Evening star., 1938-10-21
WASHINGTON, c. 2,
RUMR|CH DENIES
CONFESSION DEAL
Spy Says He Did Not Expect
to Benefit From Deciding
to Admit Guilt.
BY the Associated Press.

NEW YORK, Oct. 2l.-Guenther
Gustav Rumrich. Army deserter who
became bungling Nazi German spy,
denied under cross-examination in
Federal court today that he expected to
benefit personally" when he confessed
his guilt and testified for the Govern
ment.
Slightly nervous as he took the
stand for the fifth day at the espionage
trial Of Erich Chaser, Johanna Hof-
mann and Otto Voss, the one-time
dishwasher, said Assistant United
States Attorney Lester Dunigan had
advised him Ito make a clean breast
Of everything-that it would be to the
best interests Of all concerned"
He admitted to Benjamin Matthews,
counsel for CHASER, who took over
cross-examination a few minutes after
court convened at noon, that he had
read and signed nine copies of a
statement which contained answers to
questions at variance with answers he
gave when he was arrested last Feb
ruary.
Mr.. Matthews asked that a copy of
the statement be given him, but Mr..
DUNCAN said the papers were in the
possession OF the State Department,
and Judge John c. Knox ruled that
Mr.. Matthews would have to ask the
State Department for it, since it lay
beyond the jurisdiction Of the court.
Ad iOurnS for Lunch.
Mr. Matthews led Rumrich to the
matter of his Questioning by Leon
G. Turrou, former agent of the Fed
erai Bureau of Investigation OF the
Department of Justice, and was still
examining him about Mr.. Turrous
first interview when an adjournment
was taken for lunch.
A graphically worded letter signed
IN. Spielmann," the purported alias of
the head of the German secret service,
was disclosed today as a sort of begin
ner's manual on How to Become
Good Spy"
The letter was made public by C..
DUNCAN.
Addressed to Rumrich, the letter re-
ferred to a sum of $3O0-the price
Rumrich testified he asked for carry
ing out a plot to forge President Roose-
velt's signature on bogus White House
stationery 10 gain possession of secret
plans for the United States Navy air.
craft carriers Yorktown and Enterprise.
Dear friend it began. In your
fovnr co10 at Tn
few business mistakes.
Business Discretion.
you must above all things keep
strictly separate the representatives of
the various firms. There exists in Eu-
rope certain amount of business dis
cretion because one firm will never tell
the other what or where it has pur-
chased. For this reason, you must also
accept this method, because whatever
purchase for my firm does not neces-
sarily concern any other firm.
"Only I or my representative Jenni
are responsible for these matters"
For this reason, the letter con-
tinued, Il beg you never to communi-
cate to any other firm anything re-
garding our business connections. as
to what l wish or what I purchase.
Also, never tell what you have sold
me and what I have taken with me.
"* Also you must never state
fixed price because this might lead
to many misunderstanding l shall
always name to you price whatever
the merchandise is worth to me, and
you can then decide whether you will
be able to deliver the merchandise at
this price.
Il am not interested In what you
pay for the merchandise. the letter
said, because every business man-if
he wants to live and if he wants to
live up to his business obligations
must make living. I believe that
in time you will get acquainted with
European business procedure.
If you wish to become a good mer-
chant, you must pay heed to these
little things and hints
AS far as the price of $500 for the
lastly-mentoned furs is concerned my
representative Jenni, at the next visit
there will tell you what these furs
are worth to me.
Il am glad to be able to greet your
brother on February Is. Your friend,
N. Spielmann.
"P. S. have communicated to you
these little business tricks out of
friendship for your family, and 1 beg
you to keep these only for yourself"
Rumrich, who received the letter
after he had been arrested, has testi-
fed that the spy ring engaged his
brother to act as Q Nazi agent in
Prague in anticipation Of the German
march into Czechoslovakia
In the dramatic climax of yester-
days session, the prosecution read a
purported confession by Miss Hof-
mann, which quoted her as admitting
she helped steal American military
secrets because Il believed I was do
ing my duty to my fatherland.'