The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-10


the principal owner OF the concern wss
Prince Furstlich Schaumber Won Hoof-
homer. who lives near Bremen, and
that the concerns principal business
was to spread propaganda. The osten-
sible presidents of the company we're
men Of prominence and education
brought to Florida from South Ameri-
can countries and who always located
themselves at Pensacola, 40 miles
away, and although the thousands or
acres of virgin forests could easily have
been marketed, the company contented
itself with working only in the most de-
sultory fashion and not only did not
develop the property itself, but tried In
every way to keep back tho tide OF de-
velopment. When a railroad company
tried TO get in right OF way TO ST
Andrews Bay the company opposed IL
vigorously and even the building OF
good dirt roads was discouraged.
Nearest Harbor to Panama Canal
These facts and others tend to show
that the corporation was more than
commercial concern. St Andrews Bay
is one OF the best harbors on the whole
coast Of the gulf. 1t lies east of Pensa-
cola, but unlike Pensacola and most
Florida harbors II is free from the terri
BILE storms which ravage the coast 1t
has deep water and could be dredged to
any needed depth. AS a strategic point
the bay Is unsurpassed by any harbor In
the country, and is said to be the nearest
harbor in the United States to the Pan
anna Canal"
When the concern was first taken over
by the Enemy Property Custodian his
first thought was how best he could
make Il a part OF Americas great fight
ing machine Upon his urging the Elmer
gency Fleet Corporation awarded the
company a contract for eight seagoing
schooner barges to be used in carrying
coal. Two months from the date of the
contract the shipyard and plant, which
cover thirty acres of ground, were COM
plete, and in September the first keel was
laid.
Another German lumber company
made barrel slaves of the sizes used In
German beer kegs: another when II was
seized had $780, 900 feet of walnut for
rife butts and airplanes, The Germans
were in the foodstuff industry on an
enormous scale and before the United
States entered the war had contrived
to forward vast quantities of supplies To
the fatherland through Scandinavia
In a chapter devoted to miscellaneous
aCLlNlIleB MI. lClAo a Nhio VA W.
man adventure into commodities of o
thousand varieties only appreciable as
war material-such as piano wire, es-
sential to airplane manufacture--wheI
carefully Investigated. and into other
branches not divertible to war at all. but
with the notion OF controlling manufac-
lures on which hundreds of other kinds
OF manufactures we're to become de-
pendable.
In Metal and Chemical Line.
The Germans were heavily interested
in metals and chemicals here. one con-
Germ made tools, another equipment vita
to munltion plants. a third bronze pow
ders. another knitting machines ant
needles. They were the products Of
myriad articles essential to the manu-
facture of war goods for armies Other
than their own and It was their plaI
first to withhold these articles when or
ders came In for them and thus hamper
the production Of the war essentials. BY
the size OF the orders they received they
were able to inform the German staff o.
the measure OF war industry which wa:
going on in this country
Mr. Palmers story of the work OF hi
bureaus OF investigation, trusts. sales
administration and law is an accoun
OF a sum Of effort and devotion whicl
IS memorable. He and all his stat
worked for small pay or nothing a
all. His department when it wa
created had an appropriation of onl.
100000 and in the months In which
it has been in operation has speH
only about 81 100000.
Justihes the Expense Account.
Justifying the outlay OF this none!
Mr.. Palmer says:
'SThe total amount OF Govern
ment funds expended by the office
OF the Alien Property Custodian
from the time of its org nization
TO February IS, 1919, Is :JJut ST.
600, 900. Thus it will be seen that
tho cost to the Government OF ad-
ministering nearly $4,000 trust
estates of a total value of $780,
900, 900, located in every state in the
Union and In every Insular Posses
sion, Is only about one-seventh of l
per cent OF the principal of the trust
estates for Il period of sixteen
months: a record of economical ad-
ministration which has never been APP
preached by any trust company In the
world.
In one sense, indeed, this office
mas Cost lIle NJONtl liIIlcIlt lNsS NAle1i
nothing, for entirely through the eff
forts OF the Allan Property Custo-
dian unreported and concealed income
and excess profits taxes have been
collected from corporations and
other taxpayers controlled by the
enemy during the same period TO the
amount OF $l,604,539.76. Without
the activities of this Office and the
careful scrutiny and examination
made o: the affairs OF all corporations
with which the enemy had any con-
nectlon It is most likely that none OF
these taxes would have been revealed
! 90 the Government or collected by It.
| The amount thus collected through
| the efforts of the Allen Property Gus
todian is over so per cent greater
| than the entire cost OF operating the
! office.
Helped Fighting Machine.
| And furthermore after taking
| over enemy owned corporations the
| Alien Property Custodian has en-
| deavored, wherever he could consist
| entity do so, to make them part Of
| Americas great fighting machine.
| He instructed his representatives to
give the Government the first call on
| the products of these enemy owned
| corpora lions, with the result that he
soon found himself supplying the
| Government with many OF tho most
| important things used in the war.
1t Is indeed a suggestive thought that
the principal German investments In
this country were found to be in the
production of the essentials OF war
| fare.
when the armistice was signed
| the Allen PropertY Custodian was