Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 January 1915 — IS GERMANY’S HERO [ARTICLE]

IS GERMANY’S HERO

Von Hindenburg Hailed as Liberator of East Prussia.

Correspondent Gets First Interview With .Field Marshal—Has Implicft Confidence in Ultimate Success of German Arms-

Vienna. —A correspondent of the Vienna New Free Press has obtained the first interview given by Field Marshal von Hindenburg, the hero of Germany. A translation of the main portion of the article follows: General von Hindenburg cordially greeted me, led the way to the dining room and requested me to take a seat by his side. Supper was simple, consisting of soup and one course. Whatever delicacies the table held were love offerings from Germany which the liberator of East Prussia is daily receiving in plenty. And so it is that champagne was served, and evdh Hungarian wine of old vintage, which, in this city, according to ancient tradition, is considered the acme of delicacies on an epicurean table.

Jn answer t 6 a question relative to what experience he has had since the co-operation of the German and Aus-tro-Hungarian armies General von Hindenburg answered: “The Austrians and Hungarians are excellent soldiers. Men as well as officers are brave and courageous. We have been fighting shoulder to shoulder and have implicit confidence in the ultimate success of our mutual fighting. We esteem the Austrians and Hungarians as excellent comrades. The relations between the two armies are very cordial. At present we are maintaining lively connections with General Dankl, the leader of the First Austrian army corps, with which we have established lines of communication.”

The conversation changed from friends to enemies. In answer to a question about the Russians General von Hindenburg said: “The Russians, too, are good soldiers. They have discipline, and discipline will eventually decide this war. But Russian discipline is entirely different from German and Austro-Hun-garian discipline. In our armies discipline is the result of spirit .and morale, while in the Russian army It is a combination of silent, inane obedience. The Russian soldier stands still because he was told to stand still, and he stands as if nailed to the spot. What Napoleon I said of the Russians holds good even today: ‘lt is not sufficient to shoot the Russian dead. It is also necessary to throw him down/

“The Russians have learned much since the war with Japan. Their strength consists In the establishment of fortified positions in the field. They understand thoroughly h(bw to dig themselves into the soil. No sooner have they occupied a position tfian they disappear ten- minutes later' ip the earth like moles. But pur soldiers have learned that too; they didn’t like to do it, but they had to do it in self-defense.

“Yes, the Russians are good soldiers,” the general repeated. **But nevertheless one needn’t fear them. We are not at all afraid of the Russian superiority. Superiority is characteristic of the Russians. It is their principal weapon. He who fights against Russia fights against superiority. At Tannenbprg they yore three times stronger than our forces and yet it has been shown how much that helped them. Oh, no, this superiority is not half as dangerous as "it appears. is present stage of the war.

“Though the Russians drive against our borders like a huge steamroller* they will not find it possible to roll over us. Quite the contrary; the Russians are fagged out. They may say and do what they please, thj fact remains that all indications point toward a speedy disintegration of their forces. They are beginning to feel the lack of arms and ammunition. The prisoners we take point significantly with their hands toward their mouths. That means that their soldiers are hungry. Even their officers lack food.

The other day we captured one who was disguised as a peasant.' He was about to be shot as a spy. At the last moment he succeeded in proving that he had disguised himself for no other reason than to obtain food. “Unfortunate though that may seem, it favors us. War cannot be conducted along sentimental lines. The more cruel war is being waged the more merciful is its reality, because the sooner the war is terminated. The more humanitarian way of conducting a war is that which brings about peace most quickly.”