The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-10-23
BERNSTORFF TELLS


erly to cooperate toward materializ-
ing Mr.. wilson's desire 1t wavered
in its attitude, disregarded Bern
storff's advices from Washington
failed to heed his warnings and made
difficult or wholly nulliaed the deli
cate peace efforts by some untow I'd
n7ove at the psychological moment
That was the trend OF the former am
bassador,s testimony given in the
presence of his former chiefs, the
greatly aged DR., Won Bethmann- Holl-
veg. and the very vigorous lookin &
Or. Alfred Zimmerman.
Count Won Bernstorff's testimony
was supported by stacks of his dis
patches which were piled un on the
committee table. These presented
him to the German people as a far
seeing diplomat and an indefatig ale
worker for peace, especially for pre-
venting war between Germany and
the United States.
OPEN INVESTIGATION.
Just how far the present investl-
CATION will go is not clear yet Its
! public character is strongly restrict
ed by the small size OF the room and
even the press is considerably I'm
tied America is allowed but three
representatives, the majority Of the
other countries only two which fact
has called forth strong attacks in
/ the Berlin papers alleging that It
! Will tend to discredit the investi~a-
tion.
The parliamentary committee in
! vestigating the war is divided into
/ four subcommittee. dealing with
these subjects;
Investigation OF the events I'M
mediately preceding the outbreak Of
the war. the causes OF its prolnnEa-
1t no n
failure.
I 9 An effort to establish through
documentary evidence and testimony
by the members Of the government
the possibilities presented during the
war for peace conversations. and
whether such were not treated with
/ the necessary consideration and
: care
;. An investigation to establish the
! relations that existed between the
political and military leaders Of the
government and also the relations
between these two groups and the
reichstaE
4 An effort TO establish II in the
military and economic conduct Of the
war measures were taken or tole-
rated that violated international law
! o. that were hard and cruel beyond
military or economic necessities
The peace efforts which President
wilson made through Colonel House
we're the subject selected by the sec
Iond suhcou mittee for its first session
a, which Rernstorf was called as
witness
The COMMITTEES is composed - one
Nationalist one Certrtst, one indie
/ raodent Socialist. two Democrats and
two Social Democrats ono Of the
Halter is u woman.
one Of the democrats on the com
rnittee ia Professor SchueckinE, who
was a member of the Versailles dele
cation and who is a noted pacifist.
EXAMINE RECORDS.
Or. Sinzheimer. who was delegated
70 examine the records Of the foreign
office. preceded Count Won Bernsto<t
with A survey Of the INVESTIGATOR g
scope and purposes. He divided the
documents into four periods
Prom the outbreak Of the war
10 the Sussex note in May. 1915.
From the Sussex note Of De
ccrrber i2. 1915 tthe date of the
German peace offer to the wor'd).
3-From December 81. 1915, IN
January .. 1917, when the renewa ~
ruthless Tr-boat warfare was decided
upon at the kaiser's headquarters.
From then to January 81
C91a9)
Count Won EernStorff began with
/, the statement that President Wilson
: first attempted mediation in August
1914. and made a second attempt in
Ssptsrsr her. ka14. which the allies did
not even answ or.
: The count explained his relations
with President Wilson and Colone
House and said he was on especiallS
, confidential terms with the latter HS
A declared the president and Colone
House went to Europe twice for the
, sole purpose Of ascertaininE the pos
. sibility of mediation.
Pernstorff further said he talked
I, with President Wilson fers0r@th
: about peace for the first time aftel
the sinking OF tho Lusitania Thu
count continued;
Mr.. Wilson said II We gave III
' | submarine warfare h~ wesl!a pres
upon England to give up the starva.
ton blockade: that the British cahi
II net would concede that. and that h
- hoped herewith to begin a peac
: move on a large scale"
- Bernstorffs dispatch to the foreign
t office to that effect. dated June
- 1918. was then read.
: After the first exchange of note
L on the Lusitania, Pernstorff said. h
p considered war inevitable and there
fore went to President Wilson ant
got him to agree to let Bernstort
send Mayer Gerhard to Berlin TO dis
< cuss the situation exhaust lively Will
,s the German government in order I
a gain time.
n WANTED TO AVOID WAR.
= Rernstorff then showed how clos
l. il came to war between Germany an
y America at that time over the wor,
he illegal" which Berlin refused to &C
& knowledge with regard to the Lusi
u tania's destruction.
L The count testified that Presiden
- Wilson tn order to avoid war. finali
&c gave way.
To make clear to the committe
:, why he negotiated with Colone
- House. a private person. instead o
President Wilson directly or with tn
state department, RernstorT explain
ed it was the presidents own wish
- because of the impossibility to kee,
- anything secret in Washington
,. where he was continually surrounde,
=, by newspaper men. For this reaso,
, too, he said, the negotiations between
J.; him and Colonel House were carrie
N on in New York
"a Various instructions from vii
helmstrasse to Count Won Bernstort
were read as was dispatch fror