Alien Property Custodian A. Mitchell Palmer and His Executive Staff, 1918

After the passage of the Trading with the Enemy Act in October 1917, all German citizens in the United States had to disclose their assets and property to A. Mitchell Palmer, the newly appointed Alien Property Custodian. If Palmer decided that these persons, or their businesses, represented a threat to the United States, then he was authorized to seize their assets for the duration of the war. He held the position of Alien Property Custodian until March 1919, at which point President Woodrow Wilson appointed him U.S. Attorney General. This photograph shows Palmer (the stocky figure in the front center) with his executive staff, which was composed of experts and investigators from various fields. Photograph by Harris & Ewing.