HINDENBURG AGAIN

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 11 July 1923, Page 9

HINDENBURG AGAIN

“OUR GRACIOUS KAISER, KING, AND MASTER.”

(“Times” Berlin Correspondent.)

The editor of a Breslau weekly newspaper has just been prosecuted for libel by a certain Captain Fischer, of the Reichswehr (Regular Army). The editor had accused the captain o. spreading Monarchist propaganda amongst the troops, and the trial shows that neither the Gorman army nor German magistrates _ have undergone a change of spirit since the time of the former Empire. The captain was making an anti-Re-publican speech to his company, of which the following quotations reveal its . character : —.“We shall take no notice of the Constitution ; we shall do as we please, Black, red, and gold is the Jew flag; our flag is black, white, and red. The time will come when we will cut the throats of the pigs of a Socialist Government. (Dr. Wirth was then in power, and although a member of the Centre party lie was called a Socialist because of his Radical sympathies). The murder of Ratlmnnu was a ridiculous affair. They shouldn’t make such a fuss over a Jew hoy liln him. We have got enough of his evil kind.” One of Captain Fischer’s men asked for leave because his wife was ill. The Captain replied: “Nonsense. My Kaiser, comes first, then mv regiment, then T mvself, and womenfolk last of all.” These and similar utterances had been heard hv numerous witnesses, but the editor was fined 2000 marks, The captain still holds hi.s command. _ The counterpart to this trial is the unveiling of a war memorial at Doherit-z near Berlin, on the birllidnv of the Crown Prince las), Snndnv. Field Marshall von ITiudenlmrg held » parade oi the ’Reichswehr. and then addressed the men with these words: “Jovlulh , proudly wo old men and young who are united around this memorial acknowledge that in this hour we are mindful >n faith, love, and reverence of his Majesty our most gracious Fwsor, King and master, our most s'dilim, leader, in the almost, superhuman struggle for the honour and existence of the faDioi-laiul. and Hint -we feel ilm nwwt, heart fell, wishes for his Imperial ITighncs, t.b,- frown Prince, who celebrates his birthday to-day.”