The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-08-10

Appelmann had been guilty of ''anti-
American activities. The Hon. ;
Frank L. Polk, acting secretary of
state, on the fifth of October last dissi- [
pated all warrautable suspicious con-
corning this correspondence by certify
ing that Mr.. Gerard. the United States
ambassador to Berlin, had ascertainc1
that Doctor Rohrbach had "never held
any official position under the German
government. Indeed, the highest fed
eral officials have given repeated aSsur
ance that Doctor Appelmann has not
been guilty of any improper be
havior toward this country. The
assistant secretary of state, on the
lith day of February of this year, de
clared above his own signature that
there was no reason, why Doctor Appel
mann should leave the United States.
The assistant attorney general of the
United States, the chief of the secret
service bureau, the United States dis
trict attorney for Vermont, and all of
fcialv connected with the department |
of Justice, who have been consulted on
the subject, have confirmed the CON
illusions reached by the alumni commit
tee of investigation.
6. A college professorship should he
regarded as a civil service position. The
man who has spent many years Of
study and much money in preparing for
service of this character should not
have his career ruined on the basis of
mere suspicion. After the usual prelim-
mary year of trial professor should
not be dismissed from service except
on grounds of incompetency or immo
raity, fully established by the verdict
of properly constituted tribunal. In
contending that Doctor Appclmann
should be guaranteed in all his profess
serial rights | have been contcnding
for the rights of every other colleague
in this institution. Doctor Appelmann
has had his day in court and he has
been legally acquitted
I. Our country is now engaged in a
great war to make democracy safe
throughout the whole world and one of
the fundamental principles Of democ-
racy is submission to majority rule
The trustees Of the university on the
18th Of April having accepted the ma
ioritv findings of the investigating com
mittee By an overwhelming vote and all
governmental authorities concurring III
! these findings, it was the feeling of
many that this good man was entitled
! f ~ iHC run II uild1t VI HIS tAputi dii blI
In accordance with this feeling the
!, board of trustees assembled in annua
session the 23d of last June, with
! qurum present. voted for his indefnit,
. reelection as professor of the German
: language and literature. Every truste,
: was notified in due season of the boar,
meeting and the president Of the uni
:, vcrsity was at especial pains to rcmin,
NJ thn 10
who did not come, BY telephone som
days in advance, urging the importanc
!, of his presence
The secretary, in calling the annua
j meeting Of the board is not accustome,
= to specify the various items of bushes
! to be considered 1t is well understood
i however, that the faculty personnel is
/ regular question for consideration a
= this annual meeting. During the aftei
!. noon, without any thought Of those wh
! were present or absent, the president i
!; due course made his recommendation
~ which were adopted. It would he
=. breach Of proprietv on my part t. max
public announcement of the names 1
a those voting for and against the rc-clet
- tion Of Doctor Appclmann. It is entir
70 ~ proper, though, to say that the stat
~ ment of the numbers voting on Citht
H. side of this question, as | have seen
-. in the papers, is incorrect. Certain
-, the trustees who voted against the /
. election Of our professor of German q
= / pressed their warm friend ship Tor Iii
m and their thorough belief IN his wort
;. mess. If those present and not votiI
i, had voted against him, there would st
- have been Il majority III his favor.
I'M have not inquired how the five abscntc
=. would have voted had thcF been prcscl
-. Since all legal requirements were Inc
:. conjecture on this point is unnecessar
49, Those acquainted with the facts u
al not need the assurance that there "
&c no thought OF taking an improper a
AZ vantage, or of sharp practice, on I
=. laTt of any one.
-; It ought not t. be necessary for l
80 to enter into any defense of M own 60
~, duct IN this case. Certainly the poor
of Vermont have never heard any 81
Nm gestion Of an unpatyiotic utterance fro
me. Suffice il 10 say prefer to EXPIRE
~ my loyalty by support Of vital principl
- -. rather than b. attacks upon an unarm
Il and defcnsclcss human being.
emf Much has been said of late coneerni
tbn two German sailors who have lie
nc thought to he q menace to the peace
~. the state. These men were a part
his the crew of the passenger steamship c
..n+ cinnati, which was interncd at BoSt
ino with the beginning of the war in Euro
AZ three years ago. They were not fight
of seamen but, rs | understand il. DIM
of or bedroom stewards. My informant
one is that they were sent by the Prott
,on ant Episcopal chaplain Of Boston harl
If to Rev. Mr.. Flint, rector of the chu
i'm. at Montpelier, with the request that
ted provide them with employment. lie
II turn sent them to Burlington and
G ferred them to the rector Of St Pan
arc in this city, now the Right Rev. Geo
10 y. Bliss bishop coadiutor Of Nermc
tbo Doctor Bliss asked one Of his lavmcl
are call Doctor Appelmann by telephone
law solicit his help in locating the sail
nro. where they could earn living. Doc
tost Appelmann had never seen either
nm the men and did not know them.
nuh. complied with The request Of Bis
rne,, Bliss, however, and secured cmplovn
ems for one of the men OH the farm Of