The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-08-10
THE APPLEMANN CASE
President Benton Writes on Much
Talked Question.

There are friends of the University
of Vermont who advise that state
ment, dignihed, authoritative and
final, be made to our alumni and the
people of the State concerning the so
called "Applemann case" Newspap-
or controversies are seldom profit
able and never edifying. During my
public life | have usually kept out of
all such controversies. My departure
from established custom in this in
stance will not be marked by any in
diligence in unpleasant personalities.
Because certain misapprehensions
have found lodgment in many honest
minds, | shall try to review the case
as briefly and comprehensiyely as
possible.
l. Prof Anton II. Applemann, Phi.
d., came to the University of Vermont
upon the recommendation OF the
German department of Harvard Uni
versity in January 1913 for temper
airy service to fill vacancy n our
teaching staff made by the death of
the late. Professor Stetson. His ser
vice was so satisfactory that he
was continued by the board of trus-
tees as acting professor during the
following year. Near the close of
this temporary engagement our board
of trustees urged him to take perma-
nent 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 European war,
2. During the summer OF 1914
Doctor Appelmann returned TO Ger
many to settle some private business
matters preliminary to final settle
ment in this country While in the
homeland war began At that time
he was not subject to direct military
service and could be used only in a
clerical position. He felt, therefore,
that with perfect propriety he could
demand his passports to return to
Vermont for the fulfillment of his
contract with the university. In good
faith he came to meet his engagement
and initiate his citizenship.
8. AS the war progressed the situ
alton for Germans in this country be-
came more difficult. Suspicious were
easily engendered and mere rumors
were accepted by people usually
thoughtful as established facts. II
was only natural that Doctor Appel
mann, then pursueing his college
duties unostentatiously, should fall
under suspicion. There were those
who soon charged him with anti
American activities These charges
were finally based upon oorrespon-
dence 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 univer-
sity to know that all employees and
members of the staff were observing
dignifed neutrality. Prompt in
vestigation of the reports circulating
TO the discredit of Doctor Appel
mann seemed to indicate that they
were without good basis for their ex-
istence; consequently no report was
made to the board of trustees by the
president. such as it would have been
his duty to make had he found other
wise.
T. During the commencement sea
son Of 1916 the associate alumni
adopted a resolution. calling for the
appointment of committee by the
president of the association TO In
vestigate the alleged "anti-American
activities of Doctor Appelmann and
report their findings to the board OF
| trustees. This committee, com
posed of five prominent alumni, was
appointed the following week After
| thorough and painstaking inyestiga
tion and many months of earnest de
liberation, the committee OF investiga
| tion. by a vote Of four to one, gave
Doctor Appelmann complete exoner
alton. The four majority members o
the committee are gentlemen OF un
impeachable character and Of un
doubted ability. The names of Ed
ward II. Deavitt, Carroll w. Doten
Merton c. Robbins and Edwin w
| Lawrence are sufficiently well-knowI
in Vermont to guarantee absolute con
fidence in the rectitude of their me
tiyes. They are respectively
prominent Vermont lawyer and
former State treasurer, a professo
of economics in the greatest techn
cal school in America, the manage
Of an important metropolitan pul
fishing company, and the chief attol
ney for one of our great railroad syi
TENS. All are judicially minded mel
: They were under no obligations {
grant fayors in this case and non
were asked of them. Those VIII
know them will not need to be tol
/ that any attempt to influence thel
{ | contrary to the evidence In the cas-
= would have met with prompt resen
r | ment and deserved rebuke.
= S. OF the eour letters which excl
a ed suspicion enc was TO Doctor App
D mann's father and It was written
l. the free and easy fashion OF sc
g talking to the home folks.
Y The second letter was to Mi
Y Lakombe, school girl, and the sty
r was that OF an older person atteml
n ing to present matters that would
g Of interest TO one of her years. III
t "cleverly played trick" referred to
& this letter, and which aroused
A. much oensure, becomes as harmle
9. as a game of blind mans buff VIII
d Il is known that the trick was sin
.e ly change OF ship and sailing da