Evening star., 1934-08-03


silent man did not like takers, and
the Kaiser used to talk a good deal.
But to him Wilhelm II was the ruler
Of Germany by divine right. Hinden-
burg was one of the few who firmly
believed that the HohenzoIlern family
ruled Germany by the grace of
God" and that the will Of the people
had nothing TO do with It, 1t was a
bitter disappointment to him to find
out later that the people did count.
4 X
Greatest of His Time.
When history is written, many
years hence, Hindenburg will un-
doubtedly be shown as the greatest
man Germany had in modern times.
His name will take precedence over
Prince Bismarck, who achieved a par
tial unity of Germany and engineered
three wars within 10 years, which
we're all won by the soldiers of the
first empire.
Hindenburg's greatness did not
lie in his political tDisdom or his
great Udlor as StrdtegiSt, but in
him tremendous strength of char
dcter and in the realization OF his
duty as citizen of Germany.
The victory over the Russians at
the Masurian Lakes was more spec
tacular than difficult. He knew the
terrain well and had faith in the
qualities Of the troops under his
command
His activities, later on the Western
front, were undoubtedly eclipsed by
the brilliant strategy of his opponent,
Marshal Foch. But he performed
miracles--every soldier admits this-in
being able to bring back to Germany
the whole army without any disaffec-
ton. There was starving and ut
terly defeated army, which had been
1ghting for four years; an army which
had been fed on the idea of a victory
almost until the last day before the
armistice; an army which was de-
moralized and undermined by Social
ist and Communist propaganda. Yet
not a single unit of that army at
tempted to kill its officers or to start
looting on its march home. The
spirit of rebellion undoubtedly existed
but the regard and the confidence OF
the men for that overpowering junker
was boundless. And the troops re-
turned TO their garrisons, with flags
unfurled and bands playing. TO be
disbanded.
X \
Answers Duty Again.
Hindenburg became President of
Germany not because he wanted that
position, but because he believed that
1t was his duty to respond to the de-
mand of his fellow countrymen. He
was as opposed to the republican form
of government as the Kaiser himself
His dynastic feelings were well known
in Germany and abroad, and there
was much speculation as to what he
would do once he had in his hands
the reins of government In spite of
his dislike for the republic, Hinden-
burg upheld the constitution as long
as he could
When IL became euident that the
German people DdHted to be ruled
by the dirty little Austrian" cor
poTdt, as he uSed to refer to Hitler,
re VOUeu 10 IHe ttSIItuOte ana Qc-
cepted him as ReichskdHzlleT.
There never was much love lost
between the two men, but Hitler was
scared of Hindenburg, and if Germany
did not go off the tangent more than
it did in the last 18 months, the rea-
son is that Hindenburg, old and sick
as he was. had tempering influence
over his prime minister.
y *
What will happen to that country
now that, the last of its strong mer
have gone, is difficult to say. Hitler
taking over both the presidency, in
defiance of the constitution. and the
chancellorship might plunge the coun-
try in civil war if the German were
a less subdued and disciplined people
But they have become fataliStS anC
seem to accept their fate with
out grumbling. Furthermore. Hitler
backed by the Reichswher, can re-
press any revolutionary move without
much trouble.