The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-03-21
CREEL WORKER
ONCE ALIEN FOE
Leo j. Frachtcnberg, Native
Austrian, Employed to Make
Delicate TranslatiOns.
LOYALTY Is QUESTIONED
Recently Discharged From L.
S. Service for Statements
Concerning Germany.

Special Despatch 10 TIE Sun.
WASHINGTON. March 20. - Leo j.
Frachtenberg. naturalized Austrian
who was discharged last October from
one Federal department for disloyal ut
terances against the Government Of the
United States. is now employed BY the
Committee on Public Information on
highly delicate diplomatic translation
work affecting the relations between the
United States and Austria. Full inves-
tigation Of the case is regarded as GER
tain.
The particular work which Fra chten.
berg is doing now is preparing President
wilson's messages to Congress for Polish
readers. This work Is OF paramount i'm
portance because the Polish situation is
affiliated SO closely with the policies Of
the Austrian, Italian and Balkan Gov
ernmerts.
1gnace Jan Paderewski. now in charge
OF Polish work here. during a call at the
State Department to-day explained that
transla,ions OF the Presidents utter
German or anti-German propaganda ac-
cordins 10 the state OF mind Of the
translator 4 word or a single touch
makes all the difference. he said.
Disloyal Translation Heard.
II was at a meeting recently" Pa
derewski said to-day. where Polish
translations OF President Wilson's ad-
dress to Congress and to the American
Federation of Labor were Rad. 1t be-
came so evident to me that the transla-
tions were done by pro-Ciermans that
insisted on stopping them from being
n
self"
Paderewski said he did not know who
made the translatioas. but presumed
they were done by pro.Germans In New
York. There IL nothing to connect thssl
transla ations with the work which Frach'
tenberg is now doing for the Govern.
men.. But the incident shows how ex,
! tremely delicate this work II.
FrachtenberG. II now develops. was
dismissed from, Government service by
Charles u. Walcott. secretary Of the
Smithsonian Institution. on October 80
following an investigation Of charges
OF disloyal utterances. He was charged
with having said he hoped the Allies
would lose the war, that he hoped to see
Germany repay Italy for having en-
tered the war on the side OF the Allies
&c. His associates had referred tc
statements showing AN intense anti.
letter OF dismissal from Secretary Wal
colt stated simply:
1t has come to my attention that
YOU are charged with atterances deroga
tory TO the Government Of the United
States. You are f,rcby dismissed"
Trachtcnbcre Denied CharRe.
Frachtenbers is understood to have
I told agents Of the Department OF Jus
! tiCe that the charge that he had hoped
Germany would repay Italy was basec
on statements by him to the effect tha
we shall probably now hear of Ger
man atrocities in Italy" Following hi!
persistent attempts to have nuothe
hearing his case again was uvest!aa ,cc
last month by Secretary W".cot:,
Under date OF Fehruarv I M. Wal
colt wrote that while Frachtcnherg ha'
spoken in derogatory manner OF th'
Government Of the United States it VA
without disloyal or reasonable intent
But Mr.. Walcott added such utter
ances are inimi"al 10 the public velfa r.
in war time whether Intentional or moi.
Frachtenhere said he would make n'
public statement at this time. He al
mits that he was dismissed by tn" Smith
sonian Department and that he is nov
employed ,y the Creel bureau In trans
lating President Wilson speeches int
Polish
The Creel bureau referred inqurers -
Prof Guy stanton Ford. In charge o
civic and educational work on the com
mttee Frof Ford said that Frachten
berg was employed temporarily on Fol
ish translation work.
SON Of RABBIT Here.
FrachtenberE before leaving the Smith
sonan Institution had been connected
with the Bureau OF American Ethnology
His ability as line'iist is recognize,
generally He is the son Of Rabbi Frach
tenberg of New York and was At on
time in the immigration service IN New
York He is a native OF Austria an
lived for some time IN the Balkans. II
is also a lecturer on Polish matters, ant
on the occasion Of his last lecture stirre'
some agitation because Miss France
Densmore. secretary of the Bureau O
American Ethnology. protested agains
IL being given on the ground. that Fra"h
tenb~rg had been charged with disloy
altvy The matter was hushed up AZ tn