The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-02-15
ALLIES ON KNEES
OR WAR With
AMERICA
Entente Must 0e Crushed to Pre-
vent Clash Says stmslOrff
AMERICA SWAYtO BY MONEY
II Americans Keep Out of Danger
Zone There VIII Be
No War.

flODOhtl, ~. D., ICb. SOhhN
Johann II. Won Bernstorff, former Ger
man ambassador to the United States,
sailed Tor home today aboard the
ndinavian-American liner Frederik
VII With him was Countess Won
Bernstorff and nearly 200 German
diplomatic and consular officials. The
departure, which completes the sew
erance of diplomatic relations be-
tween the United States and Ger
many was accomplished quietly and
was marred by no untoward incident.
Before he boarded the steamship
Count Won Bernstorff expressed to a
representative of the Associated
Press his personal views on the new
German submarine operations, the
possibility of the United States being
drawn into the war, his readiness to
retire from active life and the doubts
he had about reaching Germany in
safety.
He defended Germany from the
charge of being violator OF the
rights of humanity or the principles
of international law, by asking first
whether ii was humane for England,
by its blockade, to try to starye out
the noncomhatant population-our
women and German babies" and then
by calling attention to an American
note which declared the British
blockade TO be Illegal and indefen'
sible.
OF the possibility of ayerting war,
the former ambassador said he con-
sidered that to be conditional upon
Germany being able TO bring the En-
tente to its knees before any thing
happens to involve the United
States" He was emphatic in declar-
ing that "the submarine campaign is
bound to increase in intensity as1the
weather gets warmer g Nit
Prior to his arrival in Hoboken, the
former ambassador outlined on yari
Gus occasions to representative of
the Associated Press his personal
views regarding the war in Europe.
"You ask me. said Count Won Bern
storff, in reply to question, about
NY trip. Will | get home all right?
Well, you never can tell. OF course,
we will get through the British and
French blockade and there should be
no danger from our own submarines.
guess they will know we are coming
and will let us alone even il they
should happen to see us.
Maybe IL is possible that war
may be averted The President is
represented in the newspapers as hav-
ing made it clear that the next time
l.- Tn ~ would no
to ask for war, but in connection with
protection to American shipping.
What does that mean? To me, person
ally, that could mean but one thing,
namely the conveying of ships"
Count Won Bernstorff does not be-
lieve that ships conveyed would be
subject to attack. although he feels a
great element of danger is attached to
such procedure. Personally, the for
mer ambassador feels many Ameri-
cans have not always been strictly
neutral He has told his friends, how
ever, that he believed sentiment in
the United States was influenced by
commercial conditions brought about
by the war
"You have shipped your goods to
the Allies because they had command
of the seas" he said. IF the condi-
tions had been reversed and the Ger
man navy instead of the British
had that command, you would have
shipped your goods to us. Naturally,
any persons sympathies are where he
does business. You can't blame him
for that.
Let us consider humanity and in
ternational law. There has been a
cry against Germany on the ground
that we have violated the rights OF
the former and the principles of the
latter But 1t is poor rule that does
not work both ways
Are not the principles of interna
tional law being violated every houl
by the British?"
The former ambassador was asked
whether he thought the warning con
tanned in the German note announc
ing the new submarine policy woulC
serve to keep Americans out of thu
danger zones. He replied hopefully
IF it only does! Then everything
will be all right If no American.
are killed there will be no war
hope that war can be averted.
RAILROADS ARE UPHELD