Bernstorff
JOHANN HEIN- RICH A., COUNT VON, German diplomat; born in London, England, Nov. 14, 1862. His father at the time was the German Ambassador to England. The son received his early education in that country, and became thoroughly familiar with English thought and diplomatic procedure. He entered the German army in the artillery arm in 1881. His diplomatic career began in 1889, when he was made attaché of the German Embassy at Constantinople. After a period of service in the Foreign Office at Berlin, he was made Secretary of Legation at Belgrade Igrade in 1892, at Dresden in 1894, in St. Petersburg, 1896, and in Munich in 1898. Four years later, he was adviser to the Embassy in London, and in 1906 was made Consul-General in Egypt.
On the 14th of November, 1908, he was appointed Ambassador to the United States, an office which he still held at the outbreak of the World War. From the beginning of the conflict he was active in spreading pro-German propaganda.
This, as long as he kept within the limits of diplomatic ethics, was permissible. But he far overstepped these bounds and before long the German Embassy at Washington was the center of a web of intrigue and sabotage that spread all over the United States. Mysterious fires broke out in plants that were making munitions for the Allies, bridges were BEROSUS BERSERKER blown up, infernal machines were placed struggle. He was burned alive in Paris, in the holds of outgoing steamers, ex- April 17, 1529. plosions and wrecks took place in shipyards, strikes were instigated without apparent reason, and American public opinion grew steadily more exasperated, The intention to sink the "Lusitania" was evidently known to Bernstorff in advance, as prior to the vessel's sailing he inserted a warning in American papers against taking passage on the liner, a warning that was arrogant and unprecedented, and aroused great resentment on the part of the American Government and people. The end of Bernstorff's American career came with the declaration by the German Government that it was about to inaugurate a campaign of ruthless submarine warfare. This declaration was issued on Jan. 31, 1917, and on February 3 Count von Bernstorff received his passports. On February 5 the German Emperor conferred upon him the Iron Cross of the White Ribbon for his services. During the war he was employed in various diplomatic services in Berlin. He gave important and interesting testimony in 1919 before the Reichstag Committee that was investigating the conduct of the war, in which he declared that he had opposed the inauguration of unrestricted submarine warfare, but that his efforts to keep America from participating in the war had been frustrated by the obtuseness of the German Government.
In 1920 the ex-Ambassador published a book, entitled: "My Three Years in America," which contained many facts that had not previously been made public and that were of exceptional historical interest. In this he denied in toto the intrigues of the German Embassy leading to crimes in this country.