NOTORIOUS BERNSTOFF

Marlborough Express, Volume LI, Issue 85, 12 April 1917, Page 6

NOTORIOUS BERNSTOFF

HIS EARLY WANDERINGS

POSSIBLY IN NEW ZEALAND.

There is strong evidence that Count I 'SBernstorff, recently German Ambassador at Washington, was once in New Zealand. The matter was suggested by a query raised in the Adelaide Observer of March 17, which states:—There are indications, so strong as to be almost conclusive, that many years ago, when the Kaiser wa3 •considering his conquest of the earth and required information essential to "his plans, he sent to Australia an •emissary, who has^ since become a spectacular figure in German diplomacy. This was probably no other than Count' yon Bernstorff. His identity first attracted the attention of Mrs* H. J. Sutherland, of Avenue Bange, Adelaide. She was struck by the resemblance of a photograph of Count Bernstorff in the newspapers to a photograph in (her possession. For ■curiosity she compared an old portrait in her album with the recent picture, and there is no doubt in her nlind that Bernstorff was ;in Adelaide ■under the name of "Ernst." Those who met "Ernst" in Adelaide havo aio doubt that he v/as, Bernstorff. It "is said that he admitted to aMr "iWhite, who was an intimate friend, that' he was really a^ count, but that he had a purpose in travelling incognito. Whether "Ernst" is or is not Count Bernstbrff may be open to question, l)ut there is no doubt that the aristo- j cratic German reported in South Australia 20 years ago was in Dannevirke 31 years ago. A copy of the .'Adelaide Observer has come into the "hands of Mr F. G. Cowper, chairman •of Dannevirke County Council, and he identifies the published photoigraph of "Ernst" in Mrs Sutherland's possession. Mr Cowper states that 31 years ago a distinguished German calling himself Baron Ernst, arrived at Napier and became intimately acquainted with Mr R. T. Walkefi, formerly editor/ of the Hawke-s Bay. Herald. Mr Walker gave the Ger-* man a letter of introduction-to Mr G.\\ ICnight, of 'Tahoraite, and thus arm-; <ed, the inquisitive gentleman arrived in Dannevirke. In those early days "Mr Cowper was a -young-bachelor farmer, pioneering on his property at vKaitoke. He met the German at Mr Tvnight's, aud the acquaintance T>e--cam'e so pleasant that "Ernst" de- >

cided, as a,n experience, to share Mr Obwper's bachelor life at Kaitoke. ; While there he was never tired of sketching, and took away with him innumerable drawings of the Dannevirke district/ He was in frequent correspondence with a German foreign officer, and frankly admitted ib was their policy to obtain as much information as possible regarding the outlying portions of the world. Mr Cowper often chaffed him on power of the British to deal with German diplomacy. "Ernst" had a niost suave manner, and was an adept "lady's man." After leaving Kaitoke, Baron "Ernst" went on a sketching tour to Woodville, and proceeded on to Wanganui. •