The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-03-17

WASHINGTON, March l6.-Ger-
many'S control Of thr zinc and lead mar
kets Of the world and her tremendous
interests in other metals was shown ny
a report today Of tho alien property
custodian TO have been broken In large
part by tho release Of American. McXi-
can and South American mines and
smelters from the dominance OF Ger
man-owned corporations.
All the metal concerns in the United
States which have been controlled IN
Germany have been either disbanded or
Americanized. and the report declares
that 1t Is believed that the German in
iiucnces in our metal market have ocen
completely eliminated.
Never q great producer Of metals
Germany nevertheless welded trcmcn-
dous power over markets by The tact
, that her three great metal comhina tons
acted in concert in the purchase Of orc.
the establishment Of smcltrrs. aided by
unlimited credit from German banks.
which financed the sales Of huge Quanti-
tics Of metals. thereby influencing
prices. AT the outbreak Of tho Euro
pcan war. the report said, each member
of the trumriratn had a branch in IN"
United States-the American Metal
company, TSpTNStHlIlS inc -hSld
schaf;. Of Frankfurt: l.. Nogelstcin &
Co.. representing Aron Hihsch & S"hn
and Bccr. Sondheimcr & Co. represent
ing the German syndicate Of ihc sam"
name An idea If their extent may be
had from tho stat emcni that their COM
h;ned profits in 1916 amounted 10 W.
nm. n0n. Of which si.00G.00h was made
by the American Metal company.
When the alien property custodian be-
gan investigating German business IN
this country. under authority Of the
trading with tho cn"my act. he found
frequent attempts 10 transfer stock IN
supposed Americans in IN effort to cir
rumNcnt seizure by tho government.
Tho efforts were useless. and in the
case Of Beer. Sondheim & Co tho trans
fnrs were declared void and the entire
business was turned over In the custo-
dian
Disposition has now hon decided upon
in nll three cases of the metal com
pancs Econ. Sondhrin & CO. is IN
progress Of liauidatiun. including its
subsidiaries. Tho r"mpanr's control
over importan, Notation patents also
has been destroyed. Ia was said tho
stock would go only into American
hands
Control Of l.. Noer!strin e. 20 has
been assumed ny the custodian lHT Hfr
years by means nf a voting truss III
which Tho custodian names two Of thrn"
trustees. and tho firm agrees not to RI"
sumo relations with its German CON
ncctionS in that period. This arrange
mcnt was devised because Nnl"ClStrin
is an American citizen and il has not
hccn pn$::ih|n 10 learn IN" exact interest
Of Aron Ilirs"h & Sohn in tn" Eog"!-
stein assets.
Rv agreement between IN" custodian
and American stockholders Of the Amer
lean Metal company. all of III cstnck
has hern put into voting trust tor
five years. with ihr Custnd,a AN holding
certificates "f 1864 shares owned ny
enemy aliens. olt &C total IF Th.nnO.
Tho cncmy-owncd shares will be sold
10 Americans.
Tho German metal octopus" tn" re-
pnr, concludes. had spread his trnin-
clos across Tho ocean and over tho
United States into Mexico and South
America. hut for III" present surely.
and for all time il is hoped. he has
hecn driven back and n wall Of Amori-
can;sm erected. which il is hoped NJ
will never bo ali" again 10 scale.