ly educated into an avid
newspaper reader, but he has developed a tendency to think for himself,
to read between the lines, and interpret sentences. Thus, no German has
any illusions about the military prowess of Austria; but her failure has
caused no hard feelings. "The spirit is willing, but the leadership is
weak," is the kindly verdict, with the hopeful assumption that the
addition of a little German yeast will raise the standard of Austrian
efficiency and improve the quality of leadership.

The Germans, being neither mad nor misinformed, why they face a world of
foes with this new confidence becomes a question of importance to any
one who wants to understand the real situation here. The answer is
Hindenburg--not only the man himself, but all that he stands for, the
personification of the German war spirit, the greatest moral asset of
the empire today. He is idolized not only by the soldiers, but by the
populace as well; not only by the Prussians, but by the Bavarians and
even the Austrians. You cannot realize what a tremendous factor he has
become until you discover personally the Carlylean hero worship of which
he is the object.

Hindenburg woke up one morning to find himself famous; but his
subsequent speedy apotheosis was probably not entirely spontaneous. In
fact, there is reason to believe that he was carefully groomed for the
role of a national hero at a critical time, the process being like the
launching by American politicians of a Presidential or Gubernatorial
boom at a time when a name to conjure with is badly needed. He is a
striking answer to the Shakespearean question. His name alone is worth
many army corps for its psychological effect on the people; it has a
peculiarly heroic ring to the German ear, and part of the explanation of
its magic lies probably in the fact that the last syllable, "burg,"
means fortress or castle. He inspires the most unbounded confidence in
the German people; the Field Marshal looms larger than his Kaiser.

The cigarmakers were the first to recognize his claims to immortality
and to confer it on him; but now almost every conceivable sort of
merchandise except corsets is being trade marked Hindenburg. Babies,
fishing boats, race horses, cafes, avenues and squares, a city of
60,000, a whole county, are being named after him, and minor poets are
taking his name in vain daily, "Hindenburg Marches" are being composed
in endless procession, a younger brother is about to publish