Fatal Indiscretion

A tide of Republican scandal foamed up last week and engulfed Germany's greatest post-War soldier, Hans von Seeckt, "The Man with the Iron Monocle." He it is who has forged the new German military machine as General der Infanterie und Chef der Heeresleitung des Reichswehr. For months he has been the anathema of the Allied Council of Ambassadors which has demanded his resignation times without number. Until last week his rockfounded army prestige made his position unassailable.

Imperative Request. Not long ago the General, ripe with the prudence of 60, was appealed to by a charming woman whom German Monarchists still hail as their future Kaiserin. She, Princess Cecilia, onetime Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, onetime Crown Princess of Germany, asked little enough of old General von Seeckt. Surely the General would let her eldest son--her Wilhelm--enter the Ninth Company of Infantry in which the Hohenzollerns have always served? . . .

General von Seeckt discovered by a tactful question that the once so exalted princess did not want her Wilhelm to enlist in the Army for twelve years, as all German soldiers must, under the terms of the Versailles Treaty. Princess Cecilia desired instead that the so gallant General should wink at the presence of her son with the Ninth Regiment during the Reichswehr's fall maneuvers (TIME, Sept. 27). Of course this could be arranged? . . .

Cornered, the General took refuge in silence, refused to answer the princess for some weeks. He reflected that the lanky but athletic young man at whose presence he was asked to wink is, after all, the grandson and heir apparent of the erstwhile Kaiser. Princess Cecilia's son,* though he rule never as Wilhelm IV, may yet inherit the golden potency of a multimillionaire and live to reward well his friends.

In fine, General von Seeckt having reflected, the eye behind his "iron monocle" figuratively winked.

Explosion. Not until last week did Republican and Communist newsorgans discover and commence to flay the indiscretion of General von Seeckt. Most lamentably Defense Minister Gessler, ignorant of the General's peccadillo, denied publicly what proved to be the truth: that Prince Wilhelm served with the "Hohenzollern Ninth" during the recent maneuvers.

Since a Cabinet Minister had uttered publicly an untruth someone had to resign. General von Seeckt called upon President von Hindenburg, handed in his resignation. Said Paul von Hindenburg to Hans von Seeckt: "I thank you for your extraordinary services to the Fatherland in war and peace."

Next day Lieutenant General Wilhelm Heye, Commander of the First Reichswehr Division, was appointed to succeed General von Seeckt as Chief of the Army Command. Since the new Chef is not a full general he is outranked by the generals commanding the two German army corps. Thus the proud title of General von Seeckt, amounting to "Chief of Staff" (ever a bugaboo to the Allies), has been placed ingeniously in abeyance. The new Chef will serve merely as an adviser to Defense Minister Gessler.

*Wilhelm Friedrich Franz Josef Olaf von Hohenzollern.