The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-08-04

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matter herein are also reserved.
Germany's Strong Man
To appreciate the strength Of Paul
Won Hindenburg as president Of Ger
many it Is necessary to understand
that he served as president during
the nations greatest time Of crisis.
As no other man could have done,
perhaps, he held 1t together and pre-
vented the horrors Of civil war and
the spread Of anarchy.
Probably no other man in Germany
could have done this, for none other
had such q hold upon the minds and
hearts Of the German people.
Adolf Hitler found it possible to
whip many Germans into q frenzy
by demagogic appeals. In q large
part Of the nation he stirred up q
fantastic devotion to himself. But
it was as different from their affec-
ton for and confidence In Won Hin
denburg as attraction for q new toy
is different from a child's love Of its
mother.
For Won Hindenburg, dead at 81,
was Germany's best and most distin-
guished contribution to the postwar
era when, beaten nation, it began
to struggle upward from the crush
ing blows of defeat. This Is all the
more remarkable because he also was
its most distinguished citizen in
those bloody days when Germany's
armies first were almost uniformly
successful, finally were beaten back
and forced to surrender.
All Of US can remember the Won
Hindenburg line as vague spot on
a war-torn map, but the memory
must be stirred II We are to recall
that Won Hindenburg proved himself
Germany's greatest modern military
genius. He and General Erich Won
Ludendorff comprised a sort Of two
man brain trust which directed Ger
many's military destinies and all but
brought victory to the black eagles
Of the kaiser's standard. How close
they came to that victory is best in
dicated by survey Of postwar &C.
counts by Allied and American COM
manders. There were times when 1t
seemed that the balances would
swing in favor Of the grey-clad armies
under Hindenburg,s direction.
His activity in the war and the de-
votion to his kaiser which linden
burg then displayed, make his post
war record all the more remarkable.
A loyalist Of the first water, 1t was
assumed that Hindenburg's election
to the presidency meant return of
the monarchy. That It did not was
due to the great leaders respect for
his oath as president During the
war he tried to discharge the duties
laid upon him. As president he car
ried through in the same spirit and
one Of his promises as president was
to preserve the republic. That he
did not do so in the face Of Hitler's
rise Is hardly his fault. Conditions
over which he had no control bat
tered at the citadels Of his aged mind
and heart and he consented to Hit
ler's rise in vain effort to save his
beloved country from further tur-
MOL. That he failed to do 50 was
largely due to his falling health, for
q vigorous and active Hindenburg
would have kept Der Fuehrer In
check in manner which . sick and
failing man found impossible.
Thus one Of the great men Of our
time dies on q note Of failure. The
country for which he fought, both In
war and peace, had not been saved
from the distresses which he sought
to avoid. Undoubtedly this fact was
q tragedy which clouded his last days.
There was . time when the rest Of
the world hated Won Hindenburg. As
the leading apostle Of German mill
tarism he became an almost legen-
Diary figure, reviled In the camps Of
his enemies. Had not the needs Of
the republic called Hindenburg from
retirement. the only estimate made
Of him by history would be that &C.
corded any defeated war lord.
But - the representative Of post
war Germany, Hindenburg found
greater laurels than any conferred On
him under the kaiser. The world
came 70 think Of him - . man o.
peace, rather than Of war. His star
ling qualities inspired confidence.
There grew up for Hindenb,rg . sort
of affection In strong contrast with
tn attitude toward him during the
var.
- : result, his death = universally
ns0urnsd. evsn ~ til vsry msn who.
n INA hslped - hrsak ths von Hin
denbusg Linz and re1tors peace. sueh
- 4 = = - wog11