HINDENBURG'S EDICT.

Shannon News, 3 November 1925, Page 1

HINDENBURG'S EDICT.

At last Hindenburg has done something to rejoice the hearts of the re, tired officers who launched his candidature for the Presidency and were his most zealous electioneering agents In a decree published a few weeks ago he revokes the order issued by his predecessor after the murder of Erzberger prohibiting the wearing of military uniform by persons not members of the Reichswehr except on certain special occasion, such as church festivals and "important family fetes," funerals of comrades, and non-political celebrations in association with active" officers.

This order was a bitter grievance Lo the retired officers of the old army, one of whose greatest pleasures as . soon as they began to recover from their fears of the revolution was to swagger about in the emblems of their former privileges and predominance. Some time before his death President Ebert wished to cancel 5t as no lqnger necessary, and a bill was prepared" regulating the whole ques. tion of wearing uniforms. This measure was read a first time during the last session of the Reichstag, but was then shelved by the superior urgency of the new taxes, customs tariff, and Parliamentary holidays. Without waiting for the Reichstag to reassemble and resume consideration of the bill Hindenburg has annulled the order by administrative action. It was time he took some step to check the wane of his popularity among the former stalwarts of his following. One of 'the associations of officers of the old army has already addressed to him 'in profound ■ veneration, but with soldierly frank. I ness," a communication expressing | "the assumption that his visit to Ludendorff was prevented by those } circles "which hitherto have thwarted every recognisable initiative to internal purification and the better maintenance of our dignity abroad." On the other hand, the Democrats are perturbed by the prospect opened up by Hindenburg's decree. "We have," says the Vorwarts, " a gratify, ing prospect of a brisk boom in the trade in military uniforms, for it will I not be long before the Frontbann, j Steelhelmet, Wehrwolf and Young J Germany—reactionary militarist organisations—will joyfully replace their tunics and headdress substitutes by the thoroughgoing Imperial, Royal Grand Ducal, Ducal, and Princely ( .uniforms of the departed Honenzollern army." The paper further characterises Hindenburg's action as an abuse of his Presidential prerogatives and a "provocation of the Reichstag and all the Republicans in the country."