The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-04

Germany's Graft scaRdal-War. ColOnial
and Foreign Onhces Involved.


From ihe London DaiIu CArONicle.
The German colonial scandals. lnSolv-
Ing a. they do the question Of the integrity
Of many high oficials and even OF the Minister
OF Agriculture. General Won Podbielski, form
an interesting parallel to our own war stores
scandal. We are 40 accustomed 70 look to
Germany for thorOughness that the following
history Of the firm OF Tippelskiroh a Co..
which holds a n monopoly of the contracts given
out by the German Colonial ONCE. VIII come
as Q surprise to many.
SO inexperienced was Germany 'tIl re-
Gently In colonial Affairs that everything
appertaining to colonial warfare or admins
~tration. the outnt Of troops for colonial SER
vice and the personal outnt Of their officers
had to be bought In England. When the late
Major Won WissmAnn. In IsS7-Ss. vent out 70
German East Africa as Imperial Commis-
sioner to crush the revolt Of the Arabs, the
equipment OF his force was obtained In Eng
land; only q part Of the MaJor's personal outnt
was ordered from the 011zlers-Verein.
The Offziers-Verein was originally . sort
% military cooperative society Intended
to provide officers with their necessary outfit
at q cheap price. II 10 now = general trading
concern. The execution OF Wissmann's
order was Intrusted to Herr Won Tippels-
kirch. then q clerk Of the society. The gem
tlemen Of Wissmann's staf following his
example. more Of such orders came In and
were all seen to by Tippelskirch. Later on. q
special export department being formed,
Tippelsk irch became it's manager.
In this position he found opportunity. and
avaIled himself Of Il. Of getting into personal
touch with officers and ofhctals Of the colonial
service. who supplied him with practical
hints as to African re0ulrements. Even
tents. folding beds. tables and chairs had still
to be bought in England. and IL was not until
1902 that German manufacturers were able
70. supply these articles. But they were not
but had to sell to the export department Of
the Ofiziers-VereIn, which was sole purveyor
Later on the same societyoontraoted for the
transport OF troops and war material to
Africa. these transports having become
DEVELOPMENT Of German Esst Africa. Press
: :RS E y tSs su ssssa &c .sS Ss%s " 4. e. tA S, sa::..
tive society for the equipment Of Officers.
boas nf ef 4fSpsls SEfinsS6'% ss% S Ria c 70 &c 0'f He
offered 70 BUY the business as z s95ng con,
S SesR; SsS az then Sas sn T Snsn sSHfspsSSd dsa MsTI s soa
a member Of the Reichstag. who had taken
part In the discussi9ns anent the QfizIers-
those negotiations. were. going on and be-
came a partner Of the nrm Of T~iDpeskirch
The Colonial once las is well known, only
a department Of the German Foreign once
transferred It's orders to the new arm. The
sschutz- TrGppen" in all German-Kirlcan
possessions. Not satisfied with their practical
m~onOpoly-in itself a strange thing. c9nSId.
a number OF quite ~eficient manufacturing
concerns for the tropics had sprung up;-Tip-
nopoly: the Colonial ONCE. by esreemspt,
undertook to, order from Tippelskirch 4 Go.
all their requirements for the tropics and the
firm undertook to execute all these orders.
This agreement was twice renewed. the last
became Postmaster General he left the arm,
tEsnsterring his share to bis wife; In lsSe
clerk of the Onlziers- veFeln-became partners,
backed by a number OF influential persons.
n%fHng fnsm 'Ss PlS ESn Won %,''PR Udbls:i ri, e.
klrch has caused 70 Germany an almost
Of Major Won Wissmsnns, holds a high post in
xttacSS IN Paris GH,'s q pos post that had BEEN sps.
The 6scEIns Of these influential persons
dominant position Of TlppelsEirch 4 Co.
gnsTs T. Snosae. TeaSop ana rs. t =, ~ is r ~ ini
ONCE and the German Government az q whole
their desire to do without the Relchstag's
control, 70 place their acts. as Il were, before
amount of srumbllSS' could uHndc.. ONE Of
the pet schemes Of the German ohicials Il the
creation Of a colonial army as distinct
from the German army and composed Of
professional soldiers. There y 70 chance Of
scheme, should II be brought forward in a
constitutional manner. Hence the necessity
OF working underground as 4, were;
The last agreement with Tippelskirch, 4
ings in Berlin and at its own expense and
own insurance risk. should warehouse and
maintain in a state Of efficiency the ~Kriegs-
lager (war storesl formed by the Govern
ment (snd bought from the 1rml for eventual
use IN the colonies; also that the frnr. In
mer' (clo hing msgazincsD Of the German
troops there. Another significant point. OF
the agreement is that two-thirds OF the orders
for each colony must. be executed during
accounts not be sent in TN after the end OF
the financial year. The aim underlying this
arrangement was the gradual collectton, free
from parliamentary control, OF SUFFICIENT stores
With S0 regard 70 Major Fischer. who Is now
in prison for the alleged acceptance Of brides.
the following might be OF interest: Fischer,
an old friend OF Tippelskirch and Bumiller,
was Captain when he came to deal officially
with the firm. He had been. commissioned
Wilhelmshaven, where uniforms and other
equipment are taken over from the contractors
and stored, There he made the acquaintance
Of, Herr Jordan, q weaving manufacturer
who was interested in the manufacture Of
England, Jordan had obtained In .EnEIand
process, He was brought into communication
with Tippelskirch, who himself had started
in a small way to turn out khaki. He and Jor-
oldiers wear khaki made in Germany.