YON HINDENBURG

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 22, 25 July 1918, Page 7

YON HINDENBURG

[S HE DEAD, SICK, OR DISGRACED ?

AMSTERDAM, 23rd July. Rumours about Yon Hindenburg are current. It is impossible to ■ discover whether he is dead, sick, or disgraced. He has not been mentioned since the offensive was launched.

A Berne message says that Yon Hindenburg is •seriously ill,' and has taken ho part in military operations this year. Speaking greatly fatigues him, ancl he is incapable of writing. . x

It was reported last week that Yon Hindenburg was dead. 'Die report, which was sceptically received in London, was published' in the Belgian paper Les Nouveiles, which stated that there was good authority for the report that after a stormy interview with the Kaiser nu the subject of the offensive against Paris, Hindenburg died from a stroke of apoplexy. The interview was said to have taken "place at Main Headquarters on 16th May.

The extraordinary influence that Hindenburg exercised over the popular mind of Germany was one of the romances of the war. Previously he wae a retired officer, living quietly at Hanover. It was when "the Russians were invading East Prussia that he was recalled solely because of liis intimato knowledge of thn Masurian Lakes district. When, shortly afterwards, he defeated the invaders at Tannenbprg, the Kaiser overwhelmed him with honours. an 4 the German people were assiduously taught

to credit all successes in the East to Hindenburg. The Kussian invasion had created a panic among the Germans. The tangible results from Tarineberg, with the huge drafts of prisoners and captured booty, besides immediately relieving the military pressure,, restored the nerves of the populace and stopped the mad rush of refugees westward that had set in in anticipation of a general bverrunndrig of the eastern German provinces by the invaders.

Hindenburg's intimate knowledge of the lakes district had enabled him to execute the strategic and tactical details which he had long studied, with the result that a great arid speedy victory w&6 achieved. This was the foundation for the hero worship of which he was made the object, and of the popular German belief that given a free hand Hindenburg could achieve the impossible. His subsequent failuren.did not detract from his' popularity, arid the successes- of Falkenhayn and Mackehsen only served^ to add to the glory of the popular idol.. . It was probably with a desire to pan der to public sentiment, and to provide something to, keep the war enthusiasm warm, that the appointment of Hindenburg to his high position, as Chief of the German Great General Staff was made. The military . considerations did not count—in military circle's he had been regarded as a huge joke; Hit the political considerations were of the utmost importance; ■„

Paul yon Beneckendorff und. Hindenburg| is 69 years of age. He passed through the German Staff College 40 years ago; and, rising to the rank of major, served for some time on the General Staff. He was. in command of .the 4th Arnjy Corps at Magdeburg till 1911, when, he^retired and lived quietly. It wad Lridendbrff that unearthed him arid secured liis appointment to the eastern command. The Tanneriberg victory alone justified the choice, but Ludendorff; his Chief of Staff,- -was the real power that guided and controlled Hihdehbtfrg in his High office.