ATTACHE RESIGNS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23994, 18 June 1941, Page 8

ATTACHE RESIGNS

GERMAN BECOMES "FED-UP" BERLIN ORDER REJECTED SAN FRANCISCO, May m The commercial attache to the German Consulate-General in San Francisco, Hans von Bombard, has resigned his post rather than obey an order from Berlin transferring him to Japan. Von Bernhard, a 37-year-old Germanborn engineer, confirmed reports that he had severed all connections with the German diplomatic service, but declined to reveal his reasons. He said lie hoped to establish himself again in foreign trade, which lie gave up to accept service in the consulate in December, 1933. Close friends with whom von Bernbard took counsel when he first was ordered to Japan on March 13 said he "was fed-up with the whole business, and during the past year had protested against carrying out some of the instructions received by the consulate from Berlin."

It was learned that. Captain Fritz Wiedemann, Consul-General, had interceded with the German Embassy at Washington on behalf of von Bernliard, but had been told that the order emanated from the Foreign Office in Berlin and must he parried out. Von Bernhard was to have sailed on the Kamakura Maru on April 17. but instead placed his resignation in tlie hands of Captain Wiedemann. Yon Bernhard came to the United States in 1927 under the quota and was engaged in the business of exporting engineering materials. He married a San Francisco girl in 1931 and has three children, born in San Franciscg. Although he declared his intention of becoming a United States citizen, he allowed his papers to lapse after entering the consular service. However, it is possible for him to acquire citizenship within 30 clays t of filing application under naturalisation rules because of his marriage to an American girl prior to May, 1934.