Arizona republican., 1917-02-15
 ANDPARTY OFF
 FUR GERMANY
Republican A. p. Leased WireJ

Republican A. P. Leased Wire1
 HOBOKEN, N. J., Feb. 14.-Count J.
 H. von Bernstorff former German am
 bassador to the United States, sailed
 for home today aboard the Scandinat
 vian American liner Frederick VIII.
 With him was the Countess Von Bern storff and nearly 200 German diplomatic and consular officials. The departure
 which completes the severance of dip
 lomatic relations between the United
 States and Germany was accomplished
 quietly and was marred by no un-
 toward incident.
 Before the steamer departed at
 o'clock the former ambassador held
 final conference with Minister Ritter
 of Switzerland who assumed charge of
 German interests in this country.
 Count von Bernstorff, his wife, and another member of his suite, received
 several wagon loads of flowers and
 oon voyage gifts. The ambassador was so appreeiative that he sent ashore a signed statement through Dudley Field Malone, collector of the port of New York. in which he said:
 'I cannot refrain from a last ex- pression to the American people for the wealth of flowers and gifts sent to the countess and myself. It Is hard to tell of the good will sent us both. No ex- pression of gratitude would be adequate to speak an effectionate farewell" There was many a German citizen aboard the Frederick VIII who sailed away with tears in his eyes. The am bassador himself, deeply affected. re- rnained away from the rest of the party as much as he could in the excitement which usually precedes the sailing of | great ocean liner. There were others in the party who tried to do the same thing. Some went immediately to their state rooms as soon as they had board ed the ship early this morning and re- rnained there until sailing time. Others walked off the dock for a final stroll 3n American soil.
 As the ship moved away from her dock and backed out in the channel, l the New Jersey shores were dotted Y with persons who had been waiting 1 nearby the better part of the day to l see the liner depart.
 | From the war bound German liners I ying close at hand signal pennants 1 fluttered. spelling out their farewell l fiandkerchiefs were waved from the l decks of the ship and those on shore l Jaw the Count and Countess won 3ernstorff emerge from a door with l 'rince Hatfield, formerly counsellor | the embassy. and his wife. All four 1 eaned far over the rail and waved at 'ersons they Knew standing on the l lock-
 Several tugs blew shriH blasts with | .neir whistles. The whistle of the Fred | lrick VIII responded. Then the ship l 5traightened out in the stream and | eaded for the bay accompanied by a | office boat, which dropped behind as | ne Frederick VIII gathered speed. 1 At 5:30 o'clock. an hour and a half 1 after leaving HobOken, Count von l 8ernstorff had his last view of the l shores of America when the Frederick i III passed Sandy Hook and swung nto the Atlantic.
 l Before he boarded the steamship, l ount von Bernstorff expressed to a l representative of the Associated Press | lis personal views on the new German l dbmarine operations. the possibility of l ne United States being drawn into the l war. his readiness to retire from active I fife and doubts he held about reaching
 iermany in safety.
 Discussing the neutrality of the l American people, he said, naturally a l persons sympathies are where he does | }usiness," and defended Germany from | he charge of being a violator of the ! ights of humanity or the principles
 international law, by asking first
 Vhether it was humane for England, by | CT blockade, to try to starve out the ! gon- -combatant population-Germar
 omen and babies" and by calling at.
 Continued on Page Two)