The Dominion THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1915. BERNSTORFF'S INDISCRETIONS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2436, 15 April 1915, Page 4

The Dominion THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1915. BERNSTORFF'S INDISCRETIONS

The methods and manners of Count Bernstorff as German Ambassador to tho United States have been a great trial to the patienco and forbearance of the American Government and people. Ever since the commencement of the war ho has strenuously endeavoured by most unscrupulous means to manufacture - pro-German sentiment. It fell to his lot to handls a difficult and dang6ious situation) but he bas proved himself utterly unable to perform the task which he set out to accomplish, Without tact, quick-witted-ness, and a thorough understanding of the character of the American nation, even a moderate measure of success -was impossible. Count Bernstorff has proved to the world that he does not possess any of these qualities. He has blundered ?u e l" \ nd ovcr ' a S it is said that the gods can save a man from anything nut the consequences of his own stupidity. Count Bernstorff's pro-German campaign seems to have been based on the stupid idea that any fabrication was good enough for Americans. At first he tried to flood the country with obviously untrue stories of German victories] but they were too improbable to dtceive anyone, and only brought ridicule upon himself. _ He was no more successful in his misrepresentation of tho actions of the Allies, or in his efforts to create ill-will between Britain and the United States rcgaroling tho contraband problem and thi blockade of German ports, while hiii attempts to explain away Germany's deliberate violation of international law ■ and 'her resort to murder and piracy were ludicrous failures. His official statements issued' for the purpose of influencing public opinion were as a rule so futile and tactless that they created feelings of resentment mingled with ridicule. The Americans were naturally insulted by _ the German Ambassador's low estimate of their intelligence. The manner in which he stated the German case on various disputed points did not give them credit for even an average amount of knowledge and common senoe. His blundering ways must have been very disheartening to the American friends of Germany. He certainly has proved a groat handicap to the pro-German movement. A considerable amount of progress was made in certain directions for some time, but a strongly marked _ reaction recently set in, and public' feeling in the ; United States is at present more anti-German than it has been at any time since the war began. No one has done more to embitter American sentiment towards Germany than Count Bernstorff, and -now the cry has been raised that "Bernstorff must go."

When the German Ambassador found that his attempts to cajole the American people were as futile as his efforts to mislead them, he began to bully and threaten, and in this attitude he has been supported and encouraged by a section of tho German Press.' His unpopularity has now been brought to a climax. • The limits of endurance have been reached, and the feeling againßt him has become so acute that a leading New.York newspaper does ri'ot hesitate to say that if the German Government does not recall its Ambassador he must be given his passports. The insolent tone of his latest memorandum is most emphatically resented. In it he bluntly accuses the American Government of accepting England's violation of international law. Thfl document bristles with offensive allusions to the attitude of the United States, and the officials at Washington declare that Count Bernstorff has betrayed the contents of a confidential Note without the consent of tho American authorities. The people of the United States are not likely to tolerate this sort of thing, andsome of their newspapers are telling the German Count in the plainest language what they think of his diplomatic methods, The New YorkSim hits straight out from tho shoulder. "There never proceeded from any Embassy or Legation," it says, "ai more offensive or more arrogant document" than the memorandum which Count Bernstorff has handed to the Press. Kisto be presumed that he is acting under instructions from Berlin. If so, it looks as though the Kaiser and his advisers have abandoned all hope of winning the sympathy of the United States, and are now inclined to give the Americans a share of the hate which they havo been showering so lavishly upon Britain. A few days ago a sensation was caused in the United States by the announcement that the American military observers who had been attached to the German Army had been recalled. This action was generally regarded as the outcome of the increasing bitterness of public feeling in Germany against America. The estrangement between the (wo nations has been much intensified by the latest and greatest indiscretion of ! Count Bernstorff. Having failed in their plans and plots to bring \ Britain and the United States into collision the Germans now seein to have thrown aside al; pretence ,of ] friendship for the Americans and have revealed themselves in their ' true colours. But the new policy of insult and insolence is not likely ( to scare the American people into • meeting Germany's wishes. On the ! contrary, it is more likely to recoil j jbu tiw who have adopted it. [,