One day last week, President Paul von Hindenburg stood in a public square in Munich with a large gold ring in his hand.
Of course, a large crowd gathered about him. But anyone would have noticed that this was a very unusual crowd indeed.
For they were all dressed in colorful Bavarian costumes, and they sang lusty German songs and strewed flowers over the pavement. Many buxom daughters of wine growers came up to Old Paul and offered him sips of Bavarian wine. And the President sipped.
Also there was a parade of butchers, millers, coopers and brewers. Standard bearers held aloft their ancient...