HERO WORSHIP IN GERMANY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2480, 5 June 1915, Page 6

HERO WORSHIP IN GERMANY

HINDENBURG AND WEDDINGEN. London, June 3. A neutral correspondent writes: — "Germany has been given over to hero- ! worship, and that, next to the Iron 1 Orosb, the namos and portraits of < Field-Marshal von Hindenburg and < Captain AVeddingen aro idolised. These i men were unknown to most Germans ; before the war; they a.ro now sacred. ' Von Hindenburg stands alono in the ] foreground as having saved the coun- i try. The Russian danger was so im- : minent that oven Berlin trembled. He : is commonly called 'Our Hindenburg,' i and ha.s probably inspired tho absolute i confidenco in the military position that is pervading the country. ' "Whenever [ analysed the reasons : for tho spirit of confidence, there al- 1 ways came in tho last resort the name i of Hindenburg. Legends have been 1 woven around his- person, scores of i books describo him, poets sing his 1 praise, there aro volumes of his anec- i dotes and sayings. Ho is tho idol of i tho Gorman women, who smother him with letters. Present in every home are von Hindenburg's pictures, and miniature statues of him aro sold in thousands. "Tho famo of Wcddingen (the submarine commander who sank tho British warships Crossy, Hogne, and Aboukir. and was afterwards lost with his craft) is of a different quality. It touches deep, romantic feeling; more than the Emden, his deeds stand for tho vindication of German sea-power against an overwhelming foo. He personifies ruthless warfa.ro against Britannia. ' , "There is a subtle change in regard to tho position of tho Kaiser, who is in tho background compared with 'Our' Hindenburg and Weddingcn. Yet he was nevor more popular. His subjects believe lie tried up to the last to prevent war. The Crown Prince has faded out of sight; interest in his doings has waned, and ho is rarely mentioned in public. Stories of all kinds are wliispored about him."