Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1918-08-02
CYANIDE WENT To
TEUTON HANDS
ST 100000 Worth Went Into
Teuton Control BY TransaC-
ton for R. & H. Stock.
FRANZ R0ESSLER ON STAND
Tells of Citizenship and 0pposi-
tion to Kaiser at Hearing Be-
fore Government Agents

When the inquiry which is being
conducted by Attorney General Nor
ton Z. Lewis in New York, at the re-
quest of the Federal government, 10
determine whether the Recession 6s
Hasslacher Chemical Company, the
Perth Amboy Chemical Plant and tho
Niagara Electro Chemical Company,
are owned in Germany was resumed
yesterday morning Joseph H. Choate,
who represents the Government in
the proceedings, asked William A.
Hamann of the Roessler g. Hasslacher
Company q number of questions rela-
tive to the transfer of certain of the
German-owned stock.
You were the first to suggest to
the German owners the desirability
of selling a controlling interest in the
American plants to American inter-
ests, were you not2" Mr.. Choate ask
ed.
"Yes, I wrote a letter in which 1
said that owing TO the stress of war
conditions / thought the control
should be owned and held in this
country" the witness replied.
We'll. what did you mean when
yau said in the letter that IL the Ger
mans did not want to sell to Iloessler
and Hasslacher that hey pl,ght find
1t desirable TO sell TO some other
Americana"
81 meant TO say that IL the Ger
man company preferred to let the con-
troll of the American concerns rest
in hands other than ours that we
would permit them to make such
transfer. ] thought Ii very necessary
for all concerned that these American
companies should be the property Of
American citizens In the event this
country entered the war (The letter
was written subsequently to the dec
laration Of war against Germany.)
Deputy Attorney General Becker
asked the witness how he accounted
for the tremendous profits made by
the companies, In sorle instances the
dividensd that were declared since
1914 being in excess of 1000 per cent.
Mr.. Hamann replied that the great
success OF the companies was due 10
the fact that the German group that
was interested in the companies held
certain sercret forpulas. which secret
formulas greatly Increased in value
after the outbreak of the European
war.
RoessIer Opposed to the Kaiser.
Franz Roessler OF this city. Vice
President OF the Roessler & Hasslach-
er Company, followed Mr.. Hamann on
the stand. Mr.. Roessler said that he
came to the United States when he
was young man and that Immediate
ly> after he landed he applied for his
citizenship papers and became a citi-
zen. Mr.. Roessler said that he mar
ried an American woman and that the
elder of his two sons was an officer of
the United States Army at a fort near
Boston. His younger son. he added,
tried to enlist when war was declared,
but was rejected because of weak
heart. His oldest daughter. he said.
married an American officer who was
now fighting under General Pershing
in France.
You have said that before this
country entered the war your sympa-
thies were with Germany, have you
not?" asked Mr. Becker.
Yes, in sympathy with the German
people. have never been in sympa-
thy with the ruling powers in Ger
many" Mr.. Roessler replied.
did you not approve of the policy
of Bismarck in building up a great
war machine I'm Germany2"
II certainly did not"
Are you opposed 20 the policies of
the present Kaiser2"
II certainly am opposed to the
Kaiser"
Then you can qualify as a good
American citizen" Mr. Becker added.
well, you must know" added Mr..
Roessier. that Frankfort has always
opposed Prussian rule over Southern
Germany"
Not when the people of Frankfort
celebrated the sinking of the Lusita-
nia." Mr. Choate remarked.
CONTINUED IN page ID