The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-07-12
Many Americans Who Bought
German Bonds Before 1917
Never Suspected the Vast
Anti-American Propagan-
da with Which Their Money
Creased the Wheels

NEW YORK, July 1.-The Busch
family OF ST. Louis bought at least
81 ,60G.00H worth Of the German war
hnnds which the government believes
were sold in this country for propa-
ganda and for the purchase Of thu New
York Evening Mail and other news"
papers. according to 4 statement ISSUED
tu-night by Alfred l.. Icck-r deputy
state mrt"rncy general Mr.. Becker
added that probably more than $i00.-
n00. .p0h worth OF these bonds had iccn
sold in the United States.
Nc Hcrkrr emphasized tho point that.
while the United States was still nell
ltrul. tho imperial German government,
without 4 cent OF expense 10 itself, cs-
tabi;hcd a fund ''tn scducn part Of the
American press with good American
gold. exchanged Tor mcr" scraps of
paper"
Many Americans nc said. invested in
II he German bonds before this country
went To war in the same manner that
they orc now buying Liberty b"nds,
thinking that the money was Ia be
used lc6ilimAtely for the purchase of
munitions and war supplies. and nu'
|suSpecting that their dollars were ID
hc used against their own country.
Tho .,dolphus Busch estate. y. =.
Busch ard Mrs. Lille Busch were
among tho subscribers in America to
he German war loans. h" declared. add
ing that when Mrs. Busch was examined
recently hy government agents on her
arrival in this country, she had dis
cln im"d any knowledge OF the alleged
purchase of tho Evening Mail
Captain David 4. HcnkrS. who was
dismissed from the United States army
by courl-Inartial FOR wishing IN resign
iaf,sr hring sent to France. and who
was nlenced to 81 years al Fort l.eav-
cnworth. used part Of his army pay Ia
huy German bunds. according to- Mr..
Becker.
After asserting that non,y raised on
bonds was eventually deposited 20 the
credit Of Or. Heinrich +. Albert and
Count Won Rernstorrr. Mr.. Becker said
lin his statement:
I'm February. 1917, just before Won
BernStorn sailed. he sent more thHn
s4U0.U0G tn Bucnos Aires for the ac-
count If the German government
DIR Albert and Count Won Rern-
SlorT checked out from the war Ian
funds in III" Central Trust company
and Other institutions in this city what
money they needed for bmytng ncws-
pa NrrS.
W - nave not llnISIl''I Win 'i'
arinnii"nS. All nf tn" evidence We
are collecting will 90 hcf"r" in" grand
jury. and it is safe I" assume that III" :"
will hr more arrests before We get
Busch's Statement.
ST. LOUIS. July li.-Augusi A.
Busch son nf Mrs. Adniphus busch.
tonight declared ihr statement of .Nllr"h
l.. Hrrk"r. deputy stat" attorney Ecn"r-
nj uf New York. thai tn" Busch family
had purchased $l.n"n.0 .00n "f German
war h"ndS. I" h" exaggerated hy haIf.
1T is true" he said. that bought
s"hu. .nnu If the bonds through - local
trust company about w" years ago.
bought $lh".n0h worth for myself ana
S4nn.ndU worth for my n"th"r. St"
knew nothing about the pUrrhas" until
two weeks ago when Sh" returned from
Germany and I told her about II. il
had had the least intimatI"n that III"
hunry was tp II" used for German
propaganda. [. would no; hay" invested
cent"