Omaha daily bee., 1919-10-24
ARMISTICE WAS
bLuNDER, AYERS
Gen. HARRIES
Omaha Army Officer at Ban.
quet Of Palimpsest Club
Tells Of Conditions
in Germany.

l was IN Berlin When the troops
came home. They were received as
conquering heroes. Festoons deco
rated the guns, flowers were in the
muzzles Of the rifles, the bands
played Deutschland Uber Allies and
Die Wacht am Rhein,' great CHOIR
uses sang songs OF victory, laure;
wreaths crowned the trench helmets
of the soldiers.
Held Strategic Position.
"The strategic position of the al
lies was perfect at the time the
armistice was granted. It was not
part of the plan to capture Metz.
The French knew they would get it
and they didn't want to destroy it
by bombardment.
South of Metz was 3 perfect
gateway into the Rhineland. 1t was
guarded by only $4,000 German
troops, a mere handful. And the
allies had 80 divisions of 10000
troops each to hurl against those
$4,000 Germans.
"When General Foch was refused
permission to continue the war his
grief and anger were terrible. For
"a hours he locked himself up. His
chief of staff permitted no one to
see him. This dream of his, Ger
man army defeated unquestionably
in the field, was dissipated, And
the great biunder Of the arnistice
was committed"
Describes Spartacan Riot.
General Harries described the
Spartacan rioting which took place
in Berlin. 1t was a continuous day
and night battle for two weeks, he
said, in which 10000 were killed and
10000 injured.
General Harries wore the ribbon
and cross of the Legion OF Honor,
of which he was made commander
by the French government. He
also wore the Distinguished Service
medal of the United States govern
ment.
John L. Webster, in introducing
him, read list of the other decora-
tons which General Harries re-
ceived overseas. They are as fol-
lows,
Grand Gordon Of Greece; COM
mander of the Order of Bath, Great
Britain; commander of the Order
of St. Maurice, Italy; commander of
the Order of the White Eagle, Ser
bia; Grand Cross of the Crown of
Roumania; Order of Leopold, Bel
GUM; Grand Cross of the Order of
St. Stanislaus, awarded him by Ad-
n1iral Kolchak, Russia.
Pays Pershing Tribute.
General Harries paid tribute to
General Pershing.
'Twenty-eight years ago." he said,
II was first lieutenant and John ].
Pershing was a second lieutenant.
l have known him ever since and
know that all the honors which have
come to him have not changed him
in the slightest. He is still the
same sterling, honest, sincere soldier
man that he was then"
!. Sent to Berlin.
General Harries took the 173d
brigade overseas and after doing
some work in the Verdun sector was
assigned to engineering duties at
Brest, the great American port in
France. After the armistice was
signed he was given temporary COM
mand of the 87th division and then
sent on his important mission in
Berlin, where he was for nine
months.
In an interview, speaking Of con.
litions in Germany as he observed
hem, General Harries said: "The
people generally are not so sorry
hat they went into the war, they
lave no regrets, but they are sorry
hat the kaiser found it necessary
O leave them. The German peo-
,le were kept in dense ignorance
# what really transpired during the
var and many do not believe that
heir army was beaten.
Germany is coming back, for 1t
an and will create credits by pro-
luction. The German people have
he power to produce intensively
lnder leadership"
People Without Soap.
Mr.. Harries found economic con-
litions in Germany at low ebb.
When he arrived there about a year
20, the people had been without
Dap for more than two years. he
elated that when he gave halt OF
bar of toilet soap to a German OF
means, his beneficiary actually
ried. He said that one may imagine
he effects of being without soap
or two years. i
"The appearance OF the United
;tates military mission in Berlin
reused expressions and acts OF dis.
leasure on the part of Germans"
: continued. Zone could hear
luttered objurgations on the
treets. Some would spit at the
american officers. I observed a
;erman woman of evident social
landing spit in British officers
His headquarters were in the
dion hotel, and during two week:
1 last January he could see and
ear the street rioting when the
nartacan outbreaks occurred. His
'ork of repatriation involved the
are Of 5000 American prisoners OF
ar. He also had charge Of the
.patriation work for the Serbians'
ithuanians, Roumanians and the
oles.
General Harries will speak at the
hamber of Commerce at noon to-
General Harries, who was former
: president of the Nebraska Power
,mpany, is now vice president OF
/. NJ. Byllssby & Co., Chicago and
'ew York. After his visit to Oma-
A he will return to resume his
ork with this company, making
IS home in New York City.
/