Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-04-06

ed with more newspaper men than all the
and 1t was very rare that he could not
recall a man BY name; His DEMOCRATIC
demeanor and hail fellow well met" at
the Washington newspaper men was in
striking contrast to the reserve always
observed by other ambassador and min
listers and was highly gratifying and flat
tering to the newspaper men. When re-
ceiving the newspaper men in the course
of q general discussion he could almost
always call by name any man who asked
him a question.
A Charming Diplomat.
The setting he chose for his talks with
newspaper men was also we'll calculated
to. facilitate his purpose. The German
stands on MASSACHUSETTS avenue terrace: 1t
is a big commodious place, with a smaller
house adjoining that had been added to
representatives rarely entered by the en-
bassy. They went to the chanceliery.
where the door was always unlocked, and
was dispensed with. Passing through the
hall. the newspaper men proceeded direct
to a large waiting room built in what was
Toases. Af ahs d Spaes ietw Teiatio 5ns fsd
been broken off this room was used by
the secret service men detailed to watch
over the safety of the departing diplomat.
- SSOi oS S0AttS N0p ADSA NV WA
ready to receive the correspondents an
attendant would summon them into the
embassy proper and conduct them up
one flight of stairs to the Ambassadors
private study, a very spacious room with
a deep alcove. upholstered in red, with
heavy red silk curtains, and furnished in
at a big square top mahogany desk with
richly chased silver fittings. Cigars and
cisarets We're always in evidence. but
Perhaps the most striking feature of the
room was ar pen fireplace in white
marble aroun which was built a low
covered with red leather cushions to
match the furniture. 1t was here that
Rernstorff would sit with one foot across
his knee. and chat co~nfidentially when
only a few correspondents We're present.
II the gathering was sat all numerous he
Saw a Few in Private.
When Bernstorff had created the news
atmosphere he wanted and had exhausted
the topics he wished to place before the
his big bony hands-the hands of a con-
juror slowly together, and ask: Any
more questions. gentlemen?' was
though usually one or two men would linz
ger for a m or two and he would ex-
change a word or two with each in pri-
word with him We're DIR. Barthelme, the
correspondent of the Cologne Gazette, who
was expelled from the Press club for his
criticisms of America early in the war;
Bethke, the correspondent of the Stats
Zettung; the representative of the Associ-
ated Press and the correspondent of a
New York evening paper who also repre-
sents the Illinois taats Zeitung in Wash
ington.
Aapart from his regular conferences
with the press, Bernstorff himself fire.
quently sought. private talks with news
paper men,. There was always standing
outside the embassy u big Packard road
ster, which the count Invariably drove
himself and in which he usually was
alone. but at times he would take a news
paper man along with him, either if they
left the embassy together or If he met one
when leaving the state, war and navy
building. Sometimes he would pick up a
man he wished to talk to on the street.
The count was a. very skillful and daring
driver. and has given more than news
paper man cold chills by his habit of let
ting go the steering wheel to emphasize a
point or drive home an argument with a
forceful gesture when his car was travel
Ing at q high rate of speed
At other times he would walk out on
foot. and whenever he met a newspaper
man stop him and ask the news. The
correspondent would Of course in turn
ask the same question Of the ambassador
and the two would walk along together.
giving the willy diplomat the Opportunity
he sought to put out pro-German propa-
ganda and SOW the seeds Of embarrass-
ment for the United States government.