HINDENBURG'S EYES

Otago Witness, Issue 3327, 19 December 1917, Page 30

HINDENBURG'S EYES

CRUELLEST IN THE WORLD

"KEROSENE-SOAKED BREAD FOR PRISONERS."

"Until I met I always thought that the eyes of Villa, the Mexican rebel, were the most cruel 1 had ever seen."

Since that meeting J. M. de Beaufort regards the Mexican's eyes as quite lamblike in comparison with those of the German field-marshal. Mr do Beaufort had an excellent opportunity to study the man who invented tho famous line —recently somewhat bent and punctured—and he tells in "Behind the German Veil;*' a book published recently in America, how he .bluffed his way over tho railways of East Prussia and occupied Russia into tho presence of ihg. German commander. He was armed with a letter of introduction, but encountered innumerable delays before he reached the town where Hindenburg was quartered. Then, he says: ' Two Landsturmers guarded the little wooden gate. I produced the letter. Both of them saluted, and one of them ran ahead to ring the bell. An orderly ushered me into a sitting-room. Later a young officer entered and told me the general would be back by noon. Would I condescend to wait? I would. The subaltern was voluble, and discussed the military situation freely. In tho midst of a graphic discussion of the plight of Russia, he suddenly stopped. A car had halted outside. A moment or two later the door opened and Germany's giant idol entered. I rose and bowed. "The officer and two soldiers clicked their heels audibly, and replied to the stentorian "Morgen, meine Herren," with, a brisk " Morgen, Excellent." "STRENGTH AND CRUELTY."

Hindenburgh looked questions at me, but I thought I would let my .friend do the talking. He handed the marshal my letterarid introduced me as Herr Beaufort." The General read his nephew's letter, shook hands with me, assuring me of the pleasure it gave him to meet me. Now for my impressions of Germany's—and as some people try to make us believe, the world's —greatest military genius. They might be summed up in two words — " Strength and cruelty." Hindenburgh stands over 6ft high. His whole personality radiates strength—brute animal strength. Ho was, when I met him, 69 years of age, but looked much younger. His hair and moustache were still pepper-and-salt colour. His face and forehead are deeply furrowed, which adds to his forbidding, appearance. His nose and chin are prominent, but the most striking feature of the man's appearance is his eyes. They are steel blue and very small, much too small for his' head, which, in turn, is much too small compared with his body. But what the eyes lack in size they fully make up for in intensity and penetrating powers. Until I met Hindenburgh I always thought that the eyes of the Mexican rebel Villa were the worst and most cruel I had ever seen. They are mild compared with those of Hindcnburg. Never in my life have I seen such hard, cruel, utterly brutal eyes as those of Hindenburg. Speaking nbout cruelty one story about

Hindenburg is worth telling. When the Russian General Rennenkampf was' forced to evacuate Insterburg in the winter of 1915, he was .unable to find transport for about 50,000 loaves of bread, and he ordered pffraffin to be poured upon the lot. When the Germans entered the town and saw what had been done with the bread, Hindenburg was frantic with rage. The next day, after he had calmed down, he said to one of his aides: '*' Well, it seems to be a matter of taste. If the Russians like their bread that way, very well; give it to the Russian prisoners." The order was carried out. Hindenburg talked quite freely, discussing various topics connected with the war, and especially the Russian campaign. Beaufort, however, found it impossible to get a definite statement on the probable outcome of the duration of the conflict, save that it would not end until "we have gained an honourable peace." Says the author:— He refused to state what in his opinion was an honourable peace programme. When he learned that I had come all the way from Berlin without a pass from the General Staff he appeared very much amifted; but in a quasi-serious manner he said:

"Well, you know that I ought to eend you back at once, otherwise I shall risk getting the sack myself; still, as all ordinary train service between here and Posen will be suspended the next four days, the only way for you to get back is by motor car. It would be a pity to come all the way to this Siberian cold and not see something of the campaign. Travelling by motor car you will have ample opportunity to see something' of the country and of fighting as well." / , Beaufort spent two weeks on the Eastern front, and then returned to Berlin without difficulty.