The Washington herald., 1917-02-04
Won Bernstorff, Heartbroken,
Calls His Life Work a Failure
Tears Well in Eyes of German Envoy After Passports Are
Handed Hm-Doe Care About Future, He
Tells Newspaper Men.

Count ]. II. Won Bernstorff, heart
broken that his years OF unremitting toll
to preserve friendly relations between
the United States and Germany had col
lapsed In failure, last night prepared to
leave the country. He told friends that
nothing in his long and brilliant career
in diplomacy had affected him so much
as to be handed his passports and told 20
leave a country for which he always had
felt the closest attachment
Il don't care what happens to me now;
am out OF politics forever; my life work
has failed" the Ambassador said with a
show OF emotion soon after he had been
handed his passports by State Depart
ment representative.
Tears welled in his eyes as the Ambas-
sador talked to the newspaper men in the
red room of the Embassy following the
State Department emmisary's visit. His
voice was husky and he faltered in
speech at times, showing unmistakable
evidences OF regret that he must depart
from the scene OF his many triumphs in
other years.
Ambassador Won Bernstorff received his
passports at 1:52 o'clock yesterday after
noon from the hands of Assistant Solicitor
Lester H. Woolsey, OF the State Depart
ment- With the passport, which pro-
vided for the recall not only of the Am
bassador but his family and suite, the
Ambassador was given duplicate OF the
speech of the President delivered before
Congress.
Knew Break Was Coming.
Before the passports were delivered,
the Ambassador and other officials of
the Embassy knew that a break was i'm
minent. When he received definite word
that diplomatic relations had been broken
he informed Countess Bernstorf of the
news. The Embassy officials and en-
ployes were Immediately called into the
Ambassadors office and told what had
happened. All attaches OF the Embassy
Immediately began packing up their per-
sonal effects preparatory to their de-
parture. There was a complete sus-
pension of business within the Embassy,
and the clerical forces talked only of the
possibilities of war growing out OF the
diplomatic break. All connected with the
Embassy were apprehensive that big
ger crisis may soon come.
Soon after the Ambassador was noti-
fed OF the break he got into communica-
ton with DR.. Paul Ritter, the Swiss Min
lister, who will take over the German
diplomatic affairs in this country DR..
Ritter called at the Embassy and con-
ferred at length with Count Won Bern
storff concerning the details OF the trans
fer of the Embassys affairs. These de-
tails will be completed before Count Won
Bernstorff calls upon Secretary Lansing
to bid him goodby.
Count Won Bernstorff declared he did
not know anything about the manner of
his leaving the United States or how soon
he would depart This is my first ex-
perience," he said, ''and I will have to
inform myself I am sure there wfll be
some way to get back to my country, but
I do not know how soon this can be ar
ranged"
Smiled Approximately.
The Ambassador smiled appreciatively
when it was suggested to him that many
Americans would not object to his re-
manning on this side indefinitely. To nu-