New-York tribune., 1918-07-27

in this country, endeavoring to bring
out the fact that American shippers
had suffered severely from the British
Order in Council, citing the cases Of
the ships Dacla and Wilhelmina, which
purported to be American ships and
had sailed ,r Germany loaded with
cotton. | believe that one carried food
and the other cotton. | also under
stand that both of these ships were
purchased through the medium Of DR..
Dernburg.'
you did not know that?" the man
was asked.
time. 1t was general conversation
around the Office of DR.. Hale. DR.. Hale
told US that they were test ships"
Dr.. Hale Examined
DR.. Hale also has been examined by
Mr.. Becker. At the beginning of his
Interrogation he sought to impress on
the mind of the state official that he
was not seeking publicity.
He said he was married and had two
children and that he wanted it fully
understood that he had appeared volun-
tarly and that he wished to state at
the beginning that he knew nothing
of material value in regard to the pur-
chase of "The Evening MALI by DR..
Rumely
He said that for the year 1915 he
had been advisory editor of the Ger
man Information Service. During the
spring of that year, he explained, DR..
Dernburg introduced him to a young
man, DR.. Edward A. Rumely, as "spe-
cial prot6ge of DR.. Dernburg," This
meeting took place in the building at
1928 Broadway, but he failed to recall
in what office.
He described Rumely as Dernburg's
'lackey." He said that at that time
he did not know what Rumely was
doing but that he was often around
the Offices.
DR.. Hale told of the weekly confer
ences at 1923 Broadway, at which the
work of the Information Service was
discussed and the future plans made.
Present at these meetings were: Dr.
Dernburg. George Viereck, Dr. Helm
rich Albert, who succeeded Dernburg
as the German spy paymaster; julius
Meyer, of the Hamburg American Line,
Dr. Hecker and, at times, DR.. Rumely.
Then the editor explained that at
none of the conferences was there any
discussion Of the purchase of q New
York newspaper. Pressed, he acknowl-
edged that "The Evening Mail" "The
Sun" "The Press, !" "Harper's Weekly"
1.-The International Weekly" and The
Forum" were spoken of as publications
that would be of great assistance to
the propaganda campaign.
Didn't Like Rumely
In answer to questions he said that
DR.. Rumely had not attended many OF
of these conferences. He added that
Rumely had an unpleasant personality
and that he never did look upon him as
a person of any Importance. He de-
MED that DR.. Dernburg had taken him
into his confidence regarding the pur-
chase of "The Mail"
He said that when he heard OF the
sale of the newspaper property and
saw Rumely's name in the paper as the
Albert on the telephone and asked him
what it all meant Dr. Albert came to
his office, according to his story. and
assured him that the paper was not
bought with German money.
There was quite a scene in the office,
Hale said, and he had reproved Albert
for taking such a step without con-
sulting him. In answer to questions
as to what knowledge he might have
Of Viereck's scheme to influence legis-
iation he said he never heard Of the
venture.
He also told Mr.. Becker that he had
accepted the position in the Informa
ton Service with the direct under
standing that no advantage was to be
taken Of his acquaintance with the
President and that no attack was to
be made on the Washington admins
tration He said that he liked Presi-
dent Wilson and that DR.. Rumely was
a great admirer Of Colonel Roosevelt,
and that Rumely had gone to visit
Roosevelt several times at Oyster Bay.
DR.. Hale, when questioned as to the
German money paid to newspapers to
influence them, said he could recall no
instance where such payments had
been made He added, however, that
he had hazy recollection of 5000 or
s1oG being voted to "The Gaelic Amer
lean" for an issue in which the British
were bitterly attacked.
While DR.. Hale has always denied
that he was in any way associated with
the American embargo conference, a
letterhead of the organization which
is in the possession of the Attorney
General names him as national chair