GERMANY'S GREATEST GHOUL.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3253, 11 September 1917, Page 7

GERMANY'S GREATEST GHOUL.

WHY HIN DEN BURG WOULD NEVER TAKE PRISONERS, AND HOW HE FORCED THE RUTHLESS U-BOAT CAMPAIGN.

llindeiiburg has been the chief and most constant advocate of Germany's policy of terrorism and f rightfulness since the outbreak of war. Terrible as have been Germany's atrocities ; n Belgium, they probably would have been worse had llindeiiburg been in command on the Western Front at the oiuI'lea.k of war. Hindenburg has boasted that whit the German troops did in Belgium was child's play to what h\s troop- did in Russia -a grim boa-t. nno the full and tearful meaning of which we -hall probably never learn. The Pru-sian policy of fright!nines* and teriorhm in war his been advocated by its supporters on the grounds that ll'■ 11 a policy is calculated 1 to s'ubdue and conquer an enemy in the short-e-t possible time. But Hindenburg. I verily believe, is an advocate of frightfulness tor it- own sake. The manner in which Hindenburg d-.v;'.-tated the country on the line of his retreat in I' lance is evidence oi this. There was no object of the -'i'jhte-t military value to be gained in the way lie b,irut and destnrcd towns and village-. Tt was -imply wanton destruction. KILL ALL PRISONERS. There have been differences of opinion among miitari-tsas to the utility of different forms of irightfulness. For example. Ludeiidorf and von Falkenh iyn were. ;]t le:.st. not among the warnie-t. advocates of Zeppelins being used to bomb open and undefended towns.

But Hindenburg is the open, avowed, determined :i Locate o-f all forms of I rightfulness, and the more terrible they are the more enthusiastically does lie -upport their use.

A fh.ctor who kimw Hindenburg well, not in a professional capacity, lor the General never needed the service- of 1 :: physician, told me that Hindenburg. when once' talking of the rule, ot civilised warfare, said that if lie had his own way he would never take any pris'/iiers of war.

"They are a needless encumbrance,'' lie said. ' Yem have' to feed and look alter them: except in the case of tlm total .surrender ot an arnjv I would never take prisoners'." When the' doctor suggested that two could play at that game Hindenburg replied:

" Yes, ot course. but tlr.it would not matter: it I lose a thousand men 't does not matter to 1110 a jot whether they arc killed or taken prisoners. They arc ot 110 further use to me."' H s absolute disregard for the lives of his own soldiers is. however, not shared in general by the German people or even by other militarists. The sort of fright-fulness that appeals to the Germans is the kind that they can practise without tear of reprisal*. SUBMAKIXR WARFAKK. To do H'ndeiiburg justice, the fear of reprisals! i.s not one that troubles him. From the start of the submarine campaign Hini'lenburg advocated' tiho unrestricted use of the U J boats. Thi> brought- him into conflict with Beth-mann-Hotlweg and the Kaiser, and even some ot the Kaiser's generals. Hindenbiirg's opponents were. no doubt, actuated by political rather than by humane considerations, for they s!a\v that the ab<olutel,v unrestriete<l u<e of the U-boat-; woud-1, if it did not lu ing them into conflict with the whole of the neutral world, alienate the sympathy ol every neutrrl fiom Germany.

H'ndonhiirg was summoned In see tin K:iis«-r mi tlie subject. He saw tin- Emperor alone. What took place between thrm f don't knuw. hut ] was informed oil reliable authority that Hindciiburg put his views on the matter bluntly hefore the Ernneror.

"It we win tile war." he said, "it will not matter a jot to uv how we win it. If we 10-e it, the reckoning we shall have to pay will not bn appreciably lessened our refraining now from making full use of all the weapons at our disposal." Hindt'nburg's advice, luj.vever, for the moment was overruled. It was not until twelve months later that the Kaiser and Bethmann-Hollweg were compelled by the popular out-cry in favour of the unrestricted use of the l*-b©ats, an outcry encouraged and fostered as iar a. possible by Hindenburg, to adopt thu (ieiieral's policy. IX SUPREME CONTROL. 1 may mention that this particular lot in oi' t rightfulness, ever since the sinking oi the Lir-itauia. i.s one that specially appeals to the German people, lor they cannot very well entail on them any form of reprisals. It is 1 not like ill-treating prisoners of war or putting them to death. H indenburg i, now in a i.0.-ition that lu» probably never in his wildest dreams thought he would occupy. He is prac-ti'-aliy in supreme control of the direction of the German army and navy. Probably he knows that the Central Empire* can never win the war. But 1 fancy tint is not a consideration that troubles him much. His whole thought and energies will be directed to maintaining the German resistance as long as j«>--lble. Ho lias publielV stated that Germany eouid maintain her resistance for anothei thirty year.-.: whether it would be possible for Germanv to do that or not need not be dis. ussed.

h M'l'nis on tlir lace of it extremely improtia!>lc that .sin- could. Bur one tiling is t»r:i<-ti'-;il!!y certain that < r<another tliirty years liiipassed ITiudeuburg will have pa.-<ed cut of the 1:111<I hi tin' living, and what may happen then does not trouble him. All t hat 1 i iudi nluirg caivs about i.that he 111av hold the position in- now ii i iiiiii's a- hum possible, and s<> !' >il a.-. !i; can avoid all actual defeat on sea or land lie will probably continue to hold it, unless and until the inteMiai .-itwation in (iermany makes it silil,. i':!* the (ii-rnians to continue the .-ttao_ r gle. AFRAID TO IdCHT. Kor how !(>11lc Himloiiburg may lie ; |, f avoid a I>:.11■ with the lorces that ai'i■ gradually pushing hiia hack on :'11- Wi'sfni front I don't pretend :,i - iv. That is a ip;o-tion that only a 111 i 1 it; 11 »• expert ill possession of all the fact- coveming the military situation , ,;i ; expii* si an opinion •en oi any \ a!'ie. 15ut tiler.' is. I think, no (huiht oat JI in I• 111• i:w id not allow tin- uile.'iujs of t!i- civil population in (Jcri> niv to iuterlei e with his plan- in the lid!. !(•■ will not hesit-ite to -11]-pr.ni-t. : nal disorder in (•eruiany l>; the n.c-t i" 11 ill e-s method-. and in doing th:- lie will • ••rtainly have :it his i.iick the siip- ! oi I i,:' Ihe Ka: cr .Mid ail section- oi ;■ miiitari-t party. Ilimb nliui Lf is in ilie pedtion of n man uitli a j.aek of starving wolves hehind him and a |V,e hotter armed and . .a:, :n d than !;■• iu front. 11, cm K,. -i the we've- -u hay wit: oaf inue'n t I i y -•! sot ih a tlle!l), hut lie A\ ill )a.l tisk a light with hi- foo iu front a|o|o' a • he caii ai oid it. When ulti,t. Iv < "impelled to fight, it would not sariiri e me if Ninrlenhurg er.de 1 hi- ;;; 1-1..• I OU the Vli t lefie'd.