The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-06-18
TRIED
TN U.S..
COURT

Positive refusal of Carl August
Darmer, Tacoma architect and old
time resident of the city, to fight
In Germany against the country of
his birth, or voluntarily to assist
America in defeating the Germans,
was contained in testimony sub
mitted Tuesday morning by the
government before U. S. Judge
Cushman in the suit to cancel
Darmer's citizenship papers.
Expelled From Elks.
The most sensational evidence
indicating Darmer's disloyalty was
contained in a record of the pro-
ceedings of an investigation OF
Darmer conducted by the Tacoma
Elks last December, following
which Darmer was expelled from
the lodge.
This investigation, in charge OF
Attorney w. d. Askren, at that
loyal knight of the lodge, brot out
the statement from Darmer that
II he had known that the United
States would some day be at war
with Germany, he never would
have settled here and would not
F.. have become citizen of the
u. S."
Refused to Buy Bonds.
Questioned by the investigators,
the evidence showed, Darmer de-
clared the reason he refused to
buy a Liberty bond when solicited
by committee in the second Lib
erty loan campain, was that he
didn't want to do anything VOL
unfairly that would give support
in wiping out his mother country"
Further sensational testimony
was offered by Frederick Seitz, a
stereotyper employed by the Ia
coma Times. He told of a con-
versation he had at Magnolia
Beach with Darmer at the time
there was talk of Roosevelt lead
ing troops to Germany.
Hoped He'd BE Killed.
"Darmer sad to me: If Roose-
welt goes over there l hope he'll
never come back, Seitz testified.
II think he said he hoped Roose-
welt and all his men would be
killed. l got mad at that and told
him l hoped that for every one
lost the Americans would get 10
or IL Germans.
Judge Gordon. attorney repre-
senting Darmer, made a fight to
prevent the introduction in EVIL
dence of the record of the Elks'
investigation, but was overruled
by Judge Cushman.
This record contained an admis-
sion on the part Of Darmer of
the governments charges that he
had said, when visited by the Lib
erty loan committee, that he
would rather throw all his prop
erty in the bay than buy Lib
erty bond"
Kicking Own Mother.
Also an admission of the fol-
lowing statement made to the
committee:
II was born in Germany. Ger
many was my mother country. l
would feel as II l were kicking my
own mother If I bought Liberty
bond"
r. D. Mcdonald, Tacoma shoe
merchant, and James A. Pleas
ants, who were members of this
liberty loan committee, both tes-
titled that Darmer made these
statements to them when they soil
cited him last October. The
governments action was based on
these statements.
Cross-examined at the Elks' in
vestigation by Mcdonald, the rec
ord showed that Darmer made this
statement:
Owed So Much to Germany.
81 felt that I owed so much to
the land that produced me that
couldn't voluntarily destroy or as
sist in supplying the means to
wipe out the land that gave me
birth.
my attachment to the old coun-
try is Unborn, while my attach
ment to this country is acquired.
All the relatives ! have are in the
old country, while the only at
tachments I have here are my
friends"
The record disclosed that OAR
mer came to America at the age
of 90, having had military service
in Germany for about five months.
wouldn't Fight There.
It further contained statement
from him that he would be willing
Continued on Page Five.)