The sun., 1919-09-03
PALMER SCOURGED
BY FRELINGHUYSEN
Attorney-General Accused Of
Pro-German Sympathy in
Lusitania Case.
ALBERT DESPATCH CITED
Senator Gives Six Reasons for
Demanding Alien Property
Custodian Probe.
Special Despatch to THE sus.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2-Senator Ere
linghuysen IN. ~ rising to question
Of personal privilege in the Senate to-
day made answer to Attorney General
Palmer, who on Saturday made an at
tack on the Senator which was pub
lished broadcast.
"Mr. Palmer tries to give the i'm
preston that in my opposition to his
appointment and In Senator Calder's
and my effort to have his acts as Alien
Property Custodian investigated we are
pleasing Germany said Senator FIRE.
linghuysen, that was opposed to the
Trading with the Enemy Act f; also that
i was against characterization Of the
German Industrial concerns In America
that 1 urged the continuance Of the
German insurance companies in the
country as such; that protested
against his official management Of the
German woollen mills In Passaic, and
that the position taken by the Stuy-
vcsant Insurance Company, Of which
am president in refusing to cancel the
liability in the Balkan Insurance Com
pany. under a contract. was an evidence
Of pro-Germanism. Such charges are
so ridiculous that they scarcely warrant
a reply" .
The Senator explained in detail all
Of the business dealings he has had
during the war, declared he had abso-
lutely no apologize make. would pursue
the same course again in the same cir
cumstances, and declared that the whole
insurance question as produced by the
war was a matter of business policy.
He added that 1t was handled with
great skill and loyalty by the American
underwriters. with no sympathy for
German interests.
Never Served His own Interests.
"In my public acts in this connection
/ have never thought of my own personal
interests-they were slight, very slight
compared to the other larger American
companies that were interested" said
Senator Frelinghuysen. MY knowledge
OF the situation. think, helped to shape
legislation wisely and the result was that
all American companies survived. pur-
sued the honorable course, as I believed
and / am not ashamed of It. I have
done nothing except in the line Of public
duty. Mr.. Palmer to the contrary.
81 think that covers all Of Mr.. Pal.
mer's. specious and untrue charges" he
continued. II insist. however, that the
management Of the office OF the Alien
Property Custodian be investigated. and
to that Mr.. Palmer objects. Notwith-
standing Mr.. Palmer's objection. de-
mand that that be done, and be done i'm
mediately. I claim that that Ia my right
as United States Senator whose honor
and patriotism have been attacked by 9
high official of the Government
'Mr. Palmer's vindictiveness proves
what on its face to me always seemed
axiomatic-that a man should never be
appointed to an office where he will have
the right to pass Judgment on complaints
against himself.
Long Felt Distrust OF Palmer.
IT had no German record to haunt me,
to make me countenance unjust and ar
bitrary conduct on his part. Justice will
ultimately prevail. There are many who
In their hearts distrust Mr.. Palmer. his
dupliclty and his highhanded methods
as much as do.
THE New York World In an editorial
in its issue OF February 2s. 1919, said
when the letters M. p were found in
the despatch of DR.. Albert:
" The identity of M. p. thus remains
undetermined, but the mystery should
be cleared up. Mr.. Palmer himself
should insist upon 1t in advance OF his
confirmation by the Senate. II Is a
small matter as between himself and
others mentioned who shall be the next
Attorney General. It Is a great matter
that the American people should know
positively that NJ. p. is not the next
Attorney General of the United States.
Who was NJ. p.
ct send TO the desk at this point the
translation Of the German memorandum
found in DR.. Albert's despatch book and
ask the secretary to read it,"
(The memorandum was read.)
"Mr. Palmer could not deny that he
was the NJ. p. referred to-" Senator FIRE.
linghuysen said.
I'm fact he admits It. The New York
World now Is silent In its opposition,
Were 1t not the time when friends of
the Administration believe that they
must close their eyes to its faults would
II be silent?
Reasons for Opposing Palmer.
81 opposed and will ever oppose Mr..
Palmer
First, because he publicly proclaimed,
as did the Germans, that Americans,
having been warned OF danger, should
not have sailed on the Lusitania.
Second, because he was an inter-
mediary between the President and Ger
man agents willing and anxious TO have
the Lusitania incident condonsd and to
secure cotton for Germany so that she
might manufacture explosives 20 destroy
more helpless women and childran.
Third, because in an endeaVor to
make the public forget his pro German
ism he conducted the once OF Alien
Property Custodian in a high handed
manner.
Fourth, because as Alien Property
Custodian he did not obtain the best
possible prices for property seixed by
him, and as result the Allen Property
fund will probably be insufficient to
satisfy claims Of our citizens.
Fifth, because his administration OF
the Office OF Alien Property Custodian
has profited the few who obtained bar
gains at his sales and was not for the
benefit OF the country as a whole.
Sixth, because under the law the
Attorney-General is the officer of the
Government TO pass on claims against
the Allen Property Custodian, and. in
my opinion, aside from the impropriety
of an accused being his own Judge, IL
10 not fair to compel claimants who have
had bitter quarrels with Mitchell Palmer
as Allen Property Custodian to now
present their claims against him as
Allen Property Custodian TO him as At
torney- General.