The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-07-23
Frank Parker Stockbrdge Reveals Character Man Who
Owing All to America, Gave His Talents to Use of
the Kaiscr-Intimate View of the Promoter.
~ Frank Parker Skbss Late Managing Editor Of the Evening Mail
l!s 1 fsrt s:'s s Ct AL XYs s,.'vea9
FIRST INsTALNENT.

can who became German.
1t is the story of man who owe,
everything to the United States, but WHIT
~hen the clash of opposing civiliza ton
illuminated in the summer OF 1914 witt
:Le opening guns of the world war, elecec,
90 throw his sympathy, his interest, his in
fluence, his efforts ON the side of Ger
many.
America had given this mans grand
father a refuge and home when he flee
from German oppression. America hat
given his father wealth and happiness
America had given him, Edward Aloysiu!
Eufnely, the opportunity to acquire mill
ions-millions that slipped through hi.
fingers in his cagerness to multiply them
1t 10 the purpose Of this article to throw
light on the devious ways and specious
methods by which imperial Germany
sought TO impose its kultur on a FIRE,
people. It is the intention to illuminate
in some degree, the plan and purpose Of
the German propaganda that sought tt
corrupt the minds Of the American people
through their newspapers and that found
willing agent in this American borr
German.
IL RuMely . Relncarnation:
How was 1t possible for an American
TO lend himself to Germany's ends in thil
fashion? Is Edward A. Rumcly q "throw
back" to some bygone era? Il he an alta
vistic reincarnation Of sone long dead
Hun ancestor? form no conclusion and
attempt to render no verdict on this bio
logical question. The life story Of Edward
A. Rumely himself may furnish the an
swer.
have known Edward A. Rumely for
more than six years. For nearly two
years my association with him was that
Of intimate daily contact. Up to the sum-
mer OF 1J14 I saw DR.. Rume:y only as
others saw him--an impctuous, cnthusias-
Tic, brilliant, hoyish young man with
gigantic ideas and limitless confidence in
himself and his abilities. Nothing could
have been more amazing than his revela-
ton OF himself as the ardent adherent,
supporter and advocate of every German
istic ideal and conception of civilization
that was Numerically opposed to all that
America and American civilization stand
for.
For nearly three years after the begin
ming Of the European war l was in a
position to observe and to note mani
fcstations of these beliefs and this point
Of view. What am setting down here is
written without malice, entirely without
bitterness and in no heat or anger.
Only One Law Violation Charged.
1t has not been charged that any Of the
acts, save one, which Edward A. Rumely
performed was in violation OF any law,
and us to that particular charge upon
which lie has been indicted l have no
knowledge and shall make no comment
Men are not legally punishable in America
for their beliefs so long as their acts in
expression Of their beliefs do not violate
the law OF the land.
The purpose Of this article, therefore,
IS not to assnil Edward A. Rumcly but
rather TO explain him, and in explaining
him TO explain tho thing that America is
fighting. German kultur, its principles. its
conceptions, its purposes. its programme
and its p!ans DR.. Rumcly, whatever the
explanation, biological or otherwise. for
his complete acceptance of kultur as OPP
posed to Americanisni, was, and is. am
convinced, entirely sincere in the belief
that in working in the interest Of the
German ideal he was working in the in
terest Of humanity.
This IL ne story, then, CT a symbol
and n mantle station rat her than Of an
individual. 1t II what DR.. Rumely
stnnsla for md ale powers and pur-
poses Of which nc was merely nm in
strument that are the matters of real
mosncnt.
Seventy years ago, in 1S4S, a group Of
young Germans organized revolution
against the Prussian King. They be.
licvcd the time was ripe for the estab-
1ishmcnt Of 4 democracy in Germany.
The revolution was crushed. its leaders
fled from tho country and. with thou.
sands of their followers, came to
America in search Of the liberty which
they had failed to win in the fatherland.
These revolutionists Of 1S4S-men like
Carl Schurz. Franz Sigei and hundreds
of others whose names hold honored
places in the pages of American history
were the vanguard of the German immi-
grafton that was to bring to America in
the course Of half century several
million new citizeus.
One of these young revolutionists OF
AS was Meinrad Rumely, blacksmith.
With a group Of others he started West.
Most OF these forty-eighters went into
what was then the West. Some OF them
went into the cities-Cincinnati, Milwau.
kec, st. Louis-in such numbers that they
and their descendants succeeded In DOM
mating, eventually, the politics and pol
icics of those communities. Others went
into smaller communities of tho country
districts and Mcinrad Rumcly, with a few
others, settled upon the little village Of
La Porte, in the rich farming country of
Northern Indiana, as their stopping place.
Hero Meinrad Ru,ncly. the blacksmith.
set up his forge in 1858. The farmers