The sun., 1918-10-29
GERMAN AFTER WAR
TRADE PLOT SOUGHT
Great Teuton Owned Firms Sc
cretly Work to Seize Bust
ness, Is Report.
INQUIRY TO START HERE
Evidence May Connect Con-
spiracy With 100000
Enemy Fund.

A public investigation TO develop the
truth in regard TO reports that great
German owned industrial concerns are
competing In domestic trade with Amer
lean enterprises and are only waning
for peace TO begin an active campaign IN
American markets for the beneht Oh
Germany will be begun this week.
Papers that have come into the posses
sion of the bureau OF investigation Oh
the Office of the Alien Property Cus'o-
dian Indicate that before the United
States entered the war a number OF I'M
portant German concerns. some OF
which we're dominant in their respective
lines. MANIPULATED their affairs so as to
nut ownership In the names OF Germans
who had the advantage or American cit-
zenshlp. These concerns have been ex-
empt from seizure in the absence OF
proof of concealed ownership for Ger
man interests.
Full Inquiry Planned.
The Investigation will be of the ut
most importance for the protection OF
Americans who have invested large sums
In experimental exploitation of COM
Gtkman hands These pioneers In infant
American industries. particularly those
who are building UP ene domestic manu-
facture OF dyes, are not to be exposed
Immediately after the war to the cut
throat competition OF long established
Arms whose American ownership Is a
mere pretence II the proposed investi-
CATION can stop II.
A mass of documentary evidence has
- To- L., m n A.
ton. II is planned to make compre-
hensive inquiry in the collection and
disbursement of German moneys In the
United States since the European war
began.
The Investigators have much new mst,
ter to disclose and number OF wit
nesses to examine who have not APP
peared in earlier German propaganda
Inquiries Much attention will be paid
to the affairs Of German American
banking house that was in intimate re-
iations with the Deutsche Bank of Ber-
lin and to one Aaron Hecht. financial
agent OF the German Embassy preceding
DR.. Heinrich Albert.
The Government has proof of the ex-
penditure OF sac 10000 in this country
In the interest of Germany from tine out
break of the European war. Good sized
blocks OF this have been accounted for.
and almost 100000 was expended
Through the Hamburg America Line, the
latter sum largely for supply ships for
German raiders in the early days OF the
war But the disbursement of much OF
this money has not been traced by the
Government and il Is hoped that supple
mentary accountings will be a product
of the investigation about TO begin.
Drug Deal Exposed.
The Governments Inquiry into the
Bayer Company, makers of drugs. chem
lcals and dyes. whose aspirin IL In world
Wide use. was illuminating in regard 10
German schemes for holding on to SUI
premacy in its particular lines When
the Alien Property Custodian took over
the Bayer Company he found it tied by
contract 10 buy an essential dye ingrc-
dent from another corporation The
latter was an enterprise of the officers
OF the Bayer Company, whose ownership
was masked by American dummies. If
the arrangement had not been discovered
the officers OF the Bayer Company stood
70 make a million dollars a year while
the war lasted through a company which
they had purchased with money of the
Bayer Company.
II Is the theory OF Government officials
that officials of the Bsyer Company
aimed to build up their ostensibly Ameri-
can company with the profits accruing
from the contract which the Alien Prop
erty Custodian assumed when he took
possession OF the Bayer Company. II
was found that a large piece of water
front property at Edgewater had been
acquired for n factory. Then with the
advent of peace they would have q big
company on a sound basis with which TO
try to regain the German interest in the
American trade. 1t was pointed out that
the new company would have been in a
position to take over a large part OF the
business Of the Bayer Company when
that concern is returned 10 its owners
by it's trustees for the war and offer its
products TO the consumer as those OF an
American enterprise.