Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-08-09
THE AppELMANN CASE
Authoritative Statement from
President Benton.
Nothing Which Cannot BE Explained
to Satisfaction Of Any Open-Mind-
ed Citixen-Profcssor Worthy
of Confidence.
To the Editor of the Free Press:

~ o'eo GutCOT 81 Jne r Tee TTeoS'
There are friends Of the University Of
vermont who advise that a statement,
dignif1ed. authoritative and final, be made
to our alumni and the people Of the State
| concerning the so-called "Appelmann
case" Newspaper controversies are sell
dom profitable and never edifying Dur
ing my public life have usually kept out
of all such controversies My departure
from established custom in this instance
Will not be marked by any Indulgence in
unpleasant personalities. Because GER
tain misapprehensons have found lodg-
ment in many honest minds. 1 shall try
to review the case as briefly and compre-
hensively as possible
l. Prof. Anton II. Appelmann, Phi. D.,
came to the University of Vermont upon
the recommendation Of the German de-
partment of Harvard University in Jan
uary 1918 for temporary service to Ali
vacancy in our teaching staff made by
the death Of the late Professor Stetson.
His service was so satisfactory that he
was continued by the board of trustees
as acting professor during the following
year. Near the close of this temporary
engagement our board of trustees urged
him to take permanent appointment as
professor of the German language and
literature and he had accepted with the
| announced intention of becoming an
| American citizen. before any Of us even
| dreamed of a European war.
2. During the summer of 1914 Doctor
Appelmann returned to Germany to set
tie some private business matters pre-
| liminary to final settlement in this coun-
try. While in the homeland war began.
At that time he was not subject to di-
rect military service and could be used
| only in clerical position. He felt. there
fore, that with perfect propriety he could
demand his passports to return to YER
mont for the fulfllment Of his contract
with the university. In good faith he
came to meet his engagement and initiate
| his citizenship.
| 3. AS the war progressed the situation
| for Germans in this country became more
difficult. Suspicious were easily engen-
dered and mere rumors were accepted by
people usually thoughtful as established
facts. 1t was only natural that Doctor
Appelmann, then pursuing his college
duties unostentatiously, should fall under
| suspicion. There were those who soon
| charged him with "anti-American activi-
| ties These charges were finally based
upon correspondence which had been seized
| by the British censors. Even though the
| United States was not then at war with
Germany. it was clearly the duty of the
| president of the university to know that
all employees and members of the staff
were observing a dignified neutrality.
Prompt investigation of the reports cir
culating to the discredit of Doctor Appel
mann seemed to indicate that they were
without good basis for their existence
| consequently no report was made to the
board of trustees by the president, such
| as 1t would have been his duty to make
had he found otherwise.
4. During the commencement season
| Of 1916 the associate alumni adopted n
resolution. calling for the appointment of
a committee by the president of the as.
ISOLATION to investigate the alleged "anti-
American activities of Doctor Appel
mann and report their findings to the
board of trustees. This committee COM
posed of five prominent alumni. was APP
pointed the following week. After thor
ough and painstaking investigation and
many months of earnest elaboration. the
committee Of investigation, by a vote OF
four to one. gave Doctor Appelmann COM
| plete eXoneratiOn. The four majority
members of the committee are gentlemen
of unimpeachable character and of un.
doubted ability. The names of Edward
H. Deavitt, Carroll w. Doten, Merton c.
Robbins and Edwin w. Lawrence are
sufficiently well-known in Vermont to
guarantee absolute confidence in the recti.
tude OF their motives. They are respec.
tiVely prominent Vermont lawyer and
a former State treasurer, a professor OF
economics in the greatest technical schoo
IN America. the manager of an importan,
metropolitan publishing Company, and
the chief attorney for one Of our grea,
railroad systems. All are judicially mind
ed men. They were under no obligations
to grant favors In this case and none were
asked of them. Those who know then
will not need to be told that any attemp,
to influence them contrary to the eyi
dence in the case would have met with
prompt resentment and deserved rebuke.
5. OF the four letters which excited
suspicion one was to Doctor Appelmann'.
rather and 1t was written in the free anc
easy FASHION OF son talking to tn,
home folks.
Inc second letter was to Miss Lakonnbe
school girl. and the style was that Of
an older person attempting to presen
, matters that would be of interest to on,
OF her years The "cleverly played trick
, referred to in this letter, and which
t aroused so much censure, becomes al
harmless as a game of blind mans buff
, when it is known that the trick wa
simply change OF ship and sailing dat
in order to secure quick and safe passag
10 the United States
6 1t was the letters to Dr. Paul Rohrba cl
t which afforded ground for the serious he
iief OF many people that Doctor Appel
r mann had been guilty of "anti-AmericaI
l activities" The Hon. Frank l.. Polk, act
o ing secretary Of state. on the fifth O
5 october last dissipated all warrantabl
t suspicious concerning this correspondence
by certifying that Mr.. Gerard, the Uni
r ted States ambassador to Berlin, had as
t certained that Doctor Rohrbach ha
r never held any official position unde
r the German government" Indeed, tn
d highest federal officials have given re
peated assurance that Doctor Appelman
a has not been guilty of any improper be
!, haVior toward this country. The assis,
}. ant secretary Of state, on the l4th of Fet
}, ruary of this year, declared above his ow
6 signature that there was no reason VIII
Doctor Appelmanp should leave the Uni
= ted states. The assistant attorne,
o general of the United States, tn
;. chief OF the secret service burea,
i the United States district attorne
: Tor vermont, and all officially cor
nected with the department of justice
= who have been consulted on the subjec
g have confirmed the conclusions reache
,. by the alumni committee of investigation
2. 6. A college professorship should be re
70 garded as a civil service position, TT
man VINO mas spent many years of stud
= ana much money In preparing for servic
Z OF this character should not have HI
e. career ruined on the basis Of mere su,
h picion' After the usual preliminary yea
g. or trial professor should not be di,
4 fro