BERNSTORFF, Johann Heinrich A, CbUNT VON, German diplomat: b. London, 14 Nov. 1862. He received his early education in England, where his father was the German ambassador—before 1871, Prussian minister. During the Franco-Prussian war he acted as a press agent in London for his govenunent, transmitting to Berlin all the news that might prove useful to his country. Knowing French, he read the indiscreet revelation by a Paris newspaper of MacMahon's sudden change of march just before Sedan, which news he wired to Berlin. He entered the German army (artillery) in 1881, was made attache at Con stantinople in 1889, served in the Foreign Office in 1890, secretary of Legation at Belgrade 1892, Dresden 1894, Saint Petersburg 1896, and Munich 1898. In 1902 he was appointed advisor to the embassy in London, and in 1908 was transferred to Egypt as German Consul-Gen eral. On 14 Nov. 1908 he was appointed Am bassador and Plenipotentiary Extraordinary to the United States. From the outbreak of the European War he carried on a strenuous press campaign throughout America with the object of enlisung sympathy for the German cause.
During 1915 the United States Department of Justice unearthed a conspiracy carried on in New York by Hans von Wedell and Carl Ruroede to forge passports to enable German reserve officers to return home. Ruroede was arrested and sentenced to three years' impri.son ment; von Wedell escaped on a Norwegian vessel, but was taken off by a British cruiser which was shortly aftenrard sunk by a sub marine. Correspondence seized by the secret service implicated Gaunt Bernstorff's naval and military attaches, Captains Boy-Ed and von Papen, who were dismissed from the United States. Later various checks for large sums to spread pro-German propaganda were traced to Count Bernstorff, who had telegraphed home for authority to spend $50,000 4in order . . . to influence Congress.* Consult World's Work (March 1918). See WAR, EUROPEAN.