Evening star., 1932-04-24

IF the United States can show that the de-
struction of the Black Tom and Kingsland
ammunition bases before American
tered the war was German sabotage, its
government may collect $40 900 900 dam
ages. The Mixed Claims Commission has
decided that Germany was not to blame but
American agents have uncovered new evidence
and seeking to reopen the case.
Three letters and an old magazine are the
evidence.
When the letters were written is the decid-
ing question. If the date is Is years back, the
United States wins. Otherwise Germany will
carry her point again The commission will
meet this coming Summer. Then will be the
final showdown.
To date Germany has paid the United States
Treasury, for American citizens, over $51 $50 000
She paid So 100 69857 this year alone as re-
suit of awards of the Mixed Claims Commits
sion. The Hoover moratorium does not apply
to these payments, as they are made in salts
faction of war damages sustained by American
citizens, rather than being technically inter
governmental debts
THE United States owes Germany for the
property of Germman nationals which the
United States seized when it entered the war;
and this debt has been deposited to her credit
The only debt of the German government to
the United States arising from the World War;
other than the damages awarded United States
citizens by the Claims Commission, is 1922 $685.
435.79, which represents the expenses of the
American Army of Occupation. There no
German "reparations" to America.
Therefore should United States agents prove
that the Black Tom and Kingsland disasters
were actually caused by agents of the German
government, there is chance for Germany to
escape payment of the damages.
Sunday morning July 80 1916, New York
was shaken out of bed by a series of explo-
sions at Black Tom, the Jersey City terminal
of the Lehigh Valley Railroad which killed
three men. destroyed $40 900 900 of ammuni-
ton destined for the allies. and wrecked a
million dollars worth of plate glass in Man
haitian.
Half year after Black Toms disaster. the
ammunition plant CT the Canadian Car &
Foundry Co. at Kingsland, N. j., exploded. For
four hours some 100000 worth of shells
rained upon the countryside. They had been
meant for Russia.
OR days after the first explosions the country
was in a state of excitement. Fear of
repetitions or worse disasters was widespread
Investigations were many and exhaustive.
Greatest care had been exercised by detective
agencies to prevent from happening that
which did happen, and this care had been to
no avail. The that was taken in investi-
eating the cause of the explosion was even
tinued ever since.
Thousands of affdavits were taken, suspected
people were shadowed for years, from all cor
ners of the world information was cleaned
With this mass of supporting evidence the
newly-discovered letters and the magazine are
believed by American Investigators to supply
the missing link against Germany To under
stand how much depends upon the age of these
documents it is necessary to go back to that
Sunday in 1916
little after am. a terrified terminal
agent at Black Tom discovered fire in a box
car Of TINT on siding, and ran for his life.
He was blown over the sea wall into the Hudson
River, where barges of explosives, flaming and
bursting for all New York to see, were spread
ing havoc.
A this time one Michael Kristof entered
his home in Hoboken, crying What have
done! What have I done!" His overweight
condition caused his cousin to report the
matter to the Hoboken police.
Kristoff, police learned, for three days