Munsey's Magazine, July 1918

About this issue

This issue features a detailed article by A. Mitchell Palmer, Alien Property Custodian, on enemy property seizure during World War I. Palmer explains the scope and administration of asset confiscation from German and Austrian nationals, clarifying that seizure depends on residency status rather than nationality. He describes the legal framework distinguishing between permanently interned alien enemies (whose property is seized) and peaceful resident aliens (whose holdings remain untouched). The article details enforcement challenges: property holders concealing assets or arranging deferred-payment transfers to obscure ownership. Palmer cites specific cases, including the Schutte & Koerting Company transaction involving a note payable in 1937. He discusses the custodian's unusual inventory—from pencil factories and breweries to scattered lots including rugs, horses, and cedar logs—and reports financial holdings including stocks, bonds, real estate, and miscellaneous assets. Human-interest anecdotes include letters about an abandoned farm in South Dakota and a ten-thousand-dollar bequest to Field-Marshal von Hindenburg. Palmer outlines enforcement mechanisms and explains newly granted authority to liquidate enemy property, with detailed accounting of trusts and assets held as of May 1918.