Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1921-02-03


is only about II per cent Of the prin-
Of sixteen months-a record of eco.
nomical administration Which has
never been approached by any trust
company in the world"
Not only did the alien property Gus
todian to do his part in rendering use
less to the foe the millions of enemy
property in this country, but in an ag-
greSsive fashion the Office was a great
help to the allies. The report which
the alien property custodian has sub
mitted and which incidentally has not
been allowed to become public before
has this to say on that subject: when
the armistice was signed the alien
property custodian was supplying the
government with magnetos for air
plane and automobile motors, with
cloth to make uniforms for the soldiers
and the dyes with which the cloth was
colored; with medicines, surgical in.
struments and dressings, with musical
instruments, ball bearings, telescopes,
optical instruments and engineers
the making of gas masks; with glyc-
erin for the making Of high explosives,
and large number Of other and varied
products In some instances the
enemy-owned corporations, under the
alien property custodian's supervision.
We're running 100 per cent production
ON government business alone"
The Case of Mrs. Hilprecht.
The report also deals with number
less pathetic incidents which featured
the enforcement of law which so
drastically changed the lives and for
tunes Of thousands of people, many
of them innocent of any wrong and
condemned solely because they were
Of German or Austrian blood. At the
congressional hearings designed to get
at the facts with reference to the large
number of aliens looked after by the
department of justice some Of these
cases were strikingly described. About
the most prominent of these cases was
the misfortune of Mrs Sallie Crozier
Hilprecht. born in the United States
of American parentage and having an
ancestry that had been American in
thought and deed for two generations.
She was married in 1903 to Prof. Her
man V. Hilprecht, subject of the for
mer German emperor and who had
never taken out naturalization papers.
Professor Hilprecht came to Philn-
delphia in 1856 from Germany, and In
the same year became professor at the
University Of Pennsylvania. He was
curator Of the Babylonian section of
the university museum and professor
of Assyriology until 1910. Professor
Hilprecht had two SONS by previous
marriage. One died and the other Is
resident of the United States and
has several children. In 1914 Profess
sor Hilprecht and his wife were In Mu-
Mich when the war broke out in Au-
gust, and his wife. under American
laws. having the same citizenship as
her husband, could not leave Germany.
She was formally adjudged German
subject and they remained in Ger
many during the war. When the Unit
ed States entered the war against the
central powers Mrs. Hilprecht fed to
Holland. Thence she went to Switzer-
land, where she has since resided. Mrs.
Hilprecht suffered from physical In
firmities and has not been able to pro-
cure passport to the United States.
Her property here was valued at
half million dollars. The alien prop
erty custodian, then Mr.. Palmer, seized
1t, and 1t Is still being held on the
ground that she is German subject,
and hence forbidden by the trading
with the enemy act from holding title
to that property.
Although Mrs. Hilprecht was left a
large income under q trust created for
her sole and separate use by her ia
Their here, she cannot enjoy the pro-
ceeds Of the trust, and the funds are
accommodating in the alien property
custodians hands. Mrs. Hilprecht Is
penniless in Switzerland and Is de-
pendent upon the generosity and kind
ness Of her friends.