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Show 101 BEfflSTORFF BIDS FAHEWELL 10 WBtffl Expresses Hope That War Between United States and Germany May Be Averted. WASHINGTON", Feb. 13. In a farewell fare-well statement before leaving tonight for Xew York to sail for home Count voq Bernstorff expressed the hope that war between the United States and Germany Ger-many might be averted and that friendly friend-ly relations might soon be reestablished. The former German ambassador Baid to a group of newspaper correspondents gathered at his house: In leaving the United States after af-ter a stay of eight years, I wish to extend to my many personal friends my heartfelt thanks for the reat kindness and cordial hospitality hospital-ity they have shown me. My heart is full of gratitude to those whose personal feelings never wavered during the trying years of the war. Iu the last days I have received so many cordial farewell messages that it was impossible to send thanks for them individually. Countess von Bernstorff joins me in this expression of our deepest per-( per-( sonal gratitude. I hope that war may be averted and that old friendly relations between be-tween the United States and Ger- many may soon be. restored. Guarded by Detectives. The former ambassador, together with his wife and his suite, left Washington late tonight in a special placed at their disposal by the state ' department and guarded by United States secret service ser-vice men. The train will carry the party to within a short distance of the berth of the Danish steamship Frederik VIII, which is due to sail for Copenhagen by way of Halifax at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Among other things, Mr. Bernstorff denied emphatically that he had talked t: various persons on the subject of peare since the break between the United States and Germany. "I have not talked politics with any one since the break came' he said. "Any statement to the contrary is pure fiction. You can believe when I say ! this. I have never lied to a newspaper i correspondent since I have been in i Washington. Sometimes I have not jtold you all that I knew, because in. the ! position I occupied that was impossible, jbut whatever I have told you has been the gospel truth. "Will I ever come back to Washington Washing-ton V ' he continued in response to another an-other query. "Well, I am not thinking think-ing about that now. I am thinking about going back to Germany. Going to Berlin. "Where am I going when I get to Germany? That ail depends. I am going go-ing first to Berlin. Then maybe I will go to my place near Munich. I don't know just what I shall do. It is all so uncertain. If I knew I would tell vou. Tho onlv things I do know now 1 can not taik about. I have turned everything over to the Swiss minister and he will have to talk about them in the future. ' ' As the correspondents departed Count Bernstorff shook hands and said good-by to each as he passed out of the door. k After dinner at the embassy last minute packing was completed and Count and Countess von Bernstorff were driven, near mid-night, to the station, where their party already had assembled. All of today his last day in Washington Washing-ton the former ambassador remained within the embassy building, saying good-by to many personal friends and reading letters of farewell from out of town friends and from officials and diplomats dip-lomats in Washington who felt that m view of the situation they could not properly call in person. In the afternoon the Swiss minister. Dr. Fitter, arrived at the embassy and formally took charge of it and its archives. Two German clerks were left behind to assist Dr. Fitter. Eventually their return to Ger- many probably will be arranged for by I the state department. |