New-York tribune., 1918-12-11
Palmer Warns
German Trade
Must Curbed
Alien Property Custodian
Saws Industrial Invasion
Was Menace to- Nation
Some Lawyers Rebuked
Attempts to Hinder U. S. i'm
Taking Enemy Concerns
Seen Since the Armistice

Declaring that Germany's so-cal'ed
tr;endy industrial activity in this
,ountrv prior to the war had actually
sas. knife at the throat of Ameri-
.orA Mitchell Palmer. Alien Property
Custodian. in speech before the New
York City Bar Association last night,
earned against too great readiness to
forcive Germany and accept her again
&C an industrial rival. He astounded
lis hearers by pointing out the rami-
scations Of Germany's industrial cam
naien in this country bef re the war.
Mr. Palmer. incide tai y paid tribute
to the loyalty of American lawyers.
Ne declared that while it was true that
many OF them did act as counsel to
ellen interests when the latter were
making desperate efforts to cover
themselves after the advent of war
tbe attorneys we're invariably innocent
Of Intentional wrongdoinr and as soon
ss called on showed prompt willing ess
10 place the rights of the government
over and above those Of any client.
Palmer Reviews His Work
"The Office of Alien Property Gus
todian WAS tilleo by the appointment of
the Pres dent on October %, 1917, so
that the office has been in operation
about thirteen months,' said Mr. Pal
mer. AT the close of business Decem-
ber 5. 1918, 32,GS4 reports of enemy
property had been received. The num-
ber Of separate trusts now being ad-
ministered amounts to 29,753. and have
an aggregate value of $500, ,4OO.5OO94.
When the entire number of trusts re-
ported shall have been finally opened
on the books and the readjustment of
values. consequent upon appraisal shall
have been completed. 1T is safe to say
that the total value of the enemy prop
erty in the hands of the Alien Prop
erty Custodian will reach $SO0,0OO 600.
Every device known to the law. as
well as many unknown to the law,
served the purpose of evading the con-
sequences OF the war between Germany
and the United States, which German
business men. at least, seemed to have
foreseen from the time the world war
started
an working ,ut their plans, the German
owners frequently had the assistance
Of capable american counsel. who in
most cases carried out the details of
the transaction in entire good faith
and without ulterior motive. being
without knowledge of the underlying
purpose Of the parties.
Most Of these lawyers feeling that
the interest CT their country was para
mount to those of their clients, assisted
us in developing the real facts, from
which We were able to draw conclusions
as to the actual ownership of the prop
erty In very few cases have we dis
covered American lawyers active
partles to cOnspiracies to defeat Tho
neillgerent rights of the United States.
or 10 hide the property of enemies
rom the governmental authorities.
with the cessation of hostilities
however something of a new fighting
spirit has developed, and lawyers who.
WINE the war was on, would have been
unwilling TO play any part in resist
ing the just demands of the govern
ment in the taking of enemy PROPERTY
nave not hesltated to throw ali sorts of
obstacles IN the path of the Alien Prom
cry custodian and to invoke the aid of
me courts to sustain transactions
winch as patriotic Americans. thew
would have been first to condemn while
.ne war was being fought. 1t seems
not improper for me to saw that law
Yer Aers ought to be no less loath now
man man heretofore to involve themselves
III lne Vaccinations of enemy persons
seeking to prevent the agencies of the