The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-12-08
AID TO WARSHiPS
GERMAN GOVERNMENT WAS BE-
HIND SUPPLIES PLOT

Witness ADMITS FACTS
Director of Steamship Line Tells OF
Agreement With Teutonic Empirei In
1e1S-Startec Supply Ships Out as
Fast as Possible When War Came
In Summer OF 1915.
The German government has been
revealed as the handspring 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 direc
tor of the Hamburg-American line, II
the trial now going on in New York
Dr.. Buenz took the witness stand II
the trial Of himself and other line Of
fcials and employees for conspiracy
to detraud the United States.
Dr.. Buenz, elderly and somewhat
infirm, was assisted to the witnes:
chair soon after William Rand Jr.
had concluded the opening address t
the jury on behalf Of the defense
Previously Federal Judge Howe hat
heard protracted argument upon {
motion by Mr.. Rand to dismiss ths
indictments. This motion was denied
DR.. Buenz sketched his II yeal
career from his birth In German,
through tenancy Of various offices II
his native land to his appointment t
the German consular service nearl!
! 80 years ago. He had served hi!
country in the United States, Mexico
and Haiti in the consular or diplo
matte service until three years ago
when he was made directing head II
America OF the Hamburg-Americal
lines affairs. He had been schoolet
in diplomacy and law and was vir
tually without experience as steam
tship man.
I In the fall Of 1918, DR.. Buenz tes
Titled, he received from the heads o
1.-The line in Hamburg letter notify
ing him that his superior officers ant
the German government had signet
an agreement to become operative II
time of war-of which there was no
then a whisper, and that an abstrac
OF this agreement would be sen
shortly to the German consul gen
eral in New York, where he might set
! Il. The letter then outlined the sail
ent points which were, as recalled b.
tOr. Buenz, about as follows:
| That the Hamburg-American lin
would undertake to send coal AM
supplies to any German warship
needing them in the Atlantic oceal
should Germany engage in war an
Eshould there be such warships In tn
Atlantic at that time. That certain
methods Of communication would ,
used by the home office Of the lino Il
Hamburg to advise the lines official
/ in New York where to send he sup
| ply ships.
! When the abstract Of this agree
I ment was secured by the GermaI
consul general here, DR.. Buenz exam
lned It and found It to be as outline
in his letter. There the matter rest
ed until July 81, 1914. On that da
when the shadow Of war rested owe
Europe DR.. Buenz received cable
gram from Hamburg about as fol
lows:
"Are you prepared to carry ou
our agreement with the German gov
! ernment?'
Dr.. Buenz's reply was one word
eyes" and then. feeling that Germal
ships were soon to be swept by allies
warships from the seas, he set in mo
ton the machinery to provide neutra
vessels to carry cargoes OF coal an,
supplies to the warships in the soutl
| Atlantic.
Thus, the defense contends, wa
| fashioned what the American govern
| ment has termed a conspiracy to de
ceive and defraud the United States
Dr.. Buenz, directing the activities o
the three other defendants- all hi
subordinates In the line-was alon
to blame il there was any blame. MI
Rand told the jury In his opening ad
dress, and even DR.. Buenz was sim
ply following orders.
"There was one provision that wa
not followed out" Mr.. Rand said
land only one. No money WAS fur
nished with which to charter ant
supply the ships. But the MEN Of tn
lHamburg-American line and the lin
Itself dug down into their own fund
and spent the money themselves
knowing that It would be repaid
| When these funds ran short there
was a loud cry for help end none!
came here from Germany.
1--WE make no secret Of this. We
| make no secret Of the fact that thi:
money came originally from the Ger
man government. When 1t did come
it came in large chunks. Within 6
few days We received three remit
tances of 100000 each from Ger
many and these we deposited In Ne"
York banks to the credit OF the line
Nor do we make a secret OF the fact
that the neutrality-suspicious. line act
ed as banker for Capt. K. Boyd
He is the German naval attache at
Washington and he had to spend
large sums OF money.
I'VE know nothing whatever OF
the $750,000 that came from Ger
many to Kulenkampf, the German
exporter, who testified that he re-
ceived this sum and was told It was
for Capt. Boy-Ed. But we do con-
tend that we committed no unlawful
act in thus seeking to supply German
ships at sea.
"The government charges US with
four lies. It charges that we lied In
giving the shippers Of the supplies;
that we lied in stating falsely the des-
tination Of the cargoes; that We lied
in stating incorrectly the cargoes;
and finally that we lied in giving the
valuation OF the cargoes. It simply
charges these things; 1t has not ad-
duced one whit Of evidence to prove
them"
DR.. Buenz apparently had hardly
started to tell his story when ad-
journment was reached for the day.
TEUTONIC EXCHANGE DOWN
ca{d IN to nue to 1Tohtenino Of iRrit-