The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-08-07

of as the one man who could always get
to Won Bernstorff, even when the Ger
man Ambassador was not receiving other
newspaper men. Not that there was
anything necessarily illegitimate in that;
it was often possible for the Mail,
through this close connection with the
German Embassy, to obtain an advance
tip on what the German attitude would
be in regard to whichever one OF the
various controversies between that gov
eminent and our own was pending at
the time and so score a decided "bear
at a time when such matters were legiti-
mate news.
Relations Broken Off.
When relations were finally broken off
and Won Bernstorff sent back to Ger
many DR.. Rumely professed to believe
that the difficulties would still be patched
up and that there would be no war. he
sent the Malls Washington man along
with the dismissed Ambassador and he
remained in Berlin until after war was
actually declared.
The interest of Germany in fomenting
trouble between the United States and
Mexico was not clearly apparent to many
persons or newspapers in the early days
Of the European war. It was apparent
from the day the control of the Mail
passed into DR.. I.umely's hands, how.
ever. that ne was greatly interested in
Mexican matters, and this interest never
waned SO long as I remained On the
paper.
cne of the earliest visitors to the of.
fees of the Mail under the new regime
was Eduardo Iturbide, a descendant OF
the man who had been Emperor of Mexico
under the title of Augustin I. Iturbide
wanted to head the Mexican government
DR.. Rumely in the Mail Endorsed his eff
forts to obtain backing for coup d'etat
that would put him at the head of the
Mexican people.
Iturbide Dropped.
Later lturbide was dropped by those
, who had originally backed him and Felix
Diaz was picked as the man to lead a
successful counter revolution. All through
the months when the Carranzistas anG
the Villistas were having it out with each
other and our troops were watchfully
waiting on the border DR.. Rumely wa.
sure that Felix Diaz would be the mar
who finally would bring order out OF
chaos.
| Later, when the Mexican situation
grew more intense, he would bring in let
tiers from friend who owned a large
ranch in Mexico, quoting from a letter
from his ranch foreman retailing gossip
brought in by the poems. This, in the
Doctors mind, was news" no matter
how contradictory the news despatche:
might be!
And he got news" from Germany
about the war, in similar mysterious ways
1t was always news" that did not appear
in the press dispatches.
peace is at hand. 1t is in the air :!
he would inform me-so frequently that
at last formulated a stock reply. He hat
it from confidential sources that Germany
was ready to make peace-on her ow,
terms, of course. And frequently these
confidential communications would, a few
days later, be followed by another of thu
famous German peace dries" which thu
German government used so effectively tt
keep public sentiment in America from
focusing on war preparations. Some
times he was sure the war would be owe
lin six months once he even fixed a dat,
for its termination. That those of us VIII
|were handling the news would not tax
these private advices seriously and handl
1.-THE war news in such way as to reflec
the peace propaganda annoyed him ex
lceedingly.
Sitting War Sentiment.
Newspaper dealers will remember tn
German attempt to arouse sympathy an,
stifle war sentiment in America by de
picting the sufferings of German babies
. German babies were dying by thousand
because the dreadful British blockad
had cut off their milk supply-or if
; wasn't the blockade it was somethiu
else. Funds were opened in the name y
the German Red Cross to buy condense
milk and ship it to Germany to keep tn
babies from starving. 1t sounded plaus
: ible; it did not at first look like props
| ganda. 1t got lot of publicity.
| DR.. Rumely opened the columns of tn
Mail to subscriptions for this worthy an
/ h,1rr, mi IN ri Il LIZ