The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-18

RdltiitS I6DItStul lHG NlCW Ol dAl that is best in the Germany of to- day.
 Not only Is he a brilliant writer, but he is reporter with a splendidly trained sense of news value. This trait has enabled him in the last few months to score some remarkable beats from Germany. His dispatches always have reflected the course of events not alone in Germany but in all of Europe. In interpreting the significance of these events and in forecasting results, Mir. Harden has been days and even weeks ahead of other correspondents in Germany. One of his most recent achievements was a thrilling story of Hugo Shines, the German Croesus, who had gone to London for an inter- view with Lloyd George. In telling the story of Shines. Maximilian liar den made known the fact that the frenzied followers of this so-called savior of Germany were talking of making him Duke of Germany and setting up a "people's monarchy"
 It was Maximilian Harden who first told the world of the gambling fever which had gripped all of Ger many. After he had first painted the picture in his own vivid style, other correspondents dwelt upon the subject for weeks
 It was Maximilian Harden who, in the early summer of 1921. told the first story of the Russian famine, Under date of July 30 he cabled from Berlin:
 That Iivid horse which in Johns Apocalypse had Death for It's rider gallops today over immense Russia, breathing pestilence from its pallid nostrils The drouth has withered all the crops and fruit. The earth has been split with wide Assures. No har- vest Is possible. Even cattle cant be fed. This catastrophe is the most ter rible ever known in a country accus- toned to famine.
 Three months later correspondents were fighting their way into Russia to write about this famine.
 Maximilian Harden predicted al most to the day the fall of the first Wirth cabinet, and told why it would fall.
 To those who would understand the Germany of today, Maximillan Harden's cabled dispatches are ih7 valuable.
 Interviewed By Frenchmcn
 It is strange that the best estimate of Maximilian Harden written III re- cent years should come from the pen of a Frenchman, and be pupilsheu In a paris paper. This high tribute was maid in a. recent issue of the Eclalr. the recognized organ of the Brlanu povernment. The Figaro Of Paris also aent A staff correspondent to BerlA during the early autumn 10 lhtel view EIr. Harden. Ills opening oe- scriptfve paragraph told Of the har- den home thus; .,,.,
 "In western suburb of Berlin
 IN,4sa.. .rnTrf Gl d among the pines of the Gruhewaiu' numerous villas and residences or the rich Berlin population nave sPr une m If is there that Maximiiian liar dan the celebrated German journal ist iives His house. surrounded wltn hieh trees. is quiet and agreeaDle retreat. where he can forget the wears spent in Prussian Actresses eH mating his crimes of lese- maJes.e, ii fhose days the Hohenzonerns were not to be tested with ana haruen n had to pay for the digressions or ms undisciplined pen. n o-
 The tribute of the Eclalr IS @e epitome of Harden's lie. IL say ,,ert @Maxmilian Harden is one oI the most remarkable types III ,iermany of yesterday and tooaS' s,ormerIv an actor, he soon lett the .oaatra for Journalism at the tlihe u,bsn Bismarck was defending ms nrero gatiyes and his policy asalhs' The humutious vanity of Wilhelm H. rha old chancellor noticed the youue writer and gave him his protectioi, gro,n that moment Harden delehueo he nev patron and began tlsht ,,.,tho,it pity against the Empelo and his surroundings. Ills cuttine ,tvle. full of images, soon mace mn samous. His "Zukunft which ap neared every week spread qulchly among all intellectual ana classes and became a splehoiu n nes Harden had no enectiVs ihAiu ence. but he was read regu py those whose platonic Hperaiis" ms ms to listen to a vehencnt voice "noso accents translate what they not the courage to say tnenlselss''
 Acauired Enormous Influence
 .qn this way Harden rapidly ac- ouired enormous influence on tho nome and foreign policy of Germany and on all the topics which occu nied in turn the world stage. Iie revealed all the scandals or 'no Rerlin and Potsdam courts ana i' was he who published the e2traor- dinarv correspondence b et w Willy the emperor by divine rlshI and count Gutenberg. Wllhelni co,,rts of Justice often had bones to ,,fol ,yith him, and his phamplet was often suppressed. all these measures boweyer only contributed to the authors renown.
 .But what the German press VIII not forgive him is that after haVihs been under the military ana hation alist influence of his surrounoihse at the beginning of the war ne soon abandoned the lie or the ueien@. war and with his usual violence at ,acLed the leading Germans and the bvpocrisy of their policy Peopie continued to read his articles put without conviction, just as we fol- low the gambols of a clown at the circus thinking all the time' Us amusing but it is only the tneatrc' 1t is not really serious.
 After the armistice and the pseuuo revolution, Harden, far rom uis- arming, turned against the defho cratic parody He had the courage to proclaim German guilt and the necessity of expiation. He unmasked the equivocal policy of the soclai democrats and their compromises with dishonest agents and their weakness towards personalities or the old regime. He became enthus- iastic about the Russian soviet rev olution and about German commuh- ism and he seemed to have fancy for bolshevism. But his clearsight- edness saved him and in face of the excesses of extremists, especially in the face of their total incapacity to erect A new human chart on the ruins of the old society, he changed over and began to preach the recon. ciliation of the continental races through common work and sincere ,n1iticc Very oftAn he has defended