Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 1925. HINDENBURG’S VICTORY

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 April 1925, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 1925. HINDENBURG’S VICTORY

Time, proverbially, brings great changes, but there have been few more rapid- and dramatic than the election of Marshal von Hindenburg as President of the German Republic, his former master’s successor. Had such a contingency been suggested fen years ago, the author would have; been ridiculed. Verily, truth is js.trgpger than- fiction. Cabled reports of the electinn’.campaign suffered, as usual,’ from their tendency to.,.bias, but it was pot generally expected that Hindenburg, a last mintfte candi-

date, would succeed in defeating Dr. Maifx, the ex-Chancellor. Hindenburg - has no,t a clear majority, and. it cab be Asstimed that.thojse who supported 4&e Communist candidate, would prefer Marx to Hindenburg. However, the fact-cahhot be got over that the Monarchists have won, Jbut this should, hot lead to frenzied predictions of, war .preparations, and other of hysteria peculiar to the * “ popular ’ ’ Press in Britain and, the militarist . journals, of France. The victory is personal for Hindenburg, rather ! than political for Monarchists. The Monarchists.’ prospects of victory at the polls, were, immensely improved by‘ the securing of Hindenburg as the{r. candidate,. Ilfs war record is such as to make him ahero among the Germans; and it was .to be .expected that his personal prestige' would attract support Avher.e his nominal politics woul.cl find, apathy,, if not opposition. .Outsiders. cannot,. .regard Hindenburg with the spirit of hero-worship in; which he is .regarded by his own countrymen,. but the latter ’s admiration can -J)e understood. Hindenburg’s, election should notbe taken as the German majority’s s desire for the. return pf the ex- 1 " Kaiser, , or. as proof. that a monarchy would be preferred to a republic. Recollection should be made of the very small support secured by Ludendorff, equally ~as good a soldier, but too candidly, an anti-repubiican. Hindenburg is old, and is very unlikely to initiate bold., changes.. In his election address lie declared: “If elected as' President, I will work regardless of .party, class or person. Ilerr Ebert, "the late President, though always holding aloof 'from party prejudices, never disavowed his Socialist origin. Similarly, hp. one can ask me. to "change tay political .convictions. I have, never lost faith in what Germany .may ,do, with the help of God, but I am too old to believe in sudden changes. No whr or internal strife will emancipate the chained. Dissension will split Germany, and • tha. only remedy is a . long term of peaceful, quiet work. ’ ’ Obviously, he will uot consent to become a, myre topi in the hands of the Monarcliists* apd jt must, not be forgotten, too, that the’Allies have adequate means of controlling the trend of affairs. It is to be hoped,, however, that as little interference as possible with Germany’s internal affairs will be the Allies’ policy. General Sir lan. Hamilton, at a recent gathering in England, referred ,to the prolongation of the British occupation of,.Cologne, which, he said, was a step toward war, and ■would be worth' thousands of votes to Hindenburg in the Presidentialplebiscite. The more the Germans are led to believe that the design of the Allies is to keep them enslaved—and this is the main point of the Monarchists’ propaganda—the more will they support those who may appear as deliverers. Hindenburg’s success should not be regarded as excuse for prolonged occupation ,by Allied troops, whatever the French publicists demand, nor as evidence of German ill-will. It can be taken fpr grantedithat in Germany itself, the Republicans will not accept the reverse as a deathblow to the Republic, but will prepare for the nelt plebiscite, when it is necessary to elect Hindenburg’s successor, which day may not be far off. , 1 .. ..