Evening star., 1934-08-02
H|NDENBURG EVER
STAD|LZ|NG FORCE
Gave German People Sense
OF Security in Peace
and War Stress.

Paul Won HindenbuTK. TO Germans
"der alts- or grand old man. vas
20 the rest Of the world a rock-like
bulwark Of German union and force
for stability when the postwar re-
public tottered on the brink Of civil
war and disnemberment.
Emerging from retirement after a
military career that Epanned more
than an ordinary life time and In
rIuded two Of the great wars Of his
tory, he undertook the duties Of Presi-
dent Of the Reich when he was near
ing the age Of 70, served his fun term
OF seven years and then won re-elec-
tion IN April. 1882. for a second term.
Greeted first As a forerunner of
restoration Of the monarchy, he
proved q staneh corlstitutionslist. did
hts utmost 10 preserve a parliament
tary government and accepted the
virtual dictatorship OF Adolf Hitler
in 1888. only when the German peo-
pie voted for Capitalization Of power.
Swift Changes Mark Terms.
His two terms saw the decline Of
The Social Democrats who, led by
Friedrich Ebert. first President. set
up the republic under the Weimar
constitution the rise and decline Of
the Centrists under the late Gustav
Stresemann and Heinrich Breuning
and the boiling up of nationalism from
which emerged the NaZis Of Hitler
They we're years OF agitation, OF fierce
clashes between trained fighting units
of the various political parties, of
government by decree. of frequent
elections as cabinet after cabinet fell.
Germany, burdened by World War
reparations, groaning under an in
oress1ngly heavy load Of taxation and
then sorely stricken by the world
wide economic crisis Of 1898.
swerved several times toward chaos.
But the iron willed octogenarian who
held the presidency, applied the disci-
pline. adaptability and fatherly re-
sponSibility that had made him be-
loved by the nation in World War
days and, his contemporaries testified,
cid more than any other one indi-
vidual TO hold together the nation OF
63, 900 900.
The IL months beginning with Feb
ruary, 1881, we're especially critical.
At the start it was proposed to make
Won Hindenburg President for life,
but che aged executive put 1t aside.
Contending political factions kept the
country in a ferment and at one stage
Won Hindenburg was ready to resign.
Bruentng, Catholic Centrist, was
chancellor and in October the Presi-
dent demanded that he reorganize the
government on Rightist lines. Won
Hindenburg had hts first talk with
Hitler at this time and learned That
the National Socialist leader wanted
full power or nothing.
Wins Four -Cornered Election.
Won Hindenburg opened 1882 with
n New Year appeal for disarmament
and world peace. He urged his coun-
trymen to settle their domestic dn-
ferences. but on February is, when
he announced his willingness to run
for another term, he said ne was
undertaking the task in order to avert
civil war,
He had three opponents in the cleo
tion-Hitler as candidate OF the Ma
tional Socialists; Theodore Duester-
berg. representing the Nationalist
and Ernst Thaelmann, Communist
Won E,ndenburg led the field In the
first bAloting. falling to gain a ma
jority by less than a half OF l per
cent. In the run-off on April 10 ne
defeated Hitler by nearly 6,0O0,0oU
votes.
on May 80 Won Hindenburg forced
resignation of Bruening's cabinet and
named Franz Won Papen chancellor
Recurring national parliamentary
elections showed Hitlerism gaining
steadily, but in August Won linden
burg refused to give the chancellor
ship to the Nazi leader and the latter
declined a post as vice chancellor.
Won Papen gave way in November
to Kurt Won Schleicher, who insti-
tuted a rigid regime, but in the fol-
lowing February he asked the Presi-
dent to dissolve the Reichstag and
met so stern refusal that he re-
signed. Two days later Hitler was
named. but with Won Papen as vice
chancellor.
Holds on Through Revolution.
Within the next five months the
ReichStag passed under control OF the
Nszis, gave Hitler dictatorial powers
and dissolved itself, state govern
ments were superseded by federal ao-
ministrators, anti-Nazi mayors were
uusted, opposing parties dissolved and
thousands of political opponents OF
the regime were interned in prison
camps. Socialism and Communism
were outlawed and such restrictions
placed upon Jews that worldwide
protests resulted.
1t was complete political revolu-
tion and Won Hindenburg went along
with It, but only as his position as
executive head of the state demanded.
To the people he still was the symbol
of German national destiny that he
had been in World War days.
He had been present as a young
officer of Prussia when Bismarck pro-
claimed the German empire at Yer
sailles in 1871. He had gone steadily
ahead in the old imperial army and
reached the age of retirement when
he was called from his life Of ease
at Hanover to stem the Russian in
vasion of Fast Prussia in 1914.
I believe your old man is going tC
become famous after all" he wrote
jokingly TO his wife on the eve Of
the battle of Tsnnenberg. Thus
what was written in Jest turned out
TO be fact. 1t was that battle that
gained for him the title of Savior
OF the Fatherland" won for him &
field marshal's baton and as many
honors as q grateful country cculG
beStow
From that time on Won Hinden'
burg continued to be a living refu'
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