Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-25
SEES GERMAN PLOT
IN BOSCH CHARGES
Palmer Declares Teutons Seek
ing to Regain Possession
of Magnetic Plant
ALREADY FULLY PR0BED

specioi Dispatch 10 EvcninO Public Ledger
Washington. Jan. 25.-The renewed
Investigation of the sale Of the Bosch
Magnetic Company, one of the big Ger
man owned industries seized during the
war, was attributed to the activities OF
German agents by A. Mitchell Palmer
today.
Mr.. Palmer. former Attorney Cen
eral, was Alien Property Custodian
when The $1,000, 900 property was sold
to a representative of Martin e. Kern
q banker Of Allentown, Pa.
Mr.. Palmer said he was not aware
that a subpoena mad been issued by the
Eoston Grand Jury calling on CoLonei
Thomas ,. Miller. Alien Property Gus
todian. to produce all the documents
bearing on the sale of the Bosch prop
erty.
"All those charges in connection with
the Bosch Magnetic Company nave been
answered before. ! have said hun
slred times that the transaction was on
tirely legal and aboveboard and that
there Is nothing to hide.
"a Senate committee investigated the
charges when ] was nominated for At
torney General. ! have heard that
German agents have beer trying 10 nay"
the Department Of Justice reopen tAe
investigatiOn. This is simply another
attempt of German agents to get po1-
session of the property.
Il was reported last night that Alien
Property Custodian Miller had been
served with subpoena to appear before
the Federal Grand Jury in Boston with
oil the papers bearing on the sale of the
Bosch Magnetic Company.
II was understood the Grand Jury at
Boston was preparing, under the direc-
ton of the United States Attorney
there. to go as deeply as possible into
the matter. The charges which II was
said the Grand Jury would investigate
included accusations that Mr.. Palmer
sold the property of Kern : agent. How
ard d. Griffith. for St.15O. .OO when il
was said to be worth 81 600. 900.
The Bosch Magnetic Company was
sold at public auction on December :.
1918. The ostensiblc purchaser was
Grifiths. hut later it developed that
he was acting for Kern. who dissolved
the original company and formed tue
which took over all of the property
and plants of the parent concern.
Allentown. Jan. 25.-Martin Z.
Kern. q director of the Bosch Mag
neto Company. is now on his way to
the Genoa Conference, where he will
act as an accredited observer for the
American State Department. according
TO Kern's business associates here.
A Federal Grand Jury at Boston has
started an investigation of the sale of
L..
German owned. while A. Mitchell
Palmer was Alien Property Custodian.
1t was limited in New York today that
Mr.. Kern left the country TO avoid the
Investigation.
The suggestion was called ridiculous
by r. +. Doney, treasurer OF the Penn
Counties Trust Company, of which
Kern is president. Mr.. Doney said
Mr.. Kern has been appointed an un-
official observer at the Genoa Confer
ence by Secretary of State Hughes. and
that while in Europe he will study
economic conditions there.
Mr.. Kern sailed last week on the
liner Paris for Havre and is expected
TO reach that French port today. Mr..
Doney said Mr.. Kern has a desk at the
American Embassy in Paris. and that
he probably will call at the Embassy
before proceeding to Genoa.
Mr.. Doney Indignantly denied reports
published in New York that Mr.. Kern
had a police record in New York. He
said a photograph said to have been
identified by the New York police was
the photograph. not of Mr.. Kern. but OF
another man now dead.
81 have had inklings," the trust
company treasurer continued. that at :
tempts have been made to blackmaIl
Mr.. Kern because of his connection
with the Bosch Magnetic Company.
know nothing of the details of the at
tempts."
Mr.. Doney added that Mr.. Kern is
expected to remain abroad several
months. lie denied report that Kern
is of German birth, asserting he was
born in Switzerland. Kern has been
president of the trust company for three
years and lives here with his aged
mother. He Is widower.