New-York tribune., 1918-08-27
''lnspired Interview" From
Kaiser's Agent Was Not
Used, Becker Declares
Odell's Words Quoted
Deputy Attorney General Re-
peats Charge of Plan to
Delude United States

The charge that DR.. Edward A.
Rumely sought to use George Creel
and the Committee on Public Informa-
tion to spread German propaganda was
made yesterday by Alfred L. Becker,
Deputy Attorney General Mr.. Becker
asserted that as late as January, 1918,
DR.. Rumely sought to interest Mr..
Creel in the dissemination of an article
which George T. Odell, "The Evening
Mail" correspondent who accompanied
Ambassador Won Bernstorff to Berlin,
had brought back with him.
The article referred to by Mr..
Becker was written by Professor Ger
hardt Won Schulze Gaevernitz, of Frei-
which, he said, was written by Dr.
Rumely to Mr.. Creel on the subject of
the German professors article. The
letter was dated January 3, 1918. 1t
follows:
My Dear Mr.. Creel:
81 am sending you herewith proofs
of a translation of German manu-
script which Odell brought with him.
II may interest you.
CDR. EDWARD A. RUMELY."
Propaganda Rejected
Mr.. Creel turned the letter over to
an investigator and wrote Rumely on
January 7, as follows:
~ return the proofs sent me, to-
gether with the comment on it by one
of our finest experts"
The memorandum Of the expert, ad-
dressed to Mr.. Creel, reads as follows:
"The article by Won Schulze Gaever-
nitz is a specious bit of pro- German
pleading. 1t leaves the question of
who started the war to historical re-
search. 1t falsifes dates in order to
make the submarine war on commerce
a consequence of the British blockade.
"1t declares that President Wilson
has expressly shaken OF the claims of
France to Alsace- Lorraine and quotes
him as standing for peace without vic
tor or vnnquished. 1t argues for the
status quo, with various additions to
Germany small in land, rich in chill
dren, poor IN raw materials, with eco
nomic preference in Turkey, etc. ad
nauseam.
"The only honest thing for American
purposes in the whole article is a para
graph in which the author warns the
'tather!and party of the danger of a
revoiutlon toward which they are driv-
ing"
Recent statements of the Attorney
General indicate that even this para
graph containing reports of a revolu-
tlon was untrue and had been crcu-
lated at the instigation of Germany.
"lnspired Articles" Quoted
Mr.. Becker yesterday also made pub
lie excerpts from various articles writ
ten by Odell after his return to the
United States as follows:
NO matter what the military out
come may be-" Odell quotes Professor
Graevernltz as saying, "the moral vic
tory OF the war will be won by the
western democratic nations, and that
alone Will be the greatest blessing that
can befall the German people. Which
they will be slow to realize.'
AL Germany is for peace" Odell
wrote in one of his articles. "The in
dustral workers and the peasants want
1t for obvious reasons. The business
men want it.
"The liberal leaders hope and be-
lieve that the downfall Of feudalism
can be accomplished without resort to
force, but if force is necessary it will
be used.
"The revival of the U-boat warfare
last February was unpopular with the
German business men, and thinner
mans offer to Mexico to hand over
Texas, Arizona and New Mexico as rec.
ompense for an alliance and in getting
Japan to switch over to the Central