Evening star., 1934-08-04
BY CYRIL A. PLAYER.


Paul Hindenburg's four years at the
wahlstatt Academy drew to close.
He was not clever boy. He was not
a clever man. But he was an honest
man, with that penetration and
shrewdness derived from simplicity of
heart and directness Of mind which
are so unfathomable TO complicated
character. For, if the simple man,
such as Hindenburg, might not COM
prehend the infinite variety OF a
Rathenau or a Schacht, so really
clever man, as Ludendorff, stood baf-
fled before the direct depths of a
Hindenburg.
The boy pleased his teachers sufii-
cisntly, and passed on to the Special
Cadet School at Berlin. AT the very
first review In the Prussian capital, in
the Spring Of 1858, Cadet Hindenburg
set eyes, for the first time, on the man
who was TO embody for him all that
was 1T to be served, King William OF
Prussia, later to be Emperor VIII
liam /.
Further, the third year at Berlin
brought him one of those honors
which an ariStocratic family, espe-
ciaIly when in modest circumstances,
can expect from the court. Paul Hin
denburg was appointed page to Queen
Elizabeth, widow of Frederick William
Nv. The gold watch she gave him re-
manned in his possession and, he
proudly told this writer in 1891, still
goes" although he then was wearing
what he called an iron watch" (gun-
metal, given him by his wife during
the war when it was unpatriotie to
exhibit gold in any form.
Missed Danish War.
The war with Denmark broke out
too soon for Paul Hindenburg, and he
took to dreams; wrote his mother that
he had dreamed OF her III health
(Which proved true): Il had feeling
YOU we're very i'll" and Sternly ordered
her to take good care of herself.
Hindenburg joined the Sd Regiment
of the Guards (Aprl Z, 1869, as a
second lieutenant which, he told this
writer, was one of my wonderful
days
Paul Hindenburg scarcely had
passed into the PruSSian Army when
bismarck entered on his carefully call
<.ulated war with Austria That en-
pire already was breathing with diti-
Guilty; Bismarck, as II by accident and
absent -mindedly, sat down hard on
the fnvalid's chest, For the army this
war simply was a recreation OF the
DAYS Of Frederick the Great; Hinden-
burg shared the general satisfaction
when the GrenadierS, mohilized at
PotSdam, were taken to the tomb OF
that revered sovereign.
1t was strange war. and Hinden-
burg was commanding the first Skin
mishing section OF the ID Battalion
OF his regiment; for some time he had
TO content his appetite with having
smeued powder and gone through
some OF the emotional experiences
which are the lot of the soldier when
he first comes face to face with the
enemy" Among other unattractive
duties, far from glory. as that of
searching corn field for the dead
and then burying them.
Ran Into Battery.
Then KoeniggraStz was upon him
He took q patrol toward the Fortress
of Josephstadt. wet and cold" and
apparently unsuspecttng. For q sol
der" he wrote his parents, war Is q
normal experience and am in God:
hands" They were only half bat
talon, advancing through the mis-
and the Understanding corn, wher
they surprised some enemy infantry
and ran headlong into an Austrian
battery. A shot whistled through Hin
denburg's helmet and laid him low
his men captured the guns linden