South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-07-23
GERMAN METAL
CONTROL IN j. s.
IS WIPED OUT
Several of Largest Concerns
In United States With Wide
RamifiCatiOnS Are Seized
BY Government.

WASHINGTON. JULY 2s.-German
control Of the metal industry in
America has been wiped ou. Dy
Alien Property Custodian Palmer.
ln The seizure Of several Of the Iarg-
est metal concerns in the United
States with ramIncatious into Mex
ico. Canada and south America.
AIR. Palmer announced Monday
that he had taken over the business
of l.. Nogel Stein g. CO.. Inc. Of
Sew York city. with assets OF more
than $4,000. 900. and Beer. Sond-
heimers & Co. Inc. also of New
York city. with assets of upwards
Of 100000
ln addition the custodian has
seized the enemy owned interest i'm
the American Metals Co. controlling
some l6 companies in this country
and South America. and Stallforth
ts Co. OF New York. dealers in silver
bullion with capitalize ton OF ST.
100000. T. Stauforth. principal
stockholder in the latter company.
is now interned at Fort Oslethorpe.
Ga
Seizure Of these companies result
cd from Investigations into the gem
eral metal situation now being made
hy Francis =. Garvau. director OF
the bureau ct investiga tion. i'm the
alien property custodian's Office
Dominated large Market.
To was revealed that the Beer
Sondheimer and Nogel Stein COM
panies were closely affiliated with
the German metal gesselschaft.
which for some years has dominated
the entire metal market Of the
world and that thev with the
American Metals CO.. controlled
most OF the principal metal and
smelling companies of this country.
either by complete ownership of
stock or by representation i'm the
directorates.
Mr. Palmer's announcement said
that the Vogel Stein and Beer. Sond-
helmet companies had endeavorcd
To cover up the German ownership
of their assets by an Americanizing
process undertaken after the war
began. but that their ownership
was only "thinlv disguised
These two companies are believed
10y MI Garvan 20 have supplied
Germany with vast quantities of cop
per. zinc and other necessary war
materials after the war began and
their activity nm this respect did not
cease until after the United States
entered the war The business Of
Beer Sondheimer a. Co. was found
ed in America 10y the German firm
of the same name. bat the Ameri-
can branch was incorporated i'm
August. 1915. by Benno Elkan and
otto Frohnknecht. who had operat-
cd the branch for the German firm.
and who did not make application
for naturalization papers until early
Don the last year.
Wireless Telegraph Used
Eikan and Frohnknecht claimed
they had bought out the interest of
the German frm but Mr. Garvan
uuearthed wireless MESA ees passing
between the American branch and
German COMPANY indicating that
the latter had planned the incor-
roration OF the firm here and that
DO had not sold ITS interests.
Ludwig Nogelstein. head of NoSel-
stein d. Co. is am American citizen.
but for many years he had repre-
scented i'm this country the firm OF
Aaron HirsCh q Sohn of Ialber-
>tadt Germany. which did an aver
age business of about sI0.0O0.0OO q
ycar bee the United States. Canada
and Mexico. I'm December. 1915.
No@eIsteiu formed New York cor
pordtion. but the alien property
custodian did not accept his state
mcut that his agreement with the
German firm ended i'm April. 1916.