Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-10-23
.BERNsTORFF IS WITNESS
in INVESTIGATION Of WAR
!
Tells Committee OF President Will
sons Efforts to Bring About
Peace.
NEW WAR WAS COMM
Former German Ambassador at
Washington Tells How American
Executive Sought to End the Sub
marine Warfare.
KNEW WAR WAS COMM
ny Karl II. Won w1EGANp.

BY KARL II. Won wIEGAND.
BERLIN Oct. 2e.-Germany on her
own Initiative yesterday began 10
place the war. as conducted and lost
by her. under the popular niscroscope
OF a parliamentary investigation.
Count Johann Heinrich Won Bern
storff was the star" witness and cen
trail figure at the first hearing and
headlines" the entire German press
this afternoon.
While much of what ne told is known
history in America, Il is in part SEN
sationally new tc The German people.
who. for the first time, learn OF num-
crous promising opportunities that
might have lea 20 peace. lad their
former government known how TO take
advantage OF these occasions.
DcrnstorT Praises Wilson.
AZ moment when even respect for
PRESIDENT Wilson is practically gone in
Germany, Count Bcrnstorn has flown
into the face of public opinion and
shown the President as sincerely dcsir-
ing and earnestly trying 10 make peace,
rrjor 10 January. 1917.
In fact the names or the President
and Colonel Edward NJ. House were so
often mentioned one had the impress
sion they were the c-liet figures n; the
From the day Of the outbreak OF the
war 10 the renewal of ruthless u-hoat
warfare I1residcnt Wilson was i'm
bued with the desire and intention TO
Inent repeatedly failed 20 grasp tho
rIEh; moment o. properly 10 cooper
ate toward Undertaking. M. Wilson's
desire.
1t wavercd in its attitude. disresarded
Bernstorn's adviccs from Washington.
failed 10 heed ,i!s warnings and made
peace efforts by some untoward move
A. the psychological moment.
Trend of Testimony.
That was the trend OF the former
presence of his former chiefs, the
IL. Alfred Zimmermann
Count Won HeTnStovf's testimony was
supported by stacks OF his dispatches.
which were piled IN on the committee
table. These revealed him 10 the Ger
man people as a farsceinG diplomat
and an indefaticahlc worker for peace.
especially for preventing war between
Germany and the United States.
Just how far the present investiga-
ton will go is not clear yet. Its public
small size of the room and even the
press is considerably limited. Amer
lea is allowed but three representa-
;ives, tie majority Of the other coun-
forth strong attacks in the Berlin pa
pcrs, alleging that it will tend TO dis
credit the investigation.
Divided Into -Four Heads.
Tho parliamentary committee in
vcstiGating the war is divided into four
subcommittee, dealing with these sub
jects:
!. Investigation of the events i'm
,nediately. preceding the outbreak of
and the causes for the German failure.
%. An effort 70 establish through
;he members of the government the
possibilities presented during the war
for peace conversations. and whether
such We're not treated with the ncccS-
sary consideration and care.
= An inyesiigation 10 establish the
ll;icai and military leaders of the
government and also the relations be-
tween these two groups and the Reich
stag.
I: An enor, to establish, II IT. the
military and economic. conduct OF tn.
war, measures we're taken or tolerated
were hard and cruel beyond military
or economic necessities.
Presidents Peace Efforts.
The peace efforts which President
were the subject selected by the second
subcommittee for its first session at
which Bernstorn was called as a wit
ness.
:. The committee is composed Of one
Nationalist one Ccntrst one Independ-
cnt Socialist, two Democrats and two
One Of nc f,smocta,s on the com
was a member of the Versailles dele
CATION and who is a noted pacifist
DR.. Sinzheimcr. who was delegated
TO examine the records Of the Foreign
Ofiice, preceded Count Won Bernstorf
with survey of the Investigations
scope and purposes lie divided the
/. From the outbreak OF the war to
the Sussex note in May. 1916.
2 From The SUSSEX note OF Deem
8 From December 81, 1915, to Jan
uary 9. 1917. when the renewal OF
ruthless U-boat warfare Was decided
upon at the kaiser's headquarters.
=, From then to January 81, I9i9.
nernstorT Takes stand.
Count Won Rernstorm began with the
attempted mediation IN August 1914
and made a second attempt in Scptcm-
her 1913, which the allies did not even
Thu count explained his relations
with Pres ident Wilson and Colonel
Confidential! terms with the latter. lie
declared the President sent Colonel
House 70 Europe twice for the sole
pu!poS" OF aScertain!nB tho possibility
Of mediation.
,Berin3storn further said he. talked
Win l'Slic!l W l!Spn personally about
peace for the first time after the sink.
ing Of the Lusitania. The count con
tinucd
Mr. wilson said II We gave IN sub.
marine warfare he would press upon
ngland 10 give up the starvation
blockade that the British Cabinet
herewith TO begin peace move on
Il large scale"
Reads Bernstorn's Dispntch.
BernstnrTs dispatch to the Foreign