Evening star., 1919-09-20
GEN. HARR|ES BACK
FROM OVERSEAS
Head of Mission Regards
Withdrawal From Berlin
"Unfortunate BIunder."
CONDITIONS IN GERMANY

Brig. Gen. George H. Harr1eS, freSh
from the experiences incident to di-
recting the American military mission
to Germany. which, with it's headquar-
ters at Berlin, has since December
had charge of all problems concerned
with the return of American prisoners
and the bettering of conditions in the
prison camps of Germany, has re-
turned to Washington. his home for
more than third of a century. Aside
from his direct military functions
stent touch with the American mis-
sion to the peace conference, per-
formed many indirect and delicate
services to his country as the most
prominent American in intimate torch
with the inner workings Of disor-
The result of his observations and
the details of his work having re-
Gently been submitted to Gen. Persh-
ing in the form of formal military
report, Gen. Harries is not at present
at liberty to discuss them fully for
publication. But to a representative
OF The Star. at his home at 401 p
street northwest, he told such general
facts as he may disclose at present
Gen. Harries was frank to intimate
that the congressional action which
resulted in the withdrawal from Ber-
lin of the mission of which he was
the head was an unfortunate blunder.
Says q. S. Is Called "ouitter."
'As the result of legislation which
pronounced that there should be no
missions from the United States with
In Germany until peace has formally
been established between the two
is today regarded as a ouitter by her
former allies" he said. Our country
was performing a vital service, with
the mission as its active implement.
Through the insistence Of the United
States, and with the aid of American
cash, the prison camps of Germany
had been rendered models of their
kind. 1t was effort and money well
expended. even if regarded from a
purely selfish viewpoint, for in the
Russian camps the prisoners. CRATE
full beyond expression for the better
ment of formerly intolerable condi-
tions. had come to regard the United
| States as a friend in their hour of
bitterest need
Then came the order to withdraw
OF course obedience to the order was
not subject for question. But to
the protests of the prisoners. unbe-
lieving at first that the United States
could abandon them to an inevitable
the end bitter when it became obvious
that such was indeed the fact, I must
say frankly that there was a response
in my heart which, though it might
never be evidenced or admitted at the
time, was none the less sympathetic"
Political and Social Conditions.
Speaking in a very general way of
| the political and social conditions in
| Germany during the period of his
first hand observations, Gen. Harries
| said:
! Il regard the year now ahead as the
| most crucial one to be experienced by
Germany in her struggle to set her
| house in order. 1t will see, I believe,
contest for power between the radical
| socialist and the reactionary and
moderate 55sments of that country. So
| delicately are the scales adjusted to-
day between them that any sudden
| dumping of even a proportionately
| side or the other might well cause
the permanent settling of the bal
| ance."
| In this connection the general spoke
of the caution with which German
prisoners of war are being repatriated
| in order that their sudden plunge
! from the comfort of allied prison
( camps to the hard conditions in Gerr
many today might not result in the
| conversion of hundreds of thousands
of husky individuals to the red view
| point. He continued:
| What Germany Needs.
! Germany needs, and her need is
great, a strong and centralized gov
ernment; government in which the
/ task of directing the energies or the
! nation to the work ahead shall lie in
4, hands of few of her strongest
| and most conservative men. And it
seemed to me. as 1 watched the shift
ing and building OF pubic opinion
| during my months of service, that she