The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-03-14
CANADA DENIES
ENJOYS CHARGE
Party with Ambassador Won
Bernstorff Treated
Courteously
NO BABIES WERE
DESPOILED
Countess Won Bernstorf Was
Examined Three Min
utes, Says Censor

| Ottawa, Ont, March l4.-Canada Off
cially denied yesterday that there was
any basis for protest by Count Won Bern
storff for the examination accorded the
liner on which he Travelled to Copen,
hagen. The chief press censor issued
this statement:
Officials who were in charge of the
staff engaged in the examination of the
steamship Frederik VIII at Halifax de-
scribe as ridiculous the attempt to mis-
| represent the character of the Halifax
examination. The examination of the
ship and her passengers was of course
thorough. A superficial one would have
been useless.
There was not a moments unneces-
sary delay, and special care was taken to
prevent any of the passengers being sub
jected to indignities. The examination
of women passengers was done by female
examiners. The examination of Countess
Won Bernstorff took less than three min
utes.
"The statement that the insoes of her
shoes were ripped off is an absolute
falsehool. Equally devoid OF truth is
the statement that all hot water bottles,
baby nipples and rubber heels were con-
fiscated Passengers having more than
one water bottle in their baggage were
relieved of all but one. There were no
baby nipples or rubber heels heized. The
examination was conducted from begin
ming to end with due regard to the COM
fort, susceptibilities and rights of all
the passengers"
A supplementary statement denounced
as deliberate falsehoods" the statement
that customs examiners were brutal and
that two customs officers were drunk
while on duty.
Charges Come by Wireless.
Christiania, March 10 Thy wireless to |
Berlin and thence via Tuckerton, N. j., |
March l4).-Not even Countess Won |
the American wife of the |
former ambassador to the United States |
from Germany, was exempted in the mi
mute search of the Scandinavian Amer-
can liner Frederik VIII and her passen-
gers by the British authorities at Hall
lax
So thorough was this search and so re-
ougnant the methods as well as the de-
ay it enforced on the former envoy that
Re will lodge formal protest at Washing
on. At the time of the searching the
British authorities refused to transmit
lis telegraphic protest. They did mail
/ censored protest to DIR. Ritter, the
swiss minister in Washington, who was
eft by Bernstorff in charge of German
interests at the American capital. But
his was not forwarded, it is understood,
Until after the examination was complet-
d and the Frederik VIII left port.
The British authorities refused to per-
nit the American consul at Halifax to ,
ONE aboard the Fredkrik VIII and
orced the captain of the liner to promise
ot to use his wireless +,
Count Won Bernstorff was the only one ,
( the party who was exempted from :
earch. His wife was thoroughly searched. I;
wen the insoles of her shoes were ripped i
Fl, But her examination was mild COM !
AIRED to that to which the other Ger
lans had to submit. They were stripped a
, the skin and thoroughly looked over. i
ven their mouths were examined, as |,
ell as the spaces between their toes.
/
reused from this painstaking hunt. n
All German gold money was confs- r
tied as contraband. A few Germans /,
st little paper money. Customs off, y
ais likewise confiscsted all rubber =
cluding hot water bottles, baby nipples II
nd rubber heels. ;,
Commander Adair Hall of the Brit. :
h cruiser Devonshire was in charge of !,
lie ship guards during the customs in !,
'ection. He personally returned some Al
ticles which his subordinates had tax
Many of the customs examinations
ere brutal. Unknown to the naval off.
RS in charge it was noted at one time
at two customs men were drunk while
duty.
The ambassador and consular party
pected yesterday TO take train at Co.
nhagen for Berlin on March IL.