OMINOUS DEMONSTRATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 26, 30 December 1925, Page 14

OMINOUS DEMONSTRATION.

GERMAN REVENGE AND MONARCHISM. “I liave the high honour that His Majesty the Emperor and King has charged mo to consecrate the memorial of the Augusta Regiment, and of its reserve regiments, Nos. 55 and 202.” With these words General Six von Armin opened a momorial service , on the parade ground in ono of the , Berlin barracks in the presence of a company of the Reichswehr, sworn to ; fealty to the Republic 1 He continued s his speech as follows: “We think of him in reverential ; gratitude and unchanging loyalty, and s in spirit are with' him as he is with . us. I welcome Prince Oscar of Prussia, the illustrious scion of the Im- , perial house, and the representatives of the Reichswehr, which we know is • imbued with the same spirit of the ; old army, and further, the representat tives of the authorities, especially the Chief Burgomaster of Coblenz, the old . garrison of the Augustaners. It must ; also strengthen us for the present and ; the future for the struggle for the rei covery of our nation and the rebuilding of our Fatherland. For tho supreme law for all of us is tho fulfilment of duty in fidelity to the articles of war and the oath to the coli ours which we swore to His Majesty..” After this _ curious introduction the service took its appointed course. The participants then proceeded to the garrison cemetery, whore the memorial stands. At this portion of the ceremony President Hindenburg was present. He wore a field-marshal's uniform and, as he did not fly the President’s pennon on his car, it is suggested that he appeared only “in a private capacity.” Tho monument is inscribed: “From our bones an avenger will arise.” Tho first wreath was laid at its foot by General von Armin, “on behalf of tho ex-Kaiser.” Hindenburg followed suit with the words : “Your blood will never have been shed in vain.” This extraordinary episode called forth loud protests from the Republican press.