Evening star., 1918-07-22
Two of Largest Concerns in
America Are Taken Over
as Alien Property.
ASSETS WILL TOTAL
fourteen MILLIONS
Firms Are L. Vogelstein & Co. and
Beer, Sondheimer & Co., Both
of New York City.

By taking over today two of the
largest metal businesses of the coun-
try. in addition to others already
seized. A. Mitchell Palmer, alien prop
erty custodian. has smashed for all
time German control of the metal in
dustry in the United stateA
The concerns announced today to
be taken over were those Of L. vogel-
stein & Co.. nc. AZ Broadway. New
and Of Beer. Sondheimer & Co.. Inc.
81 Broadway. New York, with assets
OF about $5.000.0 900.
Other Property Already Taken.
Already the large enemy interest in
the American Metals Company. has
been taken over by the alien property
custodian. Also the enemy interest in
Stallforth and Company. of New York.
dealers in silver bullion. capitalized
at 100000. has been taken over.
This concern is described in a state
ment by the alien property custodian's
Office as another link in the chain Of
German control Of the metal markets
Of this country"
holder Of this company. now il in
termed at Fort oglethorpe. Ga
The Vogelstein and Beer. Sond-
heimer plants were taken over by
Mr.. Palmer as the result Of fnvesti-
,sstions s-esaducted-Uy Francis P. Gar
van. director Of the bureau Of In
vestigation Of the alien property Gus
todian's office. Further investigation
into the metal situation IL being
made by him
Companies Closely Affiliated.
The two companies in question
were closely affiliated with the Ger
man Metal Gesellschaft. which for
some years has dominated the entire
metal market of the world. They
dominated the market in this coun-
try. it was stated, in such manner
that they were able to sell copper.
aluminium. zinc and other metals in
Germany at price much lower than
that charged the American. consumer.
Beer. Sondheimer & Co., owns one
half interest in the National Zinc
Company the entire stock of the Cuba
Copper Company, the Cuba Copper
Leasing Company and the Norfolk
Smelling Company. 10000 shares of
the Minerals Separation American
Syndicate. Ltd" statement says
'vogeistein & Co. have large hold
ings in the United States Metal Re-
flning Company and the American
Zinc. Lead and Smelling Company.
.-of the 10000 shares of capital stock
of the American Metals Company, 15.-
1s0 shares are owned by the Metall-
bank and NJ. C. of Frankfurt. A. NJ.
and 1880 shares by the Metalls-
gesellschaft of the same place"
Owns Many Subsidiary Companies.
The American Metals Company COM
pletely owns large number Of SUBJ
sidiary companies.
From the evidence which Mr. Gar
van unearthed it is apparent that l.
yogelstein and Beer. Sondheime & Co.
played an important part in Ger
many's declaration of war, and of the
continuation Of the war after Ger
many had gotten into it. Through
their domination of the metal indus
try in this country these concerns
were enabled to send vast supplies Of
copper and other necessary metals to
Germany" the statement continues.
THE activities of these German con-
Germs in supplying necessary metals
to Germany seems to have continued
even after the beginning of the war
in August 1914, and only came to an
end when the United States Joined in
the European struggle.
TN 1914 the profits OF Beer. Sond-
heimer & Co. were s116.624: in 1915
the profits of this concern Jumped to
$1,013,676. and in 1916 they reached
the large total Of 100000. In 1917.
after the United States got into the
war, the profits of this company
dropped to $196.900.
Profits Extremely Large.
.The profits of L. vogelstein & Co.
large. the firms business for the last
three years approximating $4,000. 900.
Between April and December of 1916
the profits of vogelstein & Co.
amounted to upward of s2.5oo.000."
Directors named by the alien prop
are Edward M. McIlvain. Louis A.
Watres, James N. Wallace. Alfred H.
smith and C. c. Daniels. Messrs.
wallace, McIlvain and Watres also
will act for the custodian's office AZ
directors of eBer. Sondhetmer & Co..
in addition to John P. Greer and Ford
Huntington.