The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-03-15
GERMAN PROPERTY
TO GO ON BLOCK
HOLDINGS OF KAISER IN THIS
COUNTRY WILL BE SOLD
BY PALMER.
BREAK OUTPOSTs OF KULTUR
Interests of Merely Minor individuals
Will not Be Interfered With
Money Raised viii Be Spent
on Government Bonds.

Washington, March 9.-Property in
the United States owned by the kaiser
himself, former Chancellor Won Beth
mann-H olweg, the German "junkers
generally and the German government
itself, will be the first to. go under the
/ hammer, in the plans of A. Mitchell
Palmer, alien property custodian 10
sell German-owned property here TO
the highest bidder.
Mr.. Palmer's testimony to the SEN
ate appropriations committee in which
he proposed necessary legislation.
Just made public, makes plain thai,
properties of merely minor individuals
probably win not be sold, but that the
direct purpose of the move is TO
break up the outposts of "kultur" in
America.
1.-THE time has come" Mr. Palmer
told the senators. when the owner
ship of some of these great German
properties should be permanently sep
arated from German capital. and that
the enemy might as well know that
The connection which he has been able
to maintain in American industry and
commerce is broken. not simply dur
ing the war, but broken never TO be re-
stored.
1.-The German empire. through its
financial operations, has put an in
hustrial and commercial chain all the
way across the country and through
our insular possessions. We have be
come thoroughly convinced that il
would be wise and highly desirable at
this time if the ownership of some of
those properties could be permanently
taken away"
If the legislation be adopted. Mr..
Palmer stated. it was his intention to
cell principally the enemy properties
In this country in which the German
government and the ''junker'' capital
istic classes are interested and not dis
turb that of minor individuals.
Senator owen of Oklahoma said he
understood part of their stock is own
ed by the kaiser, represented by Herr
Balm.
There is no earthly question about
the intimate relationship of some sort
between the German government and
the Hamburg American line" Mr..
Palmer told the committee. Neither
is there any doubt about the relations
between the German government and |
a large number of other great indus |
trial enterprises in this country which |
have come within the control of the |
alien property custodian.
"These large enterprises are closely |
,1-tth "a
ment. Where German subject has
an investment over here of private
Individual character we ought not to
disturb it. But these great industries,
hose great concerns financed by the
Oeutches bank, supported by the junk
srs, are the kind we ought to Ameri-
,aniZe.
ut is a part of the German trust
n this country. / am making choco-
ate in Connecticut, rails in Pennsyl-
-ania, chemicals in New York, wool
ms and worsteds in New Jersey, lum-
,er in Florida. raising sugar in Porto
rico and Hawaii. tobacco in many
tates in the south, making beer in Chi
ago, lead pencils in New Jersey, and.
all these concerns, many of
which are making enormous profits,
" reason of the very conditions for
which the enemy is responsible-war
conditions If / must simply sit here,
With the possibility of returning both
and profits to the German
at the end of the war, / am
loing a tremendous favor to the Ger
nan empire our enemy"
1t is Mr.. Palmer's intention to use
he proceeds of enemy property to buy
government bonds.