Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-05-29
ANOTHER TENTACLE
or GERMAN CONTROL
SEVERED IN U. S.

Washington, May 2S-Anotler ten
tacle of German control IN American
industry has been severed BY A. Nit
chell Palmer, the alien property Gus
! todian.
/ Under arrangements now being
| completed between the custodian and
the Fur Merchants Credit Association
of New York city, the interests OF the
| German fur barons of Leipzig Will be
purchased by American merchants
and the money paid turned into the
United States Treasury to be held I'M
til the end of the war for the Germans
| involved.
| In announcing today the forced re-
/ tirement of German interests in the
/ industry, Mr.. Palmer said even rough
estimates of the enemy holdings can
not be made until all the fur dealers
! have reported balances due the Ger
! mans.
1T 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 furrier from the
control Of the Leipzig cabal and es-
! tablish a great new industry here in
/ America.
Some Of the larger firms which
have already readjusted their holdings
under the agreement Of the govern
ment are the Theoder, Thorer Com
pany. Gaudis & Blum and NJ. S. Elias,
Jr, Inc. among the best known fur
houses on this side of the Atlantic.
! Many others are in process of read
| justment, including Otto Erler Com
psny. Fuchs & Company, Inc, and
I Eisenbach Brothers.
/ Before the war the trade of Ameri-
| can furriers was practically nothing
but a collecting and shipping agency
for the Germans. Almost every pelt
taken by American trappers had to 90
to Leipzig before it could be sold.
Leipzig dresscrs and dyers were the
world None could compete with
them. Although London was the
world s market, by reason of the pion-
eer work of the old Hudson Bay Com
pany and far-sighted English commits
sion houses, three quarters Of the fur
shipped from America, Russia and
even China went, after the auctions,
direct to Leipzig for dressing and
dycing.
Leipzig each year after the fur was
prepared and the German merchants
had fixed the price for that year. Amer
Icans we're allowed 70 purchase as mucn
as three-tfths Of the entire fur produced
for manufacture into garments. al
though in 80 donG they were forced 70
pay the original cost plus the expense
Of dressing and dyeing plus a hand
some profit for the Germans, plus 80
per cent. duty before they got them
back home. They were constantly
either indebted to the Germans or COM
pletely under their nomination.
Mr. Palmer said American fur dyeins
houses now are operating N New York
and thai N st Louis the attempt haS
been made successfully to dye seal
skiing. which previously had never been
done outside Of Leipzig and London. Fur
auctions also have been undertaken
SUGGEST ully both in ST. Louis and New
York
when the war is over" Nj. Palmer
concluded, Germany Will again buy
American furs, hut these goods will lie
bought in the American market this
time, from American firms, and they
viii be American dressed and dyed, and
prepared for European consumption.
The unnatural trade conditions whic.l
forced Americans to ship certain furs
abroad, to buy them back and to re
ship them to America will have dsa p