The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-03-08
Upset 10 Plans Of
BatHeld &aCo. Y
Is Quietly Taken
Article II Saturday Evening Post
is Elucidating lI showing Poll
ses EtksH To Rs EFpebSsd BY
Property CUSTODIAN V"E.'

Failing down" Of the Haekfeld re-
organization plans has been the most
important announcement Of the week
TO the sugar industry in particular and
the business world Of the Territory in
general. In this connection II may be
said that comparatively little has been
known Of the plans Of custodian Of
eRemy property. The most Calculating
article on the subject to reach here is
that written by David Lawrence in the
issue Of the saturday Evening Post Of
March :, 1t is nearly two, pages in
length and considers the subject in it's
varying aspects, Especially does it
make clear the magnttude of the work
that A, Mitchell Palmer has before
him.
He merely holds the funds aud the
properties in trust says this article.
The process is two fold. 1t says. First
70 prevent during the war Germany $
g eating the slightest benefit from the
property Of her subjects in this .eoun-
Dry; and, second, 10. keep this property
intact so that At the pace conference
America will be able, to give an ae-
count Of her trusteeship and demand a
siRilar accounting from Germany"
Unique Situation
1t would appear likely the reorgani,
be. in eontravention of the latter policy.
Then, too, the idea of a man incorpor-
ating himself, is q novelty on the main
land though not so here, II is a unique
proposition even here, however, that
an individual alien enemy should be a
domestic corporation. 1t is Goptended
here it was the holdings of the domes,
tie corporation, J. p Hackfeld l. Co,
Ltd, that was disposed of and not the
holdings of the alien enemy, whose
stock in that company was retained, it
merely being the character of the hold
ings Of the domestic corporation that
changed.
As to the advisability Of keeping
enemy, property intact, Mr.. Lawrence
writes:.I
Two Different Policies
Thousands of lawyers, officers and ex,
pert employees of trust companies
thEeughoifg the CDited States who vol,
pnteered their services are keeping this
property intact and administering it
of operation as are incurred are borne
by. Uncle Sam. England pays il out Of
the income, of the eStates aud prop
critics, but the United States has not
yet been disposed 10 do so, though OBJ
viORsly it is Legitimate trust expense
Ism t it going too far to be. so gener'
Gus with the enemyt There are two
points. Of view on this within our own
government and among those in con,
Gress who have given any Thought ID
the sIhisct. One school aTaaes that
German interests in the United States
ought to be AmPricanized anyway and
that no stronger blow could be dealt 10
the Kaiser than to make it impossible
for Germany to get foOthold indus
trhIlly in this country again. Al thest
firms whose property has been, taken
over have been connected directly Ol
Indirectly with companies in Contra
and South America and the present
operation of the Trading With the
EHemy Act doubtless will in many
cases break GeImany'S hold on South
American trade PhOsr who believe tbs
BtrangulatiOn Vf German commerce IN
this heaisphere should be male permla
nept are in favor Of biting the repre-
sentutives Of the Kaiser wherever they
raise their heads
But there is another school much
more idealistic, which seeks to use the
very policy of restraint now exercised
by Uncle Sam as an argument TO viii
the masses of Germany to the program
of demOcratization sought by the En-
tsnte ThOse who hold this view
among whom at present Is President
IljWilsOn himself, believe the property
ought 10 be, carefully conserved as
friendly act to the German people. Fol-
it has been the cry of America tha
this is not q battle against the GermaT
people but against the milit artistic lead
srs. Of whom they have thus far beer
unable to rid themselves. The United
States is not making a selfish cam
Paign for private property, the acquisi
tiOn Of which Of course could be JUST
fled by the Hindenburg Hypocrisy o.
tmihtaFy necessity or 1.-the fortune
of war" so chilly offered by the Ger
man foreign Office.
Congress itself, which created the Of
flee of Alien Property Custodian Rn(
delegated powers to the President t.
take over enemy property, must deeid'
ultimately WHICH Of these two pOlicie
il win adopt. Until then Mr.. Palmer !
lob is to enforce the present law an
administer as carefully as possible tn
biggest trust company in the world.