Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-12
Whole Diplomatic Corps
Takes Leave of U. S. Envoy
at Berlin Railroad Station


BERLIN, Saturday. February 10. 80
pm. by wireless to the Associated
Press via Sayville. February 12.-James
w. Gerard. the American ambassador,
and his staff. left Berlin at $40 o'clock
tonight for Switzerland. Besides the
embassy staff 110 other Americans ac-
companied him. Members of the for
eign office saw the ambassador Off. Mr..
Gerard will await instructions in Bern
before proceeding
The train on which the ambassador
left Berlin consisted of ten coaches,
Fully 200 Americans who are remain
ing in Berlin were on hand to take
leave regretfully Of their countrymen
who after a week of tension, due to
strenuous preparations for leaving,
were somewhat distraught.
Goodbye, judge" some one shouted
as the train started. and Mr.. Gerard,
leaning far out of the window of his
Broadway"
Farewell From Diplomatic Corps.
The former ambassadors face wore
smile as he waited for the train to
depart. and he expressed himself opti-
mistically with regard to further de-
velopments in the German-Amerfcan
situation.
At the station Count Montgelas, head
OF the American section Of the foreign
representative Of Foreign Minister
Zimmerman. were present to bid Mr.
Gerard farewell. The diplomatic corps
was represented by Polo Bernabe. the
Spanish ambassador, who is to take
over the interests Of the United States;
DR. ThaofnEV the Groak int
Baron Gevers. the Dutch minister. and
the diplomats of the South American
republics. The military authorities
and the foreign office assigned special
Swiss frontier, where 1t is due to arrive
at o'clock this morning. On the way
to the frontier the train will pick up
Ia score or more Americans attached
to consular offices in southern Ger
many.
The disposition of the ambassadorial
train after it's arrival in Zurich rests
with the Swiss government which Is
awaiting instructions from France. 1t
is considered likely, however. that the
American party will stay in Berne for
a few days.
Lokal Anzeiger Criticises Envoy.
The Berlin press is confining itself
to the most perfunctory references to
Gerard and the American embassy staff
The Lokal Anzeiger, the only news
paper printing editorial comment, says:
1T can hardly be said that in the
person of the representative of the
United States who left yesterday a pop
ular figure disappears from Berlin. The
assertion that he was pronounced op-
ponent of Germany is stretching the
case a bit. yet he surely was no friend
lNa ,1r-
set down that the relations of the
United States and Germany would have
reached a far less deplorable stage If
the great tranSat tlantic republic had
been represented in Berlin in the person
of man who possessed a greater ap-
probation of the difficulties and pc
culiarities of our position. and who,
further had been inclined to keep his
government correctly Informed with re-
Spect to the campaign of lies and Will
fications to which we are daily exposed
IF. on the whole, Mr.. Gerard was no
outspoken friend of Germany. he was
equally disinclined to share the blind
admiration for England and everything
English with which his countrymen
seem obsessed. From the beginning of
the war he expressed his inability to
see how the entente could ever be VIC
torious over the central powers. and
this opinion he never surrendered"
The following American correspond
ents have remained In Berlin: James
ODonnell Bennett. Cyril Brown. Will
liam Bayard Hale. Oswald F. Schuette
and Mr.. Anderis.
Gerard to Give No Interviews,
COPENHAGEN, February 12, via Lon
don, SIT pint have given no state
ment or interview on the submarine
situation or on the present crisis to
any newspaper man: I shall not. do so
after crossing the frontier. and l intend
to say nothing for publication regard