The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-07-26
INTERESTS AGAINST
!. HIM ARE GERMAN,
DECLARES PALMER
Attorney General Makes
Final Reply to Charges
Seeking to Prevent His
Confirmation
sy Associated Pre-.

torney General Palmer, APP
pearing today before the Sen
ate judiciary committee to
make final reply to charges
put forth in an effort to pre-
vent confirmation of his nomi-
nation declared the whole
fight against him was conceiv-
ed and carried on by repres-
sentatives of German interests
because of his work as alien
property custodian in break
ing up the German industrial
army in the United States.
Mr. Palmer made detailed denial 81
charges by Senator Freylinghuysen.
republican. of New Jersey. regarding
the payment of excessive fees to SEN
ator Harris of Georgia and iona j.
Fitzgerald. a former member OF the
House from New York. The total
amount paid Senator Harris. he sad,
was $4,000 for work done before he
became a member of the Senate, while
Mr.. Fitzgerald's firm received $500
month as associate counsel or the
American Metal company.
las New York prices go for legal
services" the Attorney General said.
''Mr. Fitzgerald's compensation vas
shamelessly low. In all, he was paid
less than $1,000"
Starting off with charges by Harold
Remington, a lawyer of New York, that
Mr.. Palmer should not be permitted az
Attorney General. to pass upon mis-
acts as alien property custodian, the
witness said:
'"These lawyers. representing Ger
nave come here with their charges,
but they have been careful to cast no
aspersions upon my moral character or
| my qualifications.
They have attempted to say that
sent man to Paris to have put in the
peace treaty a provision that INV acts
as alien property custodian should stand.
perfect absurd thing to saw. IT ia q
part Of the German fight against me
carried on by paid agents of Germans
still incensed becaues their property was
taken over and put into American
| hands"
| The Attorney General said he might
later file answer to what he characterized
as perfectly outrageous insinuations" bv
Merton r. Lewis. formerly attorney gen
eral of New York that he had sold the
Bosch magnetic plant at Springfield.
Mass. to friends at a figure much below
| its value.
The committee spent nearly an hour
discussing with the Attorney General
the case of Stollwercke Bros, CHI ate
| manufacturers of Stamford, Conn, .ose
plant was seized and sold after homer
S. Cummings, chairman of the democratic
rational committee. whose firm had been
its counsel since 1905 reported to the
custodian that Ii was German owned
Mr.. Cummings, who was paid $4,000 year
as managing director. resigned a year
ago. Mr. Palmer said, because he wanted
to Join a syndicate to buy the property
On account of his former connection with
the company the custodian would not per-
nit the sale to be made to him, and
the plant was bought for $3.50, 900 by the
Touraine company and Estabrook &, Co.
of Boston.
Mr.. Palmer denied charges that the
Touraine company, long in the candy
business in New England, was enemy
owned Harry B. Duane, he said, was
president. and looking up Mr.. Duane s
ancestors. the Attorney General said one
| was the first mayor of New York and
another was one of the drafters of the
Declaration of independence, which, he
| icanism.