Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1917-03-25
MAYOR MITCHEL'S SHAMEFUL
LIBEL OF SENATOR WAGNER
PART OF A DANGEROUS
PROPAGANDA.
PROPAGANDA.
(From the New York American,
March 24.)

Mayor Mitchell has publicly de-
clared that Senator Wagner is
secret traitor, working in the in
terests of the German Government
against the interests Of the United
States.
In return, Senator Wagner de-
nounces Mayor Mitchell as a liar an
coward
1t is Impossible to see how Sen
ator Wagner could have done any
thing else; and we know that every
fair-minded and decent citizen Of
New York applauds his vigorous and
manly utterance
Senator Wagner's crime consists
in having tried to save the public
money from rascals who were trying
to steal it under the guise Of
patriotism.
These are the facts of the mattera
The Southern Pacific Railway
Company owns land at Rockaway
Point, which is leased to a subsidiary
concern under the control of w. M.
Greve, who has been partner in
business with ex-senator Reynolds,
Mitchel's crony, and himself noted
for getting fat wads Of public money
through real estate deals.
The Government decided to use
the railroads land at Rockaway
Point as site for coast fortifica-
tions, and the railroad subsidiary
company was to receive 100000 for
the site. And as an incident of the
patriotic deal, Mayor Mitchell had
arranged to sell to the railroad sub
sidiary company New York City land
equivalent in location and usefulness
for $4,000.
The noble patriots were thus to get
the Government going and the City
coming and it was openly charged
in the Legislature that their burning
zeal for the old flag and for the cCuna
TRY would net them 100000 profit.
The public servant who spoiled
this patriotic raid on the treasury
was Senator Robert Wagner.
That is his real treason.
That is why he is denounced as n
servant of the German Government.
And doubtless Senator Wagner is
not to be the only victim of this
scuryy trickery.
Every rascal who is henceforth
caught at any crookedness, from
chicken stealing to bribe taking, win
shout that his exposure is o German
plot!
We have no doubt that some
patriots" of the Mitchell stripe will
sooner or later discover that every
Eody opposing the Riverside Drive
steal is in the secret pay of the Ger
man Government and is plotting
treason against the flag.
Because the only difference be-
tween the Riverside Drive steal and
the Rockaway land grab is that one
is larceny and the other burglary IN
the first degree.
We are due to see great deal
more of this cowardly and unpatriotie
thing of accusing loyal Americans of
disloyalty and Of serving Germany,
whenever they disagree with or
criticize some demagogue, political
schemer or political crook, with his
arms halfway to the elbows in the
public casn-box.
DR.. johnson was only half right
when he said that patriotism" was
the last refuge of a scoundrel.
That kind of patriotism" Is the
FIRST refuge OF demagogues and
grafters.
And a man with half an eye can
see a certain coterie Of Wall Street
financiers and politicians preparing
their professional patriotism" as a
cover to their predatory descent
upon the public money.
But the wholly indefensible and
utterly unpatriotic feature Of the