The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-09-10
RUNS EMPLOYMENT
BUREAU FOR GERMANS
Places Germans Who Quit
Munitions Plants.
SAYS 1T is PRIVATE CHARITY
Declares II Is Work For BENEFIT OF
German Subjects Who DO Not Wish
to Violate Laws of Their Country in
Aiding Munitions Making.

New York. Sept 9.-For a month
past a German employment bureau
has been in operation at l36 Liberty
Street for the purpose Of placing Ger
mans who have Ri..en UP jobs at
munition plants as result of the
warning by the German government
that by so doing they were commit
ting crime
At the head Of this bureau is Hans
I Liebau, an architect and sanitary en-
,gineer, who says that he and other
Germans conceived the scheme of thus
aiding German subjects here who did
not want to violate the laws of their
country, and that II is strictly in the
nature of private charity. He de-
MED that his plan had been instigated
by the German authorities here or
had any connection whatsoever with
the German EN- bassy,
According TO Mr.. Iiehau who says
he has lived here many years and is
an American citizen, no inducement
is being made to get Germans TO leave
their jobs other than bringing to their
attention the warning of the German
government and informing those dis
posed to give up their jobs that the
! bureau will endeavor to help them sv
obtain others.
Independent OF Dnnba.
II know nothing about DR. Dunn ha 8
scheme" said Mr. Liebau when asked
! If he was not attempting to do the
very same thing that the Austrian am
hassador had outlined in the Archi-
bald correspondence IF DIR. Dumba
had in mind bureau run by his gov
ernment here to induce men TO leave
the munitions plants and then get jobs
for mem, this is very different. We
have no connection with the German
government, and the money all comes
from private sources, from persons
who are anxious to keep those patri-
otto German workmen from becoming
destitute. We have an arrangement
with the German consul. IL Is true.
by which men, applying there for help
are directed here. hut that is all"
Mr.. Liebau said that in month
about 200 applicants for jobs had APP
peared. of which about 60 per cent
had been placed, These men. he said,
were for the most part skilled work.
men. and even included professional
men, such as engineers. architects and
chemists. 1t was omparatively easy
to place most of the applicants, ne ex-
planned. because the high wages paid
by the munitions plants had drawn
mon from other Jobs The bureau
he said. was assisting a back stream
OF German from the munitions plants
to these Jobs. and was thus. he
thought. doing good work.
Doesn't Aim to 11e-Up Plants.
Our aim is not to tie-up these
plants" said Mr.. Liebau. In the
f3rs ,4Ja no y
cause the Germans employed in them
are a mere handful For every place
given up, there have been hundreds
waiting for their places. These Ger
mans, however much the high wages
appeal to them, are giving up their
jobs even when they have no others
in sight. 1t is our aim to assist them.
We do not want these men commit
ting any crime and they are commit
ting crime under the German law
If they are helping to make guns and
ammunition with which TO kill their
| brotners in the German armies. We
tell them this when they come here"
Mr.. Liebau said that the official
warning of the German government
/ had been brought to the notice of
these German workmen mainly
through advertisements in the Ger
man newspapers. These. he insisted.
had been issued, not with the idea of
affecting the munitions industry, but
to keep haese Germans from commit.
ting n serious crime. for which they
would be liable to arrest and impris-
onment in Germany should they re-
turn there, All this. he said, was
entirely legal. Before launching the
plan. he and others who subscribed,
ne said. had thoroughly informed
themselves OF the law on this point
About dozen men were waiting in
the employment bureau today. evil
IDENTIFY hoping to get jobs. The num-
Der applying, 1t was said, bad been
increased slightly Of late. Most of-ne
applicants have been from this
vicinity.
| Count Won Bernstorf, who was at
the Ritz today. declined to discuss the
! Efebau employment bureau. He said
that he knew nothing about it.