Evening journal., 1921-09-23

sist Legion members IN securing en-
ployment this winter.
Plea Cor Cooperation
DR.. Samuel. former state Com
mander and at present director OF
the u. S. Public Health Service In
this State was then heard from.
making a strong plea for the CO.
operation OF the Legion with his
department in caring for disabled
and IN ex-service men. DR.. Samuel
said that 159 cases had been acted
on by his office since Il was opened.
Of which number so reached settle
ment at Washington.
Captain Pettyiohn was placed In
nomination by H. n. Hanson OF
Dover and Dr. Huliihen by Everett
r. Borton OF Wilmington. Posts
supporting Captain Pettyjohn we're
Delaware. No. 1, Wilmington. No. 2.
Dover; No. Z. Harrington; No. 10.
Milford; No. IA Smyrna, and No. 10.
Milton, and those In the Hullihen
column were Lawrence Roberts. John
L. Fisher and Norman ID. Scott
Posts. Wilmington and the Marshall
ton, Middlotown and Newark posts.
In accepting the office. Captain
] Pettyjohn stated that he would de-
vote his best Interests 10 his work
during the coming year and con-
cluded his acceptance with a state
ment that there will be no politics
in my administration" This as
surance was warmly received by the
! delegates.
Colonel Miller. in the course OF
his speech. said:
This Is the first opportunity that
has presented 'tself since the pub
lication OF the terms OF the peac
| treaty for attention TO be called TO
certain matters OF importance to this
country in connection with the $500.
900 900 worth Of alien enemy prop
crty seized by this government since
the outbreak OF the war with Ger
many. now being administered undei
the trading-with-the-enemy act. Thi
property IS the only tangible asset
m the possession Of this government
| growing ont Of the war. not TO men
tion the fact that to date interest
has been passed on the $4,000, ,0O0
600 loaned our allies. but which
under the funding bill prepared at
the direction OF President Harding
will be speedily adjusted.
at Is assumed In many quarters.
by many members OF Congress as
well. that this property should forth
with be returned TO our former enc
mics. Reference Is made TO treatI
sH.H HI.
was in It's infancy with the then in
dependent state OF Prussia which af-
terward merged into the German
empire. formed some years later. J.
is claimed by some that the provi-
sions OF this treaty prevent us from
utilizing this property for any pur-
pose. but the fact sht u.d not be
overlooked that one maxim OK in
ternationai Jaw is that declaration
Of war abrogates all treaties.
whether this point will hold o.
not, no one will deny that durina
the late war deeds were perpetrated
upon innocent people and neurals
which were unheard Of and in many
cases unthinkable in former times
and previous to April s. 1917 Amer
!can and neutral ships were sunk and
their nationals lost their property a.
well as their lives. The most out
standing example OF this ruthless
ness was the sinking Of the Lusi-
tania. Claims aggregating A00,0 900,
600 arc on file in Washington by
American citizens against the Ger
man nation for damages growing oui
Of such actions prior to the time
this country declared war.
Il shall advocate that this prop
erty be held by this government un-
tu those claims are settled or the
funds be used as an offset against
these American claims.
Discusses Bcrgdoll.
"The whole Bergdoli matter Is a
stain on the previous administration
OF the War Department and a refec-
ton on the government. The Amer
ican Legion wants this man brought
back to this country. and II we can't
get Bergdoil under one law, I say
get him under another.
Il observe that some OF our
statesmen al Washington during the
debate on the peace resolution. ques-
toned the action OF the alien prop
erty custodian in the Bergdoil seiz-
ure. Let them not forget that an
enemy under the law Is one who re-
sided In Germany or Austria during
the war and who was not protected