New-York tribune., 1919-09-03
Reiteratcs Demand for an
Investigation by Senate
of Administration of the
Alien Property Custodian
Repeats Previous Charges
Attorney General Unopposcd
TO Inquiry Started by
OtherThan Junkcr Agents
Ncm York Tribune


WASHINGTON, Sept. 2.-Answcring
charges by Attorney General A. Mitchell
Palmer that his efforts were in the in
tcrests of Germany, Senator Frclng-
huyscn, Of New Jersey, reiterated in
the Senate this afternoon his demand
that Mr.. Palmcr's administration of
the office Of Alien Property Custodian
be investigated.
Senator Frelinghuyscn set out as the
reasons for his opposition to MIR.
Palmer the following:
"Bccausc he publicly proclaimed as
did the Germans, that Americans. hav-
ing been warned Of danger. should not
have sailed on the Lusitania.
because he was an intermediary be
tween the President and German agents
willing and anxious to have the Lusi
tanla incident condoncd and to secure
cotton for Germany SO that she might
manufacture explosives to destroy more
helpless women and children.
because in an cndeavor to make the
public forget his pro rmanism, he
conducted the office of Alien Property
Custodian in high handed manner.
because as Alien Property Gus
todian he did not obtain the best pos
sible prices for property seized by
hlm, and as result the alien property
fund probably will not be sufficient to
satisfy claims of our citizens.
"Because his administration OF the
office OF Alien Property Custodian has
protlted the few who obtained bargains
at his sales and was not for the
benefit of the country as a whole
because under the law the Attorney
< off Of
ment to pass on claims against the
Amen property Custodian. and in my
opinion. aside from the impropretv
of an accused being his own Judge, it
IS not fair to compel claimants who
nave had bitter Quarrels with A. Nit
chell Palmer as Alien Property Custo-
dian now to present their claims
against him as Alien Property Custo-
dian to him as Attorney General"
Says Palmer Was "M. p"
Senator Freljnghuysens charge that
Mr.. Palmer acted intermediary between
the President and German agents in
this country prior to the war. goes
back to the publication Of documents
found in the dispatch bag of Dr. Al
bert. chief of the German agents in the
United States. One of the dispatches
related to conferences between man
designated as IN. F." and the Presid-
ent and Secretary Lansing with re
gard to the establi ishment Of an Ameri-
can synicate with strong German re-
lations' that wished to ship large
amounts of cotton to Germany Senator
Frellnghuysen asserted that an. P"
was the Attorney General OF the
United States.
"Mr. Palmer resents criticism and
will not hesitate to use all the great
power of his office to intimidatc those
who oppose him." said Senator Freling-
huysen. His contact with German
agents has taught him the power of
Bureaucracy. If he has nothing to fear,
why does he oppose investigation and
abuse those VINO urge it? Why. having
been Alien Property Custodian, did he
fight for the office of Attorney Gen
era so that he could be Judge of
claims against himself? Why did Mr.
Bradley Palmer urge in Paris a pro
VISION IN the treaty whitewashing the
Alien Property Custodian ?"
More Prussian Than Prussians
"Mr. Palmer has indeed learned from
the German agents.
He is more Prussian than the Prus-
slams.
Il denounced the Prussians and
their ways, and no one Of their disci-
Piles can intmidate me-"
Senator Frelinehuyscn's attack upon
Mr.. Palmer was answered by Senator
Underwood, Democrat, of Alabama. in
the same strain that characterized the
Attorney Generals reply to the New
Jersey Senator's earlier charges.
The Attorney General, he said, had
been constantly under attack from
"German sympathizcrs." All the
charges made by Senator Frclinghuysar en-
were thrashed out by the Judiciar,
Committee, he added, which later re.
ported Mr.. Palmer's nomination ia.
vorably TO the Senate.
The Attorney General is not op-
posing an investigation" he asserted
He told me he did not oppose an in
vcstgation, but that if one was to be
made it should be in the in,crest of the
American people and should not be
made by men who are the paid agents
of the German junkcr class"