COUNT BERNSTORFF'S SPEECH

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 736, 8 February 1910, Page 6

COUNT BERNSTORFF'S SPEECH

• PAN-GERMAN * DISCLAIMERS. :■' ' "> The Pan-German "League, hai, madl " public the foUowing" letter which'it."ha< addressed, to. Count. Berhstorif, the German Ambassador in' -.Washington.r— : '" > /"Your' Excellency delivered a speech on November 6: in:,the Washington ! * Academy"6f Polifa'cal and'' Sccial' Science . ■ ■'•: before an audience of. foreigners'in your " : capacity of Ambassador" of the' German; : Empire,,,, aboijt,the.. .'so-called:: pan-Ger; ; : titans,' and!"y'ou.'spoke - .Pf;tJfem in; a' way : which makes : it neccssary;. l'or us. in the , interests oi the nation to "coircct your error; , .There- v are, r -'no''";.pto-<jermanß 'in , Germany sucli a£,yoii described to thfl / ' Americans. •' Such' k -.^pan-Germans ; Xhare !' j. been" invented- ,by . foreign';' anti-German organs to excite, animosity 'against'Vthe■• ''•' German Empire "and, to: 'sow -,the>'6ee"(»':'. p . of'/ mistrust of. Germany's political.;;in- , .: tehtions."':Yqur.'ExceUehcy,ought;;tp "jiays (. 'f: ■* 'known that,! and it was'-,your> duty- as-a ~..'.£.. - Go.vernmeritioliicial ;and,as. a Germaji .to ■. ;■ : contradict •; these, widely•ciiculated!!,falsa-;: • i. hoOds.'.and errors.js: i : were.'"based-'!;oh '!;» ' V-: political' work .written by- an- American, ! "j v. Mr: 1 A., C." Coolidge, "who describes: the - pan-Germajis as 'a mischievous :.and ,in- •- uuehtial' party.' ." Your ." Excellency." em-':, ", f , phasise.d their mischievbus character,- but " " questioned their iniluence. *'*AS Ainbassa- '* .' dor. and 'as a-Gennah; you ought to have :. ¥ saia that the American writer;was wrongi and. thei pan-Germans- >desire., no-' ; v '.\ thing .niore for Germany. than, every; pa,t> V; !i - riotie American-' desires' for • the; 'United', States., .;As ..Ambassador, jandi. as; a •.GeN,.- *-j •' man, you ought, particularly! to! tave; 6aid.:"' J' that. the, pan-Germans do * not* dreaUi ' oi : entertaining , the; absurd plans.^attributed! i . ! to :thom';regarding;!tta:,acquisition', of jter-,;,i*. ritory on the-American .continent."; These; !•'?•' plans are attributed, to. them ..to create . ; suspicion/in , the.'United "States vagainsi ' Germany., ilhstead! of : ,sp..'doitig,:.your,.Ei.' cellency supported and/ confirmed.-theS« . statements,, ; and* '.denounced ; many - thousands! of .patriotioi GermaUs!.■'

;.<.To>-the. foreigners ;.to; -whomi.you- wer« ; speaking .you described.;'the- paii-Gorman« ".i;, .as. ''second-rats. Germans,'- ana as .'a very, undesirable '- dement.',' ;Does. . the" Pan-'V. 1 a German Ambassador'-Decause;'it; h'as •de-' . mainded a'- powerful l navy' •' and' an> : active ,t colonial,policy?:. OtherjAmbassadore'hayfV..... ;otlier, oanw^Ds;'iot^th^!i'.4u%:''. ; .)nM.':? ;v'about .the. same'time'.that; your.-Excellency «>*, , your- 1 ' speech,V.Mr; v^ryce,,«the-' : - : : .British Ambassador, to .tho United States': attended', a meeting in which 'jbnevpf ;th» V 1; speakers, criticised. British>rule.-in-lndiv-.V': whereupon : 'thV 'British, Ambassador 'lefi ;;. '' the building, ■ and all: the .'' Englishmen '

.present, followed .--him;- ' Your. "Excellency chose another course, but 'it .cannot Vada to the importance of a'-..German- Ainbassa-■ dor when-he shows. that: hp is ; 6o'badly

informed regarding patriotic, movements • - in,his Fatherland. It is not the Pan- ~ German League ithat. suffers,- but' thr prestige of ' the, German'-:Empire."- / - ■ ; This, open letter bears the.>signature ■" "of the .'members r of: 'the executive:'cbm- .

mittee-,of .the- Pan-German League, ineluding ..General von -Liebert, :Coiiht Ernest Reventlow, and : Baron'- voii': Stbssel.'.