The sun., 1918-08-29
SAYS RUMELY TRIED
TO FEED GERMANS,
Typist Tells Of Plan for Ship
ping Supplies Through
Neutral Countries.
TONNAGE POOL IN SCHEME
Asserts Former Editor Wanted
Speeches Justifying Lusi-
tania Sinking.

An alleged scheme on the part of DR..
Edward A Rumely. former publisher of
the Erentno MdIl. to organise q feet Of
merchant ships which. when the United
States was neutral, might be used to
carry food supplies to Germany, was the
subject Of statements made yesterday by
Alfred l.. Becker. Deputy State Attor-
ney-General.
Mr. Becker obtained his Information
from Elizabeth NJ. Rosenberg, a stenog-
rapher who was employed by a number
Of German propagandists before the
United States became a belligerent.
Miss Rosenberg returned her short
hand notes to DR.. Rumely after she tran
scr,bed them. She testified from men,
cry as to the general purport of these
notes.
Justified Lusitania Sinking.
Miss Rosenberg said she reported a
meeting at the waldorf-Astoria in No
vember. 1915. held under the auspices of
the German University League. This
league was the project Of DIR. Otto Mer-
kel. An excerpt from Miss RosenberKs
testimony follows:
Il took several speeches. Some time
sfterward DIR. Rumely came to me and
said he was connected with the German
University League and would like to
have copies OF the speeches to publish In
his paper. / asked DR.. Merkei about II
and he said 1t was all right. I gave DR..
Rumely the copies"
did these speeches justify, or seek to
Justify the sinking of the Lusitania? 20
Miss Rosenberg was asked by Mr..
Becker
The general tendency was they
IN i,,e ..
tania on legal grounds or subterfuges. -
Did you do any other work for DR..
Eumely"''
Returned Notes to Rumely.
After that he said that should take
some notes and that these notes were
very, very private and he wanted my
original stenographic notes returned to
him. He wanted my original steno-
graphic book. The notes were about a
general scheme to create a merchant
feet"
What was the nature of the dicta-
tion?"
"The only thing I can remember Is
that it was organizing a fleet Of ships to
carry food supplies to neutral countries
and then they could be sent to Ger
many"
Who was to provide the ships?'
Il can only give you that In a general
way. The idea was that a large number
Of ships be pooled by American citizens
to carry food supplies to neutral coun-
tries"
German League Backed Plan.
Miss Rosenberg explained that she
got the impression that 1t was hoped to
divert shipping from the countries at
war with Germany and at the same
time place German sympathixers here in
a position to ship food to Germany
through European neutrals.
The witness was asked IL others in
volved in the plan were known to her.
She said that DIR. Rumely did not men,
ton any names. but that 1t was her
impression the project had the interest
OF the German University League, DR..
Bernhard Dernberg, unofficial repre-
sentative of the Kaiser; DR.. Heinrich
Albert. commercial. attache of the Ger
man Embassy, and Dr. Karl A. Fuehr,
leader among German propagandists.
The witness said she took the dictated
matter from Dr. Rumely at his home,
Riverside Drive and 1880 street, and
returned the typed copies and her notes
TO him at the Hotel Manhattan. where.
she said. he had an apartment.