Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-12-02
GERMANY HERSELF
INSPIRED THE MOVE
FOR SUPPLY SHIPS
DIR. Buenz, Managing Director
of Hamburg-American, Tells
of Agreement Made
in 1913.

New YORK, Nov. 3.-The German gov
eminent was revealed to-day as the main
spring of the movement to succor German
cruisers at sea with coal and supplies
shipped on neutral vessels from American
ports early in the war. by testimony of
! DR. Karl Buenz. managing director of the
! Hamburg-American line Buenz took the
witness stand late to-day in the trial
of himself and other line officials and en-
| ployes for conspiracy to defraud the
| United States.
DR.. Buenz, elderly and somewhat in
firm, was assisted to the witness chair
soon after William Rand. Jr., had con-
cluded the opening address to the jury
| on behalf of the defense. Previously
| Federal Judge Howe had heard protracted
argument upon a motion by Mr.. Rand
to dismiss the indictments This motion
was denied.
Propped in the witness chair and under
the friendly guidance of counsel, Dr.
Buenz sketched his seventy-two years
career from his birth in Germany, through
tenancy of various offices in his native
land, to his appointment to the German
consular service nearly 30 years ago. He
had served his country abroad.-in the
United States, in Mexico and in Haiti--in
/
three years ago when he was made
directing head in this country of the
Hamburg American lines affairs Up to
diplomacy and law. rather than sea
faring, and was virtually without cx
perience as a steamship man
In the fall of 1918 Dr. Buenz testified.
he received from the head office OF the
OF Icbi cd
him that his superior officers and the
German government had signed and seal
ed an agreement which would become
operative in time of war, and that an
abstract of this agreement would be sent
shortly to the German consul-general in
New York where he might see it. The
| letter then outlined the salient points
which We're, as recalled to-day by DR..
| Buenz, about as follows:
{ That the Hamburg line would
undertake to send coal and supplies to
! any German war ships needing them in
/ the Atlantic should Germany engage in
war and should there be such war ships
| in the Atlantic at that time.
That certain methods Of communication
would be used by the home office of the
line in Hamburg to advise the lines Off
| cials in New York where to send the
supply ships.
| In due time the abstract of this agree
ment with the German government came
to the German consul general here, as
promised and was examined by Dr.
/ Buenz and found to be as outlined in his
! letter. There the matter rested till the
3lst day of July, 1914 On the morning OF
that day, when the shadow of war rested
over Europe, DIR. Buenz received cable
gram from Hamburg which read about
as follows:
Are you prepared to carry out our
agreement with the German govern
ment."
| To this he sent one word back over the
wire-"Yes" And then feeling that Ger
man ships We're soon to be swept by allied
Warships from the sea, he set in motion
the machinery to provide neutral vessels
to carry his cargOes of coal and supplies
to his compatriots aioat in the South At
lantic.
! Thus, the defense contends. was fash
Toned what the American government has
termed a conspiracy to deceive and de-
fraud the United States. DIR. BuenZ di-
recting the activities of the three other
defendants-all his subordinates in the
lne-was alone to blame If there was any
blame, Mr. Rand told the jury in his open
ing address, and even DR.. Buenz was sim
ply following orders
! There was one provision that was not
! followed out" Mr., Rand said, land only
one-no money was furnished with which
to charter and supply the ships But the
men of the Hamburg American line and
the line itself dug down into their own
funds and spent the money themselves
| knowing that 1t would be repaid When
! these funds ran short. there was loud
Cry for help and money came here from
Germany.
1--WE make no secret of this. We make
| no secret of the fact that this money
came originally from the German gov
eminent When 1t did come It came in
large chunks. Within a few days we re-
/ ceived three remittances of $500 noO each
| from Germany and thess we deposited in
| New York banks to the credit of the line
Nor do we make n secret OF the fact that
the Hamburg American line acted as
banker for Capt Boy-Ed He Is the
German naval attache at Washington and
he has to spend large sums of money.
I'VE know nothing whatever of the
$4,000 tina, came from Germany to
Kulenkampff the German exporter, who
| testified II, received this sum and was
told 1t was for Captain Boy-Ed, But we
do contend that we committed no unlaw-
full act in thus seeking to supply German
! ships at sea.
THE government charges us with four
| lies. 1t charges that we lied In giving
the shippers Of the supplies that we lied
IN Stating falsely the destination OF the
cargoe' rat we lied In stating Incorrect
ly the cargoes and finally that we lied
In giving the valuation Of the cargoes. 1t
simply charges these things 1t has not
adduced one whit of evidence to prove
| them"
DIR, Buenz had apparently hardly started
to tell his story when adjournment hour
was reached.
THE AMERICAN BUSINESS SPIRIT,