The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-04-26

the Allies. He protested and refused
to sign.
The police department informed him
that unless he signed and swore to his
a!a.cments before the American Cham
Der Of Commerce he would not be per
nlitted to leave Germany.
Barthmann was anxious to leave. He
had his steamship reservations and
had closed his store. He went to the
American Embassy and the consulate
but they could not help him until the
case was referred to the State Depart
ment. Barthmann signed the docu
ments and obtained the signature OF
President Isaac Wolf, jr., Of the Amer
lean Chamber Of Commerce and Trade
He was permitted to leave. The police
told him afterward that If he had not
signed that paper he would not have
been permitted to return to Germany
after the war to reopen his store.
That was the way Germany treated
American business firms.
U. 8. Relief UnacknowIedged.
During the two years and half
that the United States maintained
diplomatic relations with Germany
millions Of dollars we're sent from this
poses But throughout the two years
I was in Germany recall only two
instances where German newspapers
acknowledged funds raised here for
such purposes. When Judge Nippert,
Of Cincinnati, came to Berlin in the
interests of the American East Prus-
sian Relief Society with about five
million marks, the German press gave
him recognition. But Judge Nippert.
who was frank and honest. worked to
get before the German people the fact
that at that time, when every one IN
Germany thought every one in the
United States was against the German
people, there were people here who
we're contributing large sums Of
money for relief purposes.
The second instance was when Am
hassador Gerard returned to Berlin
last December. after the Presidential
elections. He brought with him funds
for relief purposes. contributed by men
and women throughout the United
States. The German newspapers ac-
knowledged what he gave out. because
the ambassador insisted that such
things be published
The Foreign Office and navy which
were encouraging dnt!"AI1cTlCdn ISel-
ing at the time. did not look with
pleasure upon such tactics, but it made
no difference to the ambassador. He
said Germany had been keeping so
many good things about the United
States out of the newspapers that un-
less the papers printed something
about this relief work the money would
not be spent.
Bogus Charity Workers.
Last summer a German and his wife,
Who posed as Americans and who OBJ
tanned American passports under false
pretenses, organized In New York
state committee for the relief Of
widows and orphans in Berlin. This
couple solicited from one end of the
state to another with letter which had
been obtained from Ambassador
Gerard and Governor Whitman, also
u:.der false pretences.
Last fall they returned to Berlin and
began the distribution OF the money
Gerard suspected them, but had no evil
dence upon which to base charges.
Previously he had regarded them as
kind. jealous charity workers. At the
beginning Of the war they were living
in Berlin and he asked them to care
for two deserted girls. Gerard paid |
them 500 month for the care and
Of the children. When he |