Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-05-29

Mitchell Palmer, Alien
Enemy Custodian, Makes
Announcement.

Washington May %. - Another
tentacle Of German control in Ameri-
car industry has been severed by A.
Mitchell Palmer. the alien property
custodian.
Under arrangements o being
completed between the custodian and
the Fur Merchants Credit association
Of New York city, the interests of h
German fur barons of Leipzig will be
purchased BY American merchants
and the money paid turned into the
United States treasury to be held until
the end Of the war for the Germans
involved. t'
In announcing today the forced re-
tirement of German interests In the
industry. MIR. Palmer said even rough
estimates of the enemy holdings can
not be made until all the fur dealers
have reported balances u n Ger
mans.
ut may be stated, however," said
the custodian. that the negotiations
just completed will root out forever
the last German dollar invested in
the fur business in this country.
turn loose the American furrfer from
the control of the Leipzig cabal and
establish a great new industry here
in America.
Some Of the larger firms which
have already readjusted their hold
ings under the agreement of the GOV
eminent are the Theoder, Thorer
company. Gaudig & Blum and NJ. S..
known fur houses on this side OF the
Atlantic. Many others are in process
OF reimbursement, including Otto Erler
company, Fuchs e. Company, Inc,
and Eisenbach Brothers.
Before the war the trade OF AM
erican furriers was practically moth
ing but a collecting and shipping
agency for. the Germans. Almost
every pelt taken by American trap
pers had to &C to Leipzig before 1t
could he sold. Leipzig dressers and
dyers were the best in the world.
None could compete with them. AL
though London was the worlds q
ket. by reason of the pioneer work of
the old Hudson Bay company and
far : sighted English commission
houses. three-quarters of the fur
shipped to London from America.
Russia and even China went. after
the auctions, direct to Leipzig for
dressing and dyeing.
"At Leipzig each year after the fur
was prepared and the German mer-
chants had fixed the price for that
year, Americans were alleged to pur-
SAAdSC o. AAuSAA oo VI WV
entire fur produced for manufacture
into garments, although in so doing
they were forced to pay h original
cost, plus the expense of dressing and
dyeing, plus a handsome profit for
the Germans, plus a thirty e cent
duty before they got them back
home. They were constantly either
indebted to the Germans or complete
ly under their domination" r
Mr.. Palmer said American fur dye
ing houses now are operating in New
York and that in st. Louis the at
tempt has been made successfully to
dye seal skins. which previously had
never been lone outside of Leipzig
and London. Fur auctions also have
been undertaken successfully both in
st. Louis and New York.
when the war is over" Mr.. Pal
mer concluded, Germany will again
buy American furs. but these goods
will be bought in the American mar
ket this time. from American firms.
and they will be American dressed
and dyed. and prepared for European
consumption. The unnatural trade
conditions which forced Americans
to ship certain furs abroad, to buy
America will have disappeared. and
them back and to re-ship them to
Germany will be the loser"