GERMANY: Grim Games

Seven years ago Feldmarschall von Hindenburg relinquished his command of the German Army and bid what he almost certainly thought would be a permanent farewell to military pomp, for he was then 71. A few days ago President von Hindenburg, Commander-in-Chief of the armies of Germany, donned again the full uniform of a Feldmarschall and was cheered to a frenzied echo as he reviewed the troops of the Republic at Neubrandenburg. Flags flew: the black white and red standards of Imperial Germany.

Last week with an accompanying fanfare Feldmarschall August von Mackensen*, monarchist War idol, also in full uniform, reviewed the German Reichswehr as they maneuvered in “East Prussian war games,” just without the Polish border.

With the General near, the Reichswehr goose-stepped, saluted, and were proudly inspected amid a furor of monarchist enthusiasm. Alas, as night fell and the General departed, the peasants of the region (Polish sympathizers) would offer the resplendent Reichswehr only pigpens as billets, withstood weary soldiers with pitchforks. Enraged, the authorities arrested hundreds of peasants and temporarily confiscated their property for military purposes.

Across the Polish border were being held other war games. Polish Uhlans, beholding the mistreatment of their sympathizers, “galloped up and down.” Twelve of them galloped across into Germany. “Amid great excitement” they galloped back.

Last week, impotent as a matchbox fleet floating near a cake of soap, the remains of the German Navy* maneuvered sadly off Helgo-land.†

*During the War one of Germany’s most feared and uniformly successful commanders ; afterwards “the most famous German prisoner.”

His War Record: 1) 1915—Conquered Galicia and its oil fields for Austria. As commander of the 11th German Army Corps, campaigned against and forced the abandonment to Germany of Warsaw and all Russian Poland. Transferred to the Serbian front, destroyed Serbia as a War factor and opened the road along which Germany poured munitions into Turkey. 2) 1916—Commanding the 9th and 11th Army Corps, operated successfully against Rumania, putting Rumanian resources of wheat and oil at Germany’s disposal. 3) 1917—Directed the Teutonic offensive against Russia, which opened the way to the Black Sea on the collapse of the Russian armies. 4) 1918—Bullied Rumania into peace negotiations, in which she agreed to disband her armies and throw open the route to Odessa to the Central Powers.

His post-War Adventures: 1) 1918— Decided to abandon Rumania. Apprehended, as his troops were returning through Hungary, by the Hungarian Government, which had promised France to incarcerate him on Hungarian soil if he cciuld be caught. 2) 1918-19—Successively interned in various Hungarian chateaux, usually with a French guard, which thwarted his numerous attempts to escape. 3) 1919—Permitted to return to Germany by the Supreme War Council of the Peace Conference, “on account of his advanced age.” (He was then 70.) 4) 1920—Appeared in the Allies list of “War Criminals”. 5) 1920-25—Inveterate Monarchist protagonist. On the 10th anniversary of the War, delivered a fiery oration in which he stood forth as a confirmed militarist.

*According to the terms of the Treaty of Versailles the German Navy is restricted to six battleships, six light cruisers, twelve destroyers, twelve torpedo boat, and no submarines. German naval personnel must not exceed 15,000, including a maximum of 1,500 officers.

† Before the War Germany’s “Gibraltar of the North.” Its fortifications were Wasted into the sea as part of Germany’s War punishment.