Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-22
Wants His Money Back

George II. Ehret a brewer, has returned
to New York City from Germany, and
brings word that conditions are hopeessly
bad in that country, and that scarcity
of food extends throughout the Empire.
The secret of MIR Ehret's return Is found
in the fact that his big brewing interests
were so thoroughly Germanizcd that the
government had confiscated the property
under the Alien Enemy law The hold
ings thus taken over approximate III value
s4O.OO0.OOO The property was seized
after the government had become thor
oughlv satisfied that its owners and
bcneficiarics are Germans, foes of this
country
The millionaire brewer bad been living
in Germany since before the war broke
out. and apparently had made no effort TO
return until his millions were lost. Then,
he being an invalid and aged, was carried
aboard a Danish steamship and spccdcd
across: and it might he added that the
vessel was not moestcd by Hum sub
marines as other Danish steamers have
been
Arriving here, Mr. Ehret was careful
10 state that he had bought no war bonds
while in Germany, because he was neutral
and didn't believe that to buy bonds would
be consistent with his claim Of neutrality
He also said he was well treated IN Ger
many. If advancing years have not
brought forgetfulness, Mr.. Ehret should
go on record as the first torty-mllhon-
dollar German permitted to dodge when
the Kaiser passed the hat for war funds.
Isn't it easy to picture the German
American brewer, then living IN Berlin,
telling the Kaiser that he, being neutral,
could not give any money 70 be used 70
fight the United States? What would
have happened?
There is no way Of telling. Of course,
whether Ehrets memory Is al fault or
not. One may be suspicious Of neutral
at such times as these But Of course
there are no neutrals-no such condition
of mind. feeling or action One must be
either for or against Germany asshe goes
along merrily, numbering women and
children, looting Russia and LAYING waste
to France.
Had Mr.. Ehret merely been neutral,
it is hardly likely he would have been
permitted to leave Germany with his
reports of discomfort and suffering and
near-uprisings indeed, not unless the
Kaiser permitted him TO come over TO
~ and regain control of his beer plants
and beer fortune, and put himself and his
money in the way of being useful to the
cause of Kultur. 1t is rare, these days,
that a really neutral American gets out
of Germany, and never IN such way as
he can recall the experience in any manner,
except with horror. The outspoken
Americans are imprisoned there.
Mr.. Ehret, while complaisantly resting
upon his neutrality, and hoping
of his favoring both sides-to recover the
s4O,OO0,OO0, forfeited to the United States,
declares he Will not start proceedings at
once to regain his money 1t Is his III
tention to wait, probably, until the war
IS over and the bitterness against the
Hun is mellowed in g measure, and then to
make his plea This Is the course, it Is
understood other Germans will pursue.
They are depending upon American
generosity and forgiveness, and their
ability to show how diabolically untrue
were the allegations affecting their loyalty
to the United States frame up"
as guilty criminals say in defense. Great
"dopers" Of truth are our German foes.
1t is very truly written Of the German
ambassador, Won Bernstorff, while here
in the early part Of the War-that che
never hesitated to give bis true opinion
privately, or TO repudiate il publicly
if the occasion demanded that he resort
to low lying
Perhaps Ehret may only be neutral
while in this country Germany would
certainly have been a very uncomfortable
place for a German with $40, 100000, and
who refused to give any Of it to aid Ger
many in her missionary work Of ruling the
world
Ehret is the type, cited only in this case,
as again calling attention to the German
Test we forget" his savagery and cupidity,
after the war, when he viii come with hat
in hand, asking back the money taken
from him because he was an alien foe-a
traitor-who turned his back on the
country which had given him the oppor-
tunity 10 raise himself out Of the slough
of poverty and free him from the foul
associations of people Of his own race.
A revolution in Japan is very surprising.