Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-12
KAISER s own
PROPERTY WILL
Be FIRST SOLD
Palmer Says German Gov
eminent Holding Must
Go Under Hammer.
WILL STOP TEUTON
CONNECTIONS HERE

Washington, D. c., March s.
Property in the United States owned
by the kaiser himself, former Chan
cellor Won Bethmann-H ollweg, the
German "junkers" generally, and the
German government itself, will be the
first to go under the hammer under
the plans of A. Mitchell Palmer, alien
property custodian, to sell German
owned property here TO the highest
bidders
Mr.. Palmers testimony to the SEN
ate appropriations committee, in
which he proposed necessary legisla-
ton, which was made public today,
makes plain that properties OF merely
minor individuals probably will hot be
sold, but that the direct purpose OF
the move is to break the outposts Of
kultur in America.
BREAK CONNECTION FOR GOOD
THE time has come" Mr.. Palmer
told the senators, when the owner.
ship of some of these great German
properties should permanently be
separated from German capital and
that the enemy might as well know
that the connection which he has been
able to maintain with American in.
dustry and commerce, is broken, not
simply during the war but broken
never to be restored.
1.-The German empire. through its
financial operations. has put an indus
trial and commercial chain all the way
across the country and through our
insular possessions. We have be-
come thoroughly convinced that it
would be wise and highly desirable at
this time if the ownership of some of
those properties could be permanent.
ly taken away"
BIG SHIP DOCKS INVOLVED
The Hamburg american and North
German Lloyd wharves and docks at
Hoboken. NJ j.. Mr.. Palmer told the
senators are "a part of the German
empires commercial grasp on this
continent"
innate relationship Of some sort be-
tween the German government and
the Hamburg-American line" Mr.
Palmer said neither is there any
doubt about the relations between the
German government and a large mum.
Der of other great industrial enter
prises in this country which have
come within the control Of the alien
property custodian"
WOULD EXTEND COMMERCE
Plans Of the German shipping lines
to hold their dock properties for ex.
tension of German commerce after
the war were disclosed by Mr.. Palmer,
who added:
That is fair indication of the
hope and purpose of enemy capital
that not day shall elapse when the
war is over before they again put
their grip on the commerce and in
dustry of America. You can not
strike a heavier blow at the enemy
today than to make him understand
that he has lost his connection with
the industry and commerce OF the
American continent"
WOULD AMERICANiZE THEM
where a German has an invest
ment over here Of private, individual
character we ought not disturb it,"
continued Mr.. Palmer. But these
great industries these great concerns
financed by the Deutsche bank, sup
ported by the junker class, are the
kind we ought to Americanize. ~
81 am making chocolate in Connec-
ticut rails in Pennsylvania, woolens
and worsteds in New Jersey, chemi-
Gals in New York, lumber in Florida.
raising sugar in Porto Rico and
Hawaiia. tobacco in many states in
the south, making beer in Chicago,
lead pencils in New Jersey and con-
Quoting all these concerns, many of
which are making enormous profits by
reason of the very conditions for
which the enemy is responsible. war
conditions. If ! must simply sit here,
with the possibility of returning both
principals and profits to the German
owners at the end of the war am do
ing a tremendous favor to the German
empire, our enemy"
American interests in Germany are
negligible compared to German inter
ests here, Mr.. Palmer said.
"She is now doing with us exactly
what we are doing with her." he
added.