The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-03-28
AGAIN BUSTLES
With ACTIVITY
Gerard's Old Office on vii.
heImpIatz Occupied by
Army Captain.
GHIRARDPS M 1851 O N
Wants to Ascertain il Liber-
alton From Hurrah Pa
triotism Is Genuine.

",
Berlin, March 26.--U, N. SD--The
American embassy on Wilhelmplatz.
which has lain idle since former AM
bassador Gerard'e departure two
years ago, Is once more pustlins WITH
actipitx. .4s w *. " ~ ~ III .4
..~,f I II f6,sais sthe eerridors ring cireer-
ful American voices, and the walls
reverbcrnte with the busy Clicking OF
American typewriters. Up and down
the stairs and between the offices
hurry sturdy young messengers, all
wearing the drab OF Uncle sam
doughboys.
Before a huge desk in Mr.. Gerard's
private Office sits burly figure In
the blue of the United States navy.
The wearer of this uniform is capt.
Walter r. Ghrardi, U. S. n.
Capt. Ghirardi, by the way. is no
stranger around Berlin nor the Amer
lean embassy for during the Gerard
regime he was the naval attache. 1t
is this former Berlin experience that
accounts for his return to the Ger
man capital.
Capt. Ghirardi Is of the quiet, smil-
ing type of American and especially
quiet in the presence of newspaper
men. He talks readily of the high
cost of living, the low quality OF
German food, and the weather. But
any allusion to his business in Ber-
lin draws invariably the same an
swer: II cannot be interviewed"
A ray of light is shed on the mys-
terry surrounding Capt. Ghirardfs
mission in Germany through an in
terview given the Muenchener Augs-
burger Abendzeitung at Munich by
Prof. Harry II. Field, who is under
stood to be identified with the CHI
rardi party. Field was quoted as
saying:
"The purpose of my visit is to as
certain II the liberation from 'hurrah
patriotism is genuine; to find out II
Germany has really been delivered
from militarism. or II there is still a
remnant of it awaiting an opportu-
nifty to raise it's head. am also in
vestigating whether the German peo-
ple have any share in the responsi-
bility for the war or were victims or
the old military regime. America
has no intention of trampling Ger
many under foot"
Members of the Ghirardt mission
have been dispatched to the four cor
ners of Germany to collect material
for reports to the American peace
delegates at Paris. There is good
reason TO believe, Furthermore, that
the German food situation figures
prominently in these reports.
Capt. Ghirardl himself makes occa-
sional whirlwind trips TO Paris, and
American army couriers are con-
stantIy moving between the French
and German capitals. But they are
as uncommunicative as their chief.
Recently. the Taeglische Rund-
schau printed = story purporttng TO
he a reproduction of statements made
hv a member Of Cant. Ghirardi's
party to German officials setting
forth that the mission had co-1e to
investigate the degree of penitence
manifested by the German people and
voicing the opinion that, with dane
ing and cafe merriment very much in
evidence, any manifestation OF peni-
tence could not he very deeply telt.
An American correspondent called
Capt. Ghrardi on the telephone to
nrotest against discrimination in Civ
ing out information. The American
official then authorized the 1nterna-
tionai Nows Service TO deny the state
ment. The entire staft was called
on ihe carpet" and each nrotested his
innocence. Capt. Ghirardi then gave
a statement to the Iokal ArzetSer
branding the Taeglische Rundschau
story as false.