TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1917-09-20
The Case of Col. Reichmann.

I 1888 49,
American born, are arranging
for a protest to the President
against the prejudice against
him said to exist in the staff.
Captain Reichmann's letter
is a strong protest on his own
part. The friend through
whom indirectly it became
public yesterday said that
the Captain had never intendl
ed that it should reach the
newspapers, but his friends
thought differently about it
In the letter Captain Reich.
mann says:
Il almost wish / could have
died without knowing that /
was not trusted by my super
Tors. In nearly twenty-five
years Of service / have done
my duty without looking to
the right or left, yet I am not
trusted. l do not want any
scandal, and the last thing !
want TO do IS to involve the
General Staff in a scandal, Tor
even though they refuse me
admission, my duty as an Of
fcer impels and compels me
to assist them IN their work
in SO far as lies within my
province and my power. My
heart is broken. / shall al.
ways feel that I am under
suspicion, that l cannot even
go and visit my old mother
without arousing suspicion o.
my disloyalty in the minds Of
the General Staff"
He goes on to hint tia,
discords which have arisen be-
tween the United States and
Germany and our friends,
the English" have evidently
aided in his exclusion from
the staff. A watch fob pres
entcd to him by his college
fraternity in Germany, he
says, created suspicion.
II was cross-examined on
that watch fob and on my
college fraternity by more
than one officer on the Gen.
eral Staff, and none OF them
seemed particularly pleased.
@If people insist on not let
ting me be an American, no
matter how hard ! want to
be one, it becomes important
for me to know whether the
Government also insists in
looking upon me as a German
instead OF an American. In the
course Of a few years, if | live
and pass the examinations, !
shall be a field officer, and
the higher I rise in the MILF
tary hierarchy the more the
Government will be compell-
ed to show me trust or mis-
trust. I have grown old and
poor in the service of the
United States, or rather, I
have no more money after
serving the United States
than I had Before I entered
the service. Much of the
money paid me as salary I
have expended in the service
Of the Government"
Captain Reichmann says he
married an American woman
after he became naturahzed,
and is now raising an Amer
lean family of children. In
his three visits to Germany,
where his mother and sisters
live, he declares he has ex-
pressed himself with all OF the
love and respect and devotion
to America that any other
American would.
"If the General Staff" his
letter says, would openly
declare that foreign-born of
feers would not be admitted.
the matter would be very
simple, but to brand me inl
advance as a Benedict Arnold
because a German-born officer
has betrayed the confidence
reposed in him is, in my
mind, rather far fetched, and
if it is true I cannot but re-
gard it as a great injustice to
me-"
To his New York friends
Captain Reichmann confdes
that during his service in the
army he put in all his time IN
study instead Of in attempts
ing to shine in society or to
secure social advantages. He
says that this kept him away
from his brother officers to a