The sun., 1918-12-11
GERMANS HERE TO
MEET U. s. LOSSES
/ $500, 100000 Realized From
Property Sales Will Be
Compensation.
PALMER ANNOUNCES PLAN
Americans Whose Wealth Was
Seized in Germany May
Present Bills.

"a knife at the throat OF America"
was the description Of the German In
dustrial penetration of this country
by huge subsidized corporations given
last night by A. Mitchell Palmer.
Alien Property Custodian. to gather
ing Of distinguished lawyers at the
annual meeting of the Bar Associa-
ton.
Not only were the German concerns
provided with every means to stifie
American competition within the
| United States. but they were also
| used by the German Government as
| spy centres and deposltaries Of secret
| information collected by agents In
| this country.
The statement Of Mr.. Palmer that
| commercial warfare Of the bitterest
Kind was not the only form OF war
| waged against the United States IL
| based upon evidence obtained in the
handling OF 1884 cases in which en-
envy property valued at more than
| $500, 100000 passed into the hands of
the Allen Property Custodian.
Although hidden by every conceiva-
BILE device, legal or lawless. the owner
ship OF nearly billion dollars worth
| Of enemy property mas now been
| dragged to light and the work is con-
| tinuing, and will not end until peace
Is made with what remains OF the
| German Empire.
Mr.. Palmer made clear to the law
yers the question Of the return Of the
property after the conclusion OF salts
factory peace negotiations.
German business Lost.
without attempting to prophesy
what may be, done with the proceeds
| of the sales, for this must remain to
be settled by the treaty Of peace, 1t is
safe to say that the business which
the Germans built up in America will
be forever lost to them,p he declared,
No other course Is compatible with
, the safety Of American Institutions"
1t was not the lack of brains or
ehort on the part Of American manu-
facturers which permitted the estab-
lishment and success of German con-
Germs in the United States. Mr.. Palmer
| made plain.
While we were concerned with
plans to prevent monopoly from gain
ing too great a hold upon American
industry, Germany deliberately de-
stroyed Individual opportunity. fos-
tered combinations and mononiies.
and by Substituting its closely con-
trolled industries sent them out to the
world with the powerful backing or
the German Empire. The development
OF the cartel system in Germany. by
which all the Establishments in one
!.ne or Industry came, under a central
control, made 1t plain that the German
plan was TO bring into competition
with the American producer, not the
individual German producer, but the
German Empire itself"
BY this system of monopolies Ger
many could meet any price set bv a
home producer until he had been
driven from his own market, Mr..
Palmer pointed out The American
chemical industry, for example. as II
was constituted before the war, can
not exist, according to Mr.. Palmer. He
said in this connection:
There is absolutely no hope for the
development of American chemical In
dustries under the old conditions.
Chemistry more than any other science
Is the very foundation of a far flung
line OF industry. Its byproducts touch
alike the health. the well being the
very life OF the people In peace. and
even more In war, chemistry paints tha
whole picture OF progress. Americas
social and economic independence Ia
not safe unless the industries depeud-
ent upon the development of chemistry
are open to American genius and
energy.
Plotted Against u. a.
"ln the days before the war and
during the war most of the German
owned industrial establishments we're
spy centres filled with the agents of
Germany, long plotting against the
safety Of the United States, They
we're deposltaries OF secret infornn-
lion and without them these spies
would have been almost harmless"
Mr.. Palmer predicted that II Ger
many can get ont OF the war with her
home territory intact, rebuild "A stable
government and still have her foreign
markets subject to her exploitation
by means no less foul and unfair
than those which she has employed on
the field Of battle" the world will no,
be safe from future economic on
slaughts.
The money realized by the sale of
enemy property will no doubt be used
by the United States to recompenso
those American citizens who have
business interests in Germany now
seized, They will not, in the opinion
of Mr.. Palmer, desire to continue in
business after the war.
Subjects OF allied countries aAo
would he recompensed out OF the fund.
Mr.. Palmer pointed out.
TDAnE nnr---