The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-04-07
Greatest Trust Fund
In World Is To Break
UpKuhur In America

Washington, April 6,-Now that
congress has enacted a law which
provides that all the great German
holdings of property and invest
mentS in the United States shall be
sold to the highest bidder, the alien
property custodian already invested
with probably the greatest trus;
funds in the world, will undertake
the task OF breaking up these out
posts of "kultur" which in the years
gone by have been nothing less than
agencies of the German military
and diplomatic system.
The same law authorized the pres
ident to take title to the great Ger
man steamship piers and wharves
at Hoboken, New Jersey, During
the war these will be used by the
army and navy. What will become
OF them afterward has not been en-
tirely planned.
But the auction Of German prop
erty interests and investments will
put on the market some of the NEST
eggs held in America by many
prominent German statesmen and
even by the German emperor. His
holdings are said to be gilt edge
and although held in some case
through other persons, they are sure
to be uncovered by the relentless
search OF the alien property Gus
todian.
Combating every device to con
ceal German ownership in American
concerns, probing into the facts
regarding every suspicious com
pany, seizing wherever there is
evidence OF an enemy alien owner
ship, the value OF stock in American
corporations, so lar taken over by
\. Mitchell Palmer, the alien prop
erty custodian, is enormous.
The possession OF the stock in
these corporations carries with it
control OF large lumber companies
cement concerns, brewery establish
ments, chemical works, trust insti-
tutions, and manufacturing plants OF
all kinds. In all of these, the alien
property custodian, having the ma
jority OF the stock, has placed ma
Jority OF directors to represent the
government during the period Of the
war and so long afterward as may
be necessary.
Fifty Companies Taken Over.
More than 50 large companies,
ranging in value as high as $l5,000,-
300 each, are already under govern
ment control in this way, and a
heavy interest in many other CON
Germs has been taken over through
the operations OF the alien prop
erty custodians office. The purpose
is to maintain and continue the
product and development OF these
corporations for the advancement
OF American industries. Thorough
and permanent Americanization OF
these corporate industries is pro-
posed under the power OF sale Civ
en- by the amendments to the urg-
ent deficiency appropriation act
Inquiries coming into the alien
custodians' office from every direc-
ton indicate that the exact scope
OF this arm OF the government, with
its ramifiactions not only through
out continental United States bur
into Hawaii, the Philippines, Porto
Rico, the Virgin Islands and else
where, is not clearly understood. 1t
seems to be bit pu2zling to many
how an American corporation, ex-
isting under the United States laws
and doing business in the United
States, can be seized by the alien
property custodian as if the cor
poration were an enemy alien. The
custodian frequently announces that
he has appointed board of direc-
tors OF some large American cor