GERMAN MILITARISTS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 245, 10 July 1920, Page 7

GERMAN MILITARISTS

hindenburg to contest presidency DANGER TO EUROPEAN PROGRESS - Hindenburg will now stand as candidate for the German Presidency at the coming elections, unless something ...unforeseen happens, (writes a special..correspondent of .the Manchester v'Guardian-' from Berlin). Again, unless something unforeseen happens', ho is'certain to be elected if he stands. He; is: the one-man left,in Germany of prestige .high .enough.and .unblemished enough.for ' this'highest dignity the' State can bestow. . Even those who instinctively resist his candidature—a phrase which covers many Democrats, as well as Independent Socialists—have 'little.. ( .against hini personally, and will find: it-difficult to find sonieono'to oppose, him,. What is very much against Hindenburg . is, first, that he is Germany's military idol, and represents therefore the spirit of ihe old regime, and, secondly, that his candidature has long ibeen- canvassed, and is now being 'brought . off by the militarist Nationalist forces of the, Eight. Hihdenbiirg himself is free from guile, single, even simple-minded, a Monarchist and loyal to his old' master; but still more loyal to the nation which has made him its hero and woven, legends about him that hardly bear critical examination.' He certainly- saved Germany from' disaster and internal chaos in November, 1918, ■ when, after .;the Kaiser's flight into Holland and the-crash of .the old regime, he ( remained loyally at,, his post, and recognised the new authority established in Berlin. But Nationalist intriguers, who aro tho-most active on. his behalf, perceive great possibilities in his candidature. His enormous prestige and popularity .will strength, the -electoral . chances'' of' their party,. chances that would otherwise not .he great..They have no leaders of their own with pmtigc, and no avowable policy of paying value, but they hope quite intelligibly to win many constituencies in the elec tions by exploiting .the Hindenburg .legend. . ... President's Dangerous Power.- ■ After the elections, supposing thing* go reasonably well for them,' the possibilities will be almost limitless. The new Constitution gives the President inordinate and, by a liberal standard, ex r cessive power. He' can; for. exaOiple, suspend all. civil and constitutional'lioeities. as is shown by the Decree of January M, still in-force. That is, he can put Germany under a complete military regime. In fact. Hindenburg is being put forward by the Monarchists, riot for his own sake, 60 much as bow-uw in their view his Presidency would facilitate the achievement of aims that there is; no present possibility-even of avowing, miic-li less of. achieving; -.. ' . - ■'■' • That the Hindenburg candidature is now pretty well, certain was shown.by a unanimous propaganda Parted in all tho papers'of the Eight. Their confide'neein ■ the issuo is shown by their vehement' insistence on early'elections; o.tiite 'justifiably, on general grounds, for (ho;present tendency of public opinion, except among industrial workers, is. all. their way. , ''"'.' ' .' ' ■ The difficulty of'dealing with' the Hindenburg candidature is shown by*) ho embarrassed, hesitating criticism'of the Governmental papers of aM shades who realise quite well the unfortunate impression that would .be made particularly in France, by tho choice of the Kaiser's most famous Field -Marshal i as. President of the new Republic. • Troubled Prospect for Monarchists. As a matter of fact the danger of a reversion to Monarchy in Germany ;is not serious.. • The "Lokalanzeiger" compares h:s probable Presidencr with that of Marshal MacMahon in France' after 1871. The parallel between "a defeated Germany to-day and a defeated France half a century ago is much closer than the "Lokalanzeigcr": would- care to admit. - The Communist rising, in Paris ' was more serious and much more bloodily repressed than . the Spartacism... in' - Germany. From 1871 onwards Monnrchism in France was extremely "strong, as it is in Germany now. MacMahon's Presidency was a temporary makeshift towards Monarchy/, and, indeed, thj, French. Constitution to-day. shows signs, of having been framed at that critical transit-tonal time..' "France is' stilt) a Bipptublic, bteeau6o at that- tima- : <t\l since, apart from other Teasons,'' there" - was no acceptable candidate- for. the' Monarchy. The difficulty of a Mon-' archist candidature in -Germany is many times greater. The restoration 6£ the Monarchy in > Germany would, mean the restoration oi '. more than a score of monarchs and the • retransformation of Germany, from, a uni- ■ fled State tyo a confederation of sovo-; > reigns; ' .There, hns never been a Geri' man monarch but only a band of mon- ■ archs republics,' and even-Tf'a Geri man ktrJH.'., were conceivable, the Hohen- ■ zollerns are ruled out. Not the re- ■ storation of Monarchism in Germany is > the danger to Buronean nr'ogress. but the • restoration, or rather the confirmation, ) of Garman militarism, against which the • only prophylactic and remedy, are the ' military clauses in *ho Versailles Peace ■ .Treaty. ■-■■ ■ , . ■