Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-20
NO IMMUNITY PACT
FOR BERGDOLL, SAY
CAPITAL OFFICIALS

UAPlIAL UFFlUIAL0.
WASHINGTON, March IS. - War
and state department officials today
jointly announced that the Washing
ton government would enter no agree
ment to extend immunity to Grover
BergdolI as an inducement for his
return from Germany. The govern
ment has taken no part in steps TO
have the draft-evader returned.
BERGDOLL TOLD LEGION
HE WOULD RETURN TO L. S.
NEW YORK, March 1S.-Norman
Hapgood asserted today that if
Grover Bergdoll was now saying, as
reported in an Eberbach dispatch,
that he had not promised the Ameri-
can Legion he would return from
Germany, it was only because the
draft evader had changed his mind
and become alarmed.
Certain influences have been try
ing to alarm Bergdoll and have APP
parently succeeded" said Hapgood,
After seven years of adventurous
lodging of the authorities, he is
naturally full of suspicion. 1t seems
probable, nevertheless, he will de-
eide within the next few days def
nitely, to carry out the agreement
Bergdoll's mother Mr.. HapgooG
said, has indicated to him that an
opportunity like the present, in
which the American Legion takes a
sympathetic interest in his return
and in which the state department
ro-operates with the legion, is not
likely to occur again.
An article by Mr.. Hapgood in his
magazine, published yesterday, said
Bergdoll would return.
BERGDOLL DENIES PROMISE
TO RETURN TO STATES
EBERBACH Baden, March 49,
(By the Associated Press3-Grover
Cleveland Bergdoll. the American
draft-evader. authorized his score
tary to state today that Bergdoll
had not agreed to return to the
United States, as has been reported
but that he was willing to n~jdnr
proposals giving assurances as to
the exact punishment he Wo%f4 have
to UNDERGO in such case.
Coming to Atlanta
Bergdoll, convicted draft evader.
who escaped from two army
guards in May. 1920. and made his
way to Germany, will return to the
United States immediately to serve,
five years in federal prison in At
lanta, according to Leighton H.
Blood, of the American Legion.
The announcement was made by
Blood through Norman Hapgood
editor of Hearst's international
Magazine. Bergdoll said he would
return at the invitation of the le-
gion
Blood went to Germany as a le-
gion representative to ask Bergdoll
to return. The draft evader agreed
to come. back, he said. tell who as
sisted in his escape, and serve his
time. Then his property, which is
held by the alien property custodian,
will be returned and he may go his
way
A dispatch from Eberbach, Baden,
last night said two Americans had
asked Beredoll to return, but that
he had refused to do so without as.
surances as to his punishment and
property
Dispatches from Berlin last night
said foreign office officials had in.
timated they would be glad if Berg
doll got out of Germany. Intipla
tons had been made to them, the
dispatches added, that Bergdoll de-
sired to leave thet country, and it
was said the Berlin government had
asked the Badenese officials to put
no hindrances in the way of his
immediate departure.
Terms Given Bergdoll
Blood said he went to Germany to
carry out a plan mapped out by
Garland w. Powell national director
of the legion's American commits.
sion. and Lemuel Bolles, national
! adiutant.
my mission was to invite Berg
E! doll to come back to America with
me of his own free WILL" said Blood
CAS- long as Bergdoll was in Ger
many the anti-German feeling in
the legion would be strengthened
and would count in. American poll
tics. Therefore, if a plan could be
| worked out by which Bergdoll could
| be brought back to America it would
! help everybody"
| Blood said he was violating no con-
! fidence in giving a summary Of the
| terms made to Bergdoll:
"Bergdoll must come back, he
must serve the sentence: the Ameri-
can Legion is not so much interest
! Ell in. Bergdoll as in the men who
! helped him escape from America.
| Let's bring Bergdoll back and have
! him make a clean breast and tell
who the enemies in our own camp
are. Then let him do his bit in
! prison. After that give him his
money and let him go his way" Mr..
| Hapgood said Bergdoll had sold his
automobiles ami other property in
! Germany and even selected the ship
| on which he wished to return to
America.
Bergdoll earned the appelation of
! "America's most notorious draft
evader.'
Every possible method he could
have utilized added to his notoriety
and to his daring he save a cunning
that took him safely beyond the
reach of the United States govern
7 ment.
He reached that security through
his sensational escape from two army
guards on May u, 1920 He was on
his way from his mothers home in
Philadelphia where he had stopped
on his way to the hills of Mary
land, where he was supposed to have
hidden pot of gold-$125, 600
which he desired to deposit in a
bank for safety, and for interest.
When he escaped Bergdoll was
nominally at the army station at
I Governors Island. where he was