Evening star., 1933-01-15


circle, but to the masses they
IL remain men of mystery. 1t Is
they who manipulate the levers
and pull the wires from behind the
scenes, while the responsible statesmen
whose actions they control take The
bows or blush for the fiasco,
The ghost rulers have their habitat
in obscurity, where they have no fear
OF being picked out by the spotlight of
publicity of legislative criticism. They
forego the glamour Of the news camera
for the thrill of the power that enables
them to give life to the political Punch
and Judy show. They are mysterious
personages, elusive and yet all pervad-
ing, the nearest approach in the
modern world to the old-fashioned ty-
rants who were responsible only to their
own consciences
The most famous ghost ruler in re-
cent history was Friedrich Won Holstein,
known to his subordinates as the Grey
Spider and to his superiors as the head
of the political department of the Ger
man foreign Office for more than 80
years. For nearly a gere-aticn he had
a finger in every diplomatic pic, scme-
times cooperating with his chanceilors
and sometimes defying their will. Bu5
he died before his great power had be-
come known to more than q few.
In recent weeks, through a curious
coincidence Of fate, three of the most
influential ghost rulers of Europe have
been forced out of their obscurity and
have been placed squarely in the spot
Light of international publicity that
beats upon the heads of nations Gen
Kurt Won Schleicher, recently chosen
as chancellor Of Germany by President
Won Hindenburg, is the most prominent
Of these ghost rulers. For is years
he had been backstage hand. manipu-
lating the levers and pulling the wires.
While he kept in the background, the
responsible statesmen of the Reich, who
were his dummies. took the applause
and lodged the rotten eggs that were
hurled at them. He was Germany's
great political mystery. exclusive and
yet omnlpreSent. He knew where every
tiny screw fl into the diplomatic ma
chtnery. Ministers took their cues from
him and he was responsible only to
his own conscience.
Gen. Combos Is Another.
Gen. Julius Gcmbos. the present
prime minister Of Hungary, is the
second Of the former ghost rulers who
have just been brought out from pe-
hind the scenes and who now are
RCA4OlA AA44l6 OpS1lIy UpOIl LIE StdSS.
While he was the power behind Gne
throne he overthrew more than one
cabinet.
And the third phantom ruler who
now has come out into the open is
Col. Joseph Beck, recently appointed
minister Of foreign affairs of Poland,
who for years was eatrenched behind
the barricade CT his redoubtable
anonymity
Gen. Won Schleicher, the man with
the pleasant smile and strong will
has for years been neir apparent to
power. He was not suspected of over
powertng ambition; his good-naturad,
well-nourished appearance did not
seem dangerous to professional politi-
clans; and although he undoubtedly
was convinced that he could do better
on the stage than any political prima
donna, he was happy with his place
backstage, where he had a maximum
of power and a minimum Of respons:-
bility. In the obScurity of his den he
laughed at the wry faces his puppats
maoe as he jerked them off the stage.
And although he has been steadily
working his way toward greater power
through all the postwar years, it is not
entirely certain that he enjoys the new
responsibilities which his open assump-
bAOIl Va pOMcI ildN6 DEOuRnL.
The general is fifty years old now.
but the miSchievous look in the corner
OF his eyes makes him seem much
younger.
Dubbed Chocolate Soldier"
When Kurt Won Schleicher joined the
Third Guard Regiment at Hanover
some thirty years ago and made the
acquaintance of young Oscar Won Hin
oenburg, he had no idea that this
would one day help him become the
successor of the Iron Chancellor
Oscar Won Hindenhurg and Kurt Won
Schleieher we're friends. And years
later Oscars father, Marshal Paul Won
Hindenburg, generalissimo of the Ger
man army at war, called Mai. Won
Schleicher to his side and assigned him
to service at headquarters. Those who
envied the ma jor's good luck dubbed
him the chocolate soldier" because he
had seen little service in the trenches.
But those vino looked deeper predicted
a brilliant future for the ambitious
young officer; he was to rise to glory
with the triumph of the German army.
But instead of triumph came defeat.
That defeat saw the Quartermaster
general, Erich Ludendorf sneak out of
Germany in disguise. His successor,
Gen. Groener, advised the Kaiser to
assume the command of his armies
against the enemy Field Marshal Hin
denpurg however, urged the Kaiser to
flee, and he commissioned Mai. Won
Schleicher to explain the seriousness of
the situation to Wilhelm II. The fol-
lowing day, November 10, 1918, a short
time after his interview with Won
Schleicher, the Kaiser was seen pacing
up and down the platform of a small
Dutch frontier station, awaiting per-
mission to enter Holland
With the coming of the republic,
Herr Won Schleicher was assigned to
the Reichswehr ministry. He did not
mold spectacular Office, and If he had
anything to do with the limelight, it
was to keep away from it. He became
q fixture of the ministry, one of those
permanent officials who delight in OBJ
scurity and in power. When an inyen-
tory was taken of the leaders of the
republic Schleicher was not among
them, and when those who pull the
wires were listed his name was not
found in that group either.
Ministers Found Him ResourcefuI.
The ministers found him discreet and
they liked him because Re never
claimed credit for the ideas that were
his. They took him into their conf
ocnce and found him resourceful.
As a permanent official of the army
ministry Schleicher was in a key posi-
ton He was not only soldier, but also
a diplomat-a combination highly re-
garoed in Berlin. Would he turn to-
ward the monarchists or would he side
with the republicans? The fate OF the
new regime was decided when men OF
ms type, sympathizers with the empire.
oecided tha3 the ruling system had first
c4alm on their services.
OA the fifth anniversary of the day
Ihen Schleicher had urged the Kaiser
70 nee, word was flashed to Berlin that
.s'eluton had broken out at Munich.
"a, .-le mead of the movement stood a
Sou1s man, unknown to fame outside
oi Eavarla, an erstwhile menial worker
Az a 1otIIa' who was caricatured by lib
eral papers as a political Charlie Chap
lin u Don Oniynte narh u ne Adalf