The evening leader., 1918-12-03
GERMAN GOVERNMENT Undecided
HOW TO DEAL WITH THE EX-KA|sER
Thinks Hohenzollerns Are Sufficiently Punished by
the International Odium They Have Incurred

sensitive in resenting this fran1eup to
obtain his signature by deceit and is
it hardly possible that the Edwards
Construction company attempted to
tell him he had signed where he had
not unless they were advised by par
ties who underestimate the mental
faculties of the clerk just as Mr.. West
and Mr.. Durrance had at other times.
The clerk had not been authorized to
sign and didn't. This was a matter
of at least a couple of thousand dol
lars in cash, not to mention certifi-
Gates, which was done hastily and
Enthusiastically so far as Mr.. Dur
rance was concerned, and I would
readily undertake the responsibility
OF proving to the world that he did
play the main role then as it is his
custom to attempt to do eternally.
| thought, as many others do, that
the clerk could not be, responsible for
what he had not done but after spe-
cial visit from one of our city attor-
neys the council cleared itself by sim
ply making a resolution 70 the effect
that proceedings had been done of
which no record had been made. Ny
protest then was feeble, and this ar
ticle, if it seems harsh, must be taken
as the expression of lesson I've
learned well.
Another incident of slight import
ance except to, illustrate the selfsh.
ldictatorial, mercenary policy on the
part of Mr.. Durrance that has vexed
the clerk so often, was in the early
days of his term as president of the
city council when the mayor had been
absent from the city for eight days
and the president of the council by
virtue of his Office became mayor pro
tenn. Mr.. Durrance instructed me to
draw himself voucher for eight DAYS
as mayor, Notwithstanding the city
was legally bound to pay this money
to the mayor, who could recompense
Mr.. Durrance then or not as he saw
fit Realizing this to be the case, l
drew the voucher to Mr.. Durrance, re-
ling on his honor as a gentleman to
return the money to which he was not
entitled if the mayor should decide to
claim the same.
The mayor did require of me to
make it straight and Mr.. Durrance
held the money fast for months until
| had refused to sign his salary vouch-
er, and then he played his faithful
trump card, Mr.. West, which he holds
for all emergencies, and with pressure
from the chairman of the finance COM
mittee, and regarding the matter as
too small to warrant any further no.
tice, l acceded to Mr.. Durrance's cry
and let the money go, having to pay
the mayor, too.
The summer of 1917 was coming to
a close and to say l stood in bad with
Messrs. West and Durrance, who had
literally usurped a hidden throne
which we didn't know we had, is
touching on the subject very lightly.
l had qualified and been accepted for
the End officers training camp and
was instructed to report at Fort Ogle-
thorpe on the 29th of August Messrs.
West and Durrance who, with the new
er failing vote of Mr.. Olympios, con-
trolled the council absolutely, did not
fail to see the opportunity, even
though their calculations ultimately
came to grief, of adding the Office of
the clerk and tax collector, to their
spoil. Not being certain that my con-
templated course of training would
bring me commission in the army, |
exercised the authority which the
clerk and tax collector has Of nomi-
mating a deputy to fill the Office dur
ing my necessary absence, intending
to return to my duties if Uncle Sam
should reject my services as an army
officer.
Such course endangered any plans
to dominate my Office to the extent
that two of the councilmen, or at least
Mr.. Durrance, called upon our adviso-
ry city attorneys in Tampa for legal
support in their opposition, and fail
ing in this because the statutes of our
Continued on page two)