AMERICAN OPINION

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20496, 15 March 1932, Page 9

AMERICAN OPINION

POLITICAL GRATIFICATION expressed. LESSON OP LARGE VOTE. (Received March 14th, 8.15 p.m.) WASHINGTON, March 13. The outcomo of the German Presidential elections was recoived with gratification among officials and Congressional leaders. Although President Hindenburg failed to gain a clear majority, he came so near to victory over Herr Hitler that his return at the second ballot is believod to be assured. President Hoover and Mr 11. L. Stimson (Secretary of State) and other high official* refrained from commenting on the results. However, it is known that the Administration is anxious that the Hindenburg regime should continue, and likewise would have viewed a Hitler victory as a distinct menace to the European situation.

General opinion is expressed that President Hindenburg's large vote can be construed as an indication that the Gorman poople aire retaining their faith in Conservative political leadership.

A VETERAN SOLDIER. PAUL HINDENBURG'S CAREER. President Hindenburg is in his oiglity-fifth year. He was born at Posen, his full name being Paul von Beneckendoi J und Hindenburg, his family belonging to tho old nobility of pormany. Ho entered the army in April, 1866, and fought against Austria, being wounded at Konig-gratz. In the i'runco-German War he tought at Cjravelotte, St. Privat, and Sedan, and took part in the siege of Paris. He joined tho General Ibtaff in 1878, and nine years later became Chief oi Staff of the Bth Army Corps, in 18U7 he was promoted Major-General, and three years later became LieutenantGeneral and Commander of the 28th Division. In 1903 he took over the command of the 4th Army Corps. He retired in 1911, his military career apparently being ended. At 67 years ot age, however, his fame as a soldier was really only beginning. V/ hen tha World War broke out and tho Russians invaded East Prussia, the Kaiser appealed to tho old General, whose request for a command had at first bedn refused, to take charge of German operations in the country of the Masurian marshes. Hindenburg had made a special study of the territory, and held a theory that the best way to overwhelm the Russians was to drive them into tho marshes. For this idea he had been contemptuously nicknamed by the younger, war lords as "Old General Mud." With Ludendorff and Hoffman as his Lieutenants, tho veteran put his theory into practice, entangled the Russians in the marshes, achieved tho great victories of Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes, and set East Prussia free, incidentally ending the hope of a Russian dash into Germany. These successes were followed by the invasion of Poland and decisive battles at Lodz and Ravka. The famous ride to Courland came next, then a march on the Dvina and the coast, and ultimately the defeat of Brussiloff. In 1916 Hindenburg succeeded FalUenhayn as Chief of the General Staff, with Ludendorff as his, Quartermaster The old Field-Marshal had become the idol of Germany. A huge wooden statue of the hero was raised, and thousands of his admirers, in return for contributions to the war funds, were allowed to drive nails into the grotesque effigy. After the failure of the German attacks in 1018, Hindenburg told the Government that further resistance nas impossible. He offered his services to the new regime and directed the retreat of the German forces. He retired in June, 1819, went to Hanover, and there wrote his memoirs; which appeared in 1920. In 1935, after the death of President Ebert, -the Monarchists having failed to. secure the election of their candidate, Herr Jar res, put forward Field-Marshal Hindenburg for the second ballot. He was elected on April 4th, receiving 14.639,399 votes against 13.752,640 for Marx, the Republican candidate. It has been said in Germany that be failed to fulfil the hopes cherished by the. Monarchists, and when he signed the Locarno Pact General Ludendorff denounced his old friend and comrade as a traitor. His favourite recreation at 80-years of age was to got away into the Bavarian Alps and there stalk chamois and the red deer.

LEADED OF GERMAN FASCISTS. Herr Adolf Hitler was the founder of the German Fascist (Nazi) movement. He was born at Braunau, Austria, in April, 1889, the sou of a railway'employee. He became an architectural draughtsman, and in 1912 he went to Munich. When the European War began he enlisted in a Bavarian regiment and served throughout the campaign, being twice wounded and winning tho Iron Cross. In 1920 he inaugurated the' Fascist movement at Munich, its main purposes being antiRepublican and anti-Semitic. On November Bth, 1923, Herr Hitler started his "Putsch." With his armed band he- entered a hall in Munich, where the Premier of the day, Herr von Kahr, was addressing a meeting, and demanded a conference with the Government. Almost immediately he declared the Berlin Government deposed and proclaimed a National Government. General Ludendorff undertook to form a national army. During the same night the Government acted firmly nnd took steps to suppress the threatened rebellion and projected march on Berlin. Herr Hitler fled but was later arrested, and on April sth 1924, he was sentenced to hve rears' imprisonment in a fortress. In the autumn of that year he was released. During ] 929 he came back into prominence, formed the Fascist organisation. and, m 1930, won 107 *seats in the Reichstag, as against 12 in the former House. His dec a red policy in his own words is "to brmg nbout a revolution, the tearing up of the \ ersailles Treaty and the Younpc Plan, nnd beheading those responsible for the 1918 revolution."