Evening star., 1934-08-09

nine articles IN phich ;CTtfeT nhO
kHelr him nell tells the story Of
Prestdent Won Hiadenburg's career.
BY CYRIL A. PLAYER.
From the glory OF Tannenberg 70
the chief Of the imperial general staff
was merely a wide step that served
as commentary on Germany's dimtn-
iGhing fortunes and the enormous
glamour that enveloped the one COM
mander who actually had won de-
cisive battle In between the Winter
Of 1914 and the day august 2sD in
1916 when Hindenburg and Luden-
dorff were summoned to headquarters
at PleSs is a tedious narrative OF
Stalemate, with Hindenburg gradu-
ally enlarging his authority in the
East. but constantly at war with gen.
eral headquarters on the eternal
East-West sta debate.
All Hindenburg could learn was
that "the position Is serious" or the
tumult at Pless. where a hysterical
Kaiser, a discouraged Won Falken-
hayn, a thoroughly demoralized staff
reviewed the extent and number of
the complications, eastern headquar-
ters might only guess. Thencefor-
ward. until the collapse. Hindenburg
and Ludendorff ruled the empire, en-
ployed its resources to challenge des-
tiny and rode the whirlwind at the
peak OF the storm that ragged from
every quarter Of the globe.
Farewell BY Falkenhayn.
The empress had just arrived at
Pless; also the chancellor, who, ap-
parently was as much surprised as
myself" to find a new chief of the
general staff of the field army. The
dismissed Won Falkenhayn, a good
soldier as would be proved soon.
shook hands with his successor, with
the slightly ominous words, God help
you and the fatherlandp
Hindenburg soon realized that,
willy-nilly, he was in the realm OF
politics as well as that OF military
leadership. The supreme command
under the constitution, it is true, be-
longed to the Emperor, but the right
TO issue orders in the name Of the
supreme command" was bestowed on
Hindenburg. Hindenburg became,
then, as none before him, the single
head of all Germany's fighting forces
and. TO the moderate extent that Ger
many was able TO influence her allies,
of those armies as well.
In retrospect, Hindenburg surveyed
all the political considerations in
volved and saw quite clearly why he
had not been able, with all his au-
20 ha m q
would have wished, which was to
concentrate on one decisive victory
in one definite theater of operations.
There were too many and diverse
emergencies involved. The field mar
shal denied that Germany at any time
had a stranglehold on her associate
powers. and asserted that nothing
showed the weakness of Germany, IN
comparison with England. more clear
ly than the difference between the
political grip each of them had on
her allies"
Time Aiding Allies.
But the truth was that the war was
lost to Germany at the Marine in
1914, and, thereafter, time was fight
ing for the allies, who, however
desperately pressed. always had in
reserve the climactical participation
of the United States. Germany be-
came hungry and internal disSension
over the wisdom of peace proposals
gave heart and tongue to the Social
Democrats who pressed hard and
ever harder on an army which
scarcely could help, in its privation
and encouragement, but listen, and
on a government which had nothing
to offer the people but more and
severer sufferings in behalf of lost
cause
THE lack of political discipline in
Germany" Hindenburg was to de-
clare in 1917, which has become
second nature to the Englishman, and
the absence of a love of the father
land (vaterland-sliebe) completely
free from cosmopolitan fancieS, such
as burned in the hearts of the French
were to blame, in my opinion, for the
peace resolutions which met with the
approval of the government in July,
1917"
Eventually. politics and army came
to collision; Hindenburg wrenched
himself away from these odiouS COM
plications as 1918 daWned and forced
himself calmly to survey the situation
as a soldier should Even a soldier
could not ignore that enlarging and
threatening countenance which thrust
itself ever further toward Europe
the countenance of Woodrow Wilson,
whom Hindenburg had distrusted from
the first. But Of the great days of
modern history Woodrow Wilson was
spokesman.
OffenSiveS Grew Weaker.
There were three German offensives
in 1918 in diminishing order of
power, if not of determination. Then
the appointment of Ferdinand Foch
as allied commander in chief deter
mined the end of the war And the
Americans were in the field. AS the
climax arrived. the deluded. courage
Gus old warrior was planning yet an
other battle for decision with
starved and broken army.
Notes passed between Berlin and
Washington. The meaning of Wash
ington was clear. and, even in Ger