The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-03-12
German-American Alliance Put
Over $SOO,OOO Before Amer
lea Entered War.
THEN ACTIVITY STOPPED
Members We're Instructed to
Cease Collecting for German
War Sufferers and Devote Eff
forts for American Red Cross

Washington, March 11.-More
than $80O,000O collected by the Ma
tional German-American alliance
for the relief Of war sufferers in Ger
many before the United States en-
tered the war, reached the hands of
DR.. Bernard Dernberg, chief German
propagandist in this country at the
time. according to evidence before
senate committee holding a hear
ing on Senator Kings bill to revoke
the alliance charter.
J. T. Tjarks, of Baltimore, treas
urer of the alliance, told the COM
mittee that he turned the money over
to Count Won Bernstorff, former Ger
man ambassador to the United States.
and produced checks covering a
greater portion of the vast fund
which had been endorsed over to DR..
Dernberg by Won Bernstorf.
DR.. Dernberg came to the United
States soon after the war began in
1914 and first came prominently in
to public notice by his defense of the
sinking of the Lusitania. He trav-
eled extensively. lecturing and writ
ing, and his activity finally became
the subject OF an investigation by de-
partment of justice agents.
Dernberg Deported.
",
never was announced, though it's
purpose was known to have been to
determine whether DR.. Dernberg was
connected with Germany sabotage in
this country. Soon afterwards he
acted upon hint of the American
government that his presence here
was no longer desired and requested
the state department to secure a safe
conduct for him. Great. Britain at
first declined to agree to his return to
Germany. but finally acquiesced.
When asked by Senator Walcott,
of Delaware, whether any of the
money which Dernberg received was
used for propaganda work. Tjarks
said he did not know that it was, and
added that if it was so used it was
misapplied. He justified the action
of Won Bernstorff in delivering the
money to DR.. Dernberg on the ground
that the latter was regarded as the
representative of the German Red
Cross.
Some of the money, the witness
said, reached Germany, as was evil
denced by acknowledgements receiv-
ed by the donors from widows in
that country. Some of it was used
for war relief in Turkey. the wit,
ness said, but those checks were not
turned over to DR.. Dernberg.
Colleetsng Ceased.
After the United States entered
the war, Tjark said he sent notices
to the members of the alliance to
cease collecting for the German war
sufferers and to devote their efforts
to getting money for the' American
Red Cross.
He received no subscriptions for
that purpose, he said.
Earlier in the day, witnesses tes-
tilted that there was a working agree
ment between the alliance and the
national association of commerce
and labor to fight prohibition. Percy
Andrae. of Chicago. president of the
association at the time of its organ
ization, said he arranged with DR..
G. j. Hexamer. OF Philadelphia. then
president of the alliance, to have Jo-
seph Keller, of Indianapolis. then
vice-president, take charge OF the
disbursement of funds among Ger
man organizations to fight prohibit
ton.
Karl A. NJ. Scholz, of Baltimore.
attorney for the. alliance, told the
subcommittee the alliance would ad-
NIT all participation in opposing
prohibition by the state organiza-
tons, but whether that was in vio-
lation Of its rights would be depend
ent on an Interpretation OF the char
ter.