who had an atom Of standing or public
| appeal. At last he nominated Col
| Duesterberg, the vice president Of the
Steel Helmets, who had served during
the second half Of the war as a minor
ofncer on the general headquarters
| stan. and who since the war had been
| active in the organization Of the Steel
Helmets and responsible to great ex-
tent for that groups political actions.
He Is unknown to the broad masses Of
the German people, and apart from the
Steel Helmet organization his name will
draw but few votes.
Hitler himself, when he was nomi-
mated, had never become a German
subject. Following his desertion from
the Austrian army he lost his Austrian
citizenship and though he was a
German soldier right through the war
he never acquired German citizenship
| This is, naturally, one Of the essential
| qualif1catins for the nomination for
presidential election, and it would have
been impossible for him to be put UP
as candidate had he not at the
eleventh hour removed that stain. The
Brunswick local government solved the
difficulty II days ago by making Hitler
state councillor, attached to the Bruns-
wick legation In Berlin. So that
obstacle is out Of the way.
| Public opinion in Germany and the
tempestuous debates in the Reichstag
have shown how highly strung the
atmosphere is today after IA years OF
continuous political humiliation and
ever-increasing social and economic
stress. 1t is loaded with plenty of ex-
plosive stuff. And it would be rash, in
deed, to prophesy the result of the
presidential election. But, after pom
dering all the elements, the conscien-
tious observer would feel inclined to be-
lieve that Hindenburg will be victorious
on the first ballot Should he not secure
victory on the first ballot, little doubt
is possible that a second ballot will
bring him success.
His reelection will make for order
and stability in Germany, and order
and stability In the great central
country Of Europe means increased
security and brighter propects for
the world at large.