SENSATION IN GERMANY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19453, 8 October 1926, Page 11

SENSATION IN GERMANY.

ARMY CHIEF RESIGNS. DIFFERENCE WITH MINISTER. HOHENZOLLERNS THE CAUSE. i MILITARY SERVICE QUESTION. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright, (Received 9.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. BERLIN. Oct. 6. General Von Seeckt has been compelled to resign the command of the Reichswehr because he permitted Prince Wilheln/, the eldest son of the ex-Crown Prince, to attend the army manoeuvres last month without consulting, Dr. Otto Gessler, Minister of Defence. ' The latter refused to defend General Von Seeckt's action against the attacks of the Radical Socialists. This, was regarded as meaning that the Minister declines to countenance members of the Hohenzollern family serving in the army. President Hindenburg has postponed his decision on General Von Seeckt's resignation (which has created a political sensation) until he has discussed the matter with the Chancellor, Dr. Marx. General Von Seeckt's action regarding Wilhelm led to a heated interview with Dr. Gessler. OPINION IN ENGLAND. NOTABLE ARMY CHIEF. TRIBUTES TO HIS WORK. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 10.30 p.m.) LONDON. Oct. 6. The resignation of the of the German army by General Von Seeckt is generally regarded in London as a matter of international as well as German domestic importance. The Reich's debt to Von Seeckt, is regarded as incalculable. . No German" general to-dav enjoys anything like the same prestige or confidence. He has converted the. Reichswehr into the most perfectly-trained 100,000 men in Europe. He has maintained old traditions and at. the same time he has modernised and democratised the army by establishing a new intimacy between the officers and the rank and file.

Moreover, Von Seeckt is reputed to have completely revolutionised military tactics by his system of encouraging a Return to mobile warfare under new mechanicalised conditions. \

Hans Von Seeckt was born in Schleswig in March. 1866, his father being afterwards a general. He began his military career in the Kaiser Alexander Grenadier Regiment, and joined tho general staff in 1897. After the customary period in command of a company and later a battalion he became chief of staff to the 3rd Army Corps (Berlin) in 1913, and was at the samo time promoted lieut.-colonel. At the beginning of the war he served under General Von LochoW and his corps took part in the advance of Von Kluck's army through Belgium into France, the retreat and the trench warfare on the Aisne. The offensive near Soissons in January, 1915, was planned by him. Immediately afterwards ho was promoted colonel, and a little later was appointed chief of staff to General Mackensen's army group. In that capacity he prepared the plan of campaign in Galicia and Russia, which began with the great thrust near Gorlice on May 3, 1915. His services were rewarded by'the bestowal of the Order "pour le Merite," and by his promotion to the rank of major-general in June, 1915. Later, he was responsible for Mackensen's plan of campaign in Serbia. After tho revolution. Von Seeckt served from January, 1919, as chief of staff to General Von Quast. leader of the Army of the North, which was then guarding the Eastern frontier, and subsequently went to the Ministry of Defence as head of the section dealing with the troops After the Kapp monarchist rising m 19A) against the Republican Government he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Reichswehr (German Defence Force), in place of General von Luttwitz, who had been implicated in the rising.