VON MACKENSON

Horowhenua Chronicle, 3 June 1916, Page 2

VON MACKENSON

GMMfANY'S GREATEST G&NMvAL. .Berlin, April 15. .Lt is doubtful whether any popular national lioro in Germany, is in general as little kuowji, cither in Germany or abroad, as General i" ield-iMnrshal August von Mackensen, he who was instrumental in driving tho liu.ssi-ins out 01 GaJicia and to whose credit Uie conquest of Serbia lies. Hindenburg, when tlio war began, was an unknown, but the public quickly familiarised iteeli with every detaii of his life when his vie to res of Tannenburg and the Masuran lakes made him an idol of all Germany. Hackenson, however, Mindenourg's rival for public affection nt present, was only a name until the summer of lyio and despite his great reputation, is

little more now. Countless streets ail over Germany have been named after Hindenburg; .statues already have been erected to him ; he is weekly in recepit ot requests to allow the use of his name >n this or tli'it connection. Mackensen however, thought certainly a rival of Hindenburg insofar as military achievements arc concerned, is still far be-

Hindi him when it. comes to pop;] Jar esteem or idolatry.

Mackonsoii's pictures, however, are to lie seen everywhere. Thy perhaps are responsible for an impression that seems to be almost universal that the lield-vnurshal is stem aim unapproachable, whereas the opposite is the case. Scarcely any of his innate personal characteristics except that of unusual ability seem to be depicted on 'lis strenuous features. When Mackensen began to tower above the other Germany army lenders by 11is achievements against' tlio Russians, and the Kaiser in frequent telegraphic messages conferred/ honour after honour on him, it was a matter of surprise to Germans unfamiliar with Mackenson's career that a warm personal note should xnzttftst itself which had been lacking in eai'lier messages to Hindenburg. The stirpiise came largely from tne fact that the general public did not. and' to a great extent still does not. know lion long-standing and 'cordial are the relations between the Emperor and .Mackensen. The latter, surrendering the command of hits Uody Guam Hussars years ago, serveu tor a long period as the Kaiser's peisonal adjutant, and in this position accompanied , his chief on the no tod trip to the Holy Land. Few know, either liow narrowly, Germany missed naying -Uaekeiisen as a great military leader. He is the son of a farmer, and hiwsell was trained to take his father's place. Thougn he emerged* from the .franco-Prussian war as a reserve lieutenant, lie immediately went hack to civil life, in deference to his parents' wishes. i (, or years lie resisted tne'impulse to go back into the army fought with himself a battle which his most enthusiastic biographer describes as a conflict between ideal andi reality. His university belated because of the war with France, was almost concluded, and he was last becoming in theory at least a farmer when tho opportunity to go back as a~Tmo officer into the '"Death Head Hussar" regiment with which he had l served in I'raiice arrived; once more, and hio, lather reluctantly withdrew his objections to this career. A number of characteristics possessed Ijv Meckensen stand out prominently and have stood out over since he joiuedi the Second Body Guard Hussars on May 13th, 1873. homo ol them obviously have contributed to his military success; others belong to those" peculiarities which successful men in general have. In the former category comes, first of all, an astonishing -memory which enables him oftentimes to „ direct operations without the aid of a map, provided oi course that he has at some earlier time studier the territory in question. He generally h{ts done the studying, for lie is a prodigious worker at all times. Mackensen rarely forgets a name or a face, and years alter meetuig junior officers astonishes them by calling them by name when meeting them again, lew know tit ,but, Mackensen rivals Hindenburg is his intimate knowledge of his native land, and has travelled and studied so extensively that hS instantly recognises any given place from :'ts physical characteristics. Contrary to generai belief, Mackensen is the best sort of a comrade, and lacks the repelling .sternness with which lesser men barricade themselves. Off-, and-on since 1870 he ha,s been connected with the Death's Head Hussais, and to-day is their general ala suite. No

officer ever was more popular and lew more approachable. Tliere are count lesti cases on record of financial and other aid that he had rendered, though not a man of wealth, to men- of his company brigade or regiment.

Mac ken sen's early training on a I arm instilled in him a love of the open

unci for hunting that have always stayMi by him. Though almost 67 years old lie has never been ill if day and is so strenuous a ivorker that his younger officers often have hard work in keeping up to the pace that he sets. He principal aversion is tfie shirker, including the man who, though not actually dodging work likes to take things easy audi perhaps over-imtulgo in the creature comforts of life. The officer on his staff who is too prone to laze over his after-dinner cigar, or

>ipuor has not an easy time of it. Irtackensen himself does not smoke, because, according to report, of an occurrence in the Franco-Frussian var. He was at the time a non-commifisioiied

officer in one of the famous Black Hussar regiment®, and was entrusted with important -communications that had to be carried lo a neighboring statf. The trip was long, hard, anu dangerous, hut important ui proportion.

Ho arrived in time to hnd the staff nt the conclusion ot a dinner, and in a very poovish mood btcauee tho.e weao no cigars on hand. though Mackenson tried to impress on the officers the importance of lws message, their primary thought was lor something to smoke and they simply ignored the dispatches iu asking him whether lie hrid any cigars with him.

As a matter of tact, Mackensen did happon to have a number, but he to so angry at tlie action oi his superior officers in putting personal comfort above military matters that he not only did not give away his smokes" but never thereafter smoked himself, eito/orated undue "waste n. time in this way oy his later subordinates.

Another anecdote of iMaekensen's early career is equally characteristic. Ho was 1t student at the university of Hallo, anil the lea dor ot his "set." Ho and hi« fellow students camo to know a talented yonng actress and) her mother, and learned from the latter that the daughter was severely handicapped by the chicanery ol the theati-; manager, who not only repressed I or every effort •to adviunce, but insulted and bothered her as weil.

Instead of making tho matter a personal issue between himself and tho manager, as nwt other hot-blooded young studonts might have done, Mac.kensen was far more diplomatic. Be assembled tho entire student Oouy which flower-laden, went to Iho theatr-j and over-whelmed the actress with-ap-plause and bouquets. There ensued sc much Ifavourable publicity that the malinger had to recede from nis position and 'givo the actress the opportunity she had sought.

Hardly an ex-comrade oi Mac .onsen but can testify to some personal act ot kindness, some held m an emergency that the latter has rendu; vd. li is these seldom-told stories of officers which tlie public hardily ever heard of that most of all dlspei the impression that tlio field-marshal is stern and iorhidding ami unapproachable.

Mackeneen's most prominent trait, perhaps has been bis unusually strong hlial devotion and loyalty. It 'ha 6 been his oustom tor years to write his aged mother the first thing each Bunday and on JSew Year's Day. So"far ns iis known lie has never neglected thih self-imposed task as much as once ,regardless oi where he has been o" under what circumstances he has had to write.