New-York tribune., 1918-02-27
German Alliances
Defence Assailed
AS Efrontery
Assertion That 1t Has Been
Quiescent in the War
Arouses Loyalists
Berlin's T ool, ,SaysLeon
Quotes Editorial From Teu-
tonic Paper TO Show Sinister
Menace of Federation

While the Senate Judiciary Commit
tee took "a day off yesterday in it's in
vestigation, under the resolution of
Senator King, of Utah. into the activi-
ties of the National German-American
Alliance, exception was taken in many
quarters to the proposed stand Of the
German Americans. This was fore
shadowed in the statement obtained by
The Tribune from Alphonse G. Koelble
and published yesterday, that because,
according to their claim, they have re-
trained from active pro-German propa-
ganda since this country's entry into
the war, their society should be per-
mltted to continue intact, with It's spe
clal charter unrcvoked.
sheer. colossal etfrontery," was the
substance of most loyalist comment on
this attitude
Not Il word Koelble lttercd,' de-
clared one man, "bUt what could have
come with perfect propriety from Won
hertling and the whole German mill
tarst crew we arc spending our life
and treasure to overthrow"
Meanwhile fresh facts as to the his
tory of the organization were COM
ing to light, while Maurice Leon. the
lawyer who has been on the trail of
the alhancc ever since the outbreak of
me war, in 1914, bitterly assailed the
department of Justice for what he de-
cared to have every appearance of
beng lukewarm attitude toward the
whole affair.
me department has not seen fit, ap-
pafently ne said, 'to take the pre-
cautlonary step OF selling the records
-,
the espionage act, but at least it should
turn over to the Investigating com,
mittcc all the data it has on the sub
Ject OF Its activities. We'll Informed
people know these data to be extensive.
ne committee should have the benefit
OF 1t. and it is the next duty of the
Senate to demand that the department
produce the evidence already in its
possession"
Many Under Surveillance
Charles dc Woody, in charge of the
United States Department of Justice
mere, stated that the department would.
OF course, turn over all its records in
the case il they are requested. He
added that the department had and
still has many members of the Ger
man American Alliance under surveil-
lance.
harl %arnes, Assistant United States
Attorney, VINO has had the handling Of
numerous cases under the espionage act,
including that OF Jeremiah OLeary. the
aYowed friend and associate of Koclble
and other German-American Alliance
men likewise asserted that personally.
Tor the good of the country, he would
IKE TO see all such movements broken
up.
But practically, when you come to
zeal with the matter under the law
ne added, many difficulties stand in
the way of absolute convictions"
From all quarters. though, agree
ment was general that the apparent ef
tort OF the alliance to contine the scopc
o. inquiry solely into its activities since
American entry into the war was a
specles OF camoufage that should be
strongly combatted. Maurice Leon epit
omized the popular view when he said:
Part OF Pan-Cerman Scheme
Even if one assumes that their con-
tcntion that they have refrained from,
active opposition to the war since last
April be true, that does not mitirato
the evil of their organized presence in
our midst. These people. who act and
thlnk and vote always as Germans. arc
nothing more than a part of the pan
herman scheme. They represent the
adaptation of that scheme 10 American
conditions. They constitute a form of
social sabotage in the national life
The real question is not, What have
they been doing during the last few
months? it is, DO we intend to lo+
such an alien body continue to poison
our national life ?"
In further support OF the contention
that the German American Alliance in
reality takes its cue from Berlin. MR.
Leon Yesterday produced an exccrDt
from an editorial published several
years ago in the 'Ncuc Deutschc Zei
tung," in which it was said:
Perhaps one day leaders of the des-
tlnies OF Great Britain and tho United
States will see too late for their own
good what was the real meaning Of the
American visit of Prince Henry-the
york Of federation and union of all
citizens of German birth or race in the
United States under one political hat"