THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ARTHUR GEORGE VON STACH
Model German-Australian Citizen
How the Great War impacted on his life, being a German- Australian.

Background.
The life and times of Arthur George Von Stach, provides some valuable insights of German-Australians living in the Great War, but also the attitudes of the Public Service in times of War, towards Germans and German-Australians.
When the Great War broke out, the number of German-Australians ,including the descendants of German –born migrants of the second and third generation who had become Australians by birth, was around 100,000 of which about 33,000were immigrants born in Germany. Australia’s population was around five million. This represented the proportion of German-Australians of about two per cent. [Fischer, G.]
Queensland [6.8%] and South Australia [4.1%] had the largest concentration of German immigrants.
What the above figures show is that even though this community, their numbers were not high, the German-Australian community punched way above their numbers and were successful in all aspects of Australian society. This is equally true of both urban and rural Germans.
Importantly, prior to the outbreak of the Great War, German-Australians were highly regarded and seen as model citizens in within the broader Australian community.
By March 1915, the image of German-Australians who viewed as zealous hard working and model citizens quickly disappears and this group are viewed with suspicion and treated as outcasts in their own society. Anti-German feeling ran high.
The persecution of the German-Australians and the destruction of this community were part of the overall strategy and the aims of the Commonwealth government. Through the provision of the War Precautions Act 1914 and all of its Regulations, the Commonwealth government mounted an economic campaign to marginalize the German-Australian community, both at the manufacturing and firms level, but also against German-Australian workers  and public sector employees. Defeating the enemy entailed an economic war on the home front. On all levels of government, dismissed and put enormous pressure on German-Australians .Many lost their jobs. Trade Unions refused to work with Germans.

The story of A G Von Stach neatly fits into this narrative.

1. A. G. Von Stach

Early Life:
His father was of German origin, but he had moved from Germany to England as a young man where he became a naturalised British subject.
Arthur’s mother was Irish.
His parents came to Australia, in 1844, and Arthur George was born in Fitzroy about 1862.
A. G. Von Stach moved to Western Australia around 1897.

Arthur George Von Stach married Charlotte Allen at Perth, in 1899.
Daughter Dorothy Charlotte born 10/10/1900.
Birth notice in the West Australian on the 12/10/1900 records the father’s name as A. G. Stach von Goltzheim.
Arthur George Von Stach had a fine artistic ability and his skills were often in demand for presentation works to important persons on significant occasions.
In this artistic field of Illuminated Address and Invitation, some of his notable works included  invitations to the Official Function of the Royal Visit to WA (1901), the opening ceremony of the Coolgardie Goldfields Water Supply (1903), and addresses for the opening of the new WA State Parliament House (1904), and to visiting Governors General of Australia (1903 & 1905). Arthur also produced the artwork used for the masthead of the weekly West Australian Record newspaper (1904).See Appendix A

In a rather unfortunate event in 1903, after finishing work on a Saturday he came across a friend, and they went for a couple of drinks. He missed his train and more drinks followed at various other hotels around the city.
Disoriented, he wound up in the corridors at the Metropole Hotel, and took a silver toilet case from a table in one of the rooms. He was seen and apprehended.
He went to court and was put on a good behaviour bond for 12 months and ordered to pay costs of £1 14s. 6d.
At the time it was said that he was popular, and one of the best draughtsmen in the city.
That didn’t save his job in the Government though, and his services were dispensed with.
Around 1910, he moved to Sydney.
He was employed in the N.S.W. Lands Department as a draughtsman, firstly on contract and then on permanent staff.
He worked on the contour and concept maps for the new Federal Capital City of Canberra.
After the outbreak of war life became pretty difficult for A. G. and he dropped the Von part of his name.
A bitter and concerted campaign was mounted against Arthur Stach by people within the Lands Department, The Mirror of Australia newspaper and the Opposition in the N.S.W. Parliament. The Huns had to be removed from all positions of responsibility apparently.

Not only had he been given permanency ahead of “Britishers,” but he had been tasked with preparing an Honour Roll for the Department’s enlistees.
His German origins, by now very distant, were used against him in the most vitriolic manner. And to make sure that the case against him had weight, he was accused, by innuendo, of stealing plans of a harbour to aid the enemy.
He lost his commission for the Honour Roll work, and later his position in the Department, about September of 1916.
He had posted a cartoon on the walls of a room in the Lands Department which was deemed to be disloyal.

He had depicted himself, pinned under a large hand-roller being pushed by Departmental officers, all under the caption Roll of Honour?
 He also felt the need to defend himself from these personal attacks, and to present his personal history to the public. He did this in a letter to the Editor of the Sunday Times in Sydney.

There was pressure placed on German-Australians to make way for Britishers in the Public Service.

In an article which appeared in the Farmers and Settlers on the 17/9/1915, Arthur George Stach was named and the article advocated for “All persons of German birth should be suspended from employment in the public service of this State”.
Here are a number of sources which illustrate very clearly the attacks on Arthur George Von Stach.

Source 1: The Mirror of Australia (Sydney, NSW: 1915 - 1917) 19 September 1915, page 2.
LANDS DEPARTMENT OUTRAGE.
STACH SUPERSEDED.
(Special to "The Mirror.")
In our last issue reference was made to the feeling which was aroused in the N.S.W. Lands Department owing to the work of sign writing on a Roll of Honour in the Department being given to an officer named Stach. Prompt action was taken by officials in the Department, who sent a deputation to the Under-Secretary on Monday last, and as a result of representations made to him the work was taken away from Stach and given to other officials who have no German associations.

Source 2: The Ballarat Star (Vic.: 1865 - 1924) Thursday 23 September 1915, page 1.
GERMANS AS STATE OFFICIALS.
PROTEST IN PARLIAMENT.  
Sydney, Wednesday.
The leader of the Opposition (Mr Wade) (Charles Wade, Liberal Reform Party) moved the adjournment of the Assembly to-night, to discuss the undue consideration extended to persons of German origin by officials in the Lands Department. He declared that one officer, named Von Stach, had been appointed to a permanent position over the heads of Britishers since June last, and that he was allowed to retain his position after drawing and exhibiting cartoons offensive to the officers of the department, because of the withdrawal from him, as a result of the protests of other officers, of the preparation of the departmental roll of honour.
Mr Wade also complained that a German named Schultz, who had strong pro-German sentiments, had been allowed to continue in the service of the State, and had been employed to prepare plans of portion of the foreshores of Wollongong Harbor.
Mr Ashford (Minister for Lands) denied that preference shown to Germans as against Britishers.
He admitted that Von Stach had drawn offensive cartoons of the officials, but said that he was not disloyal.
As a result of indiscreet utterances, Schultz had been dismissed from the service.
The motion was formally negatived.
(Adjournment Debate, N.S.W. Legislative Assembly, 22/09/1915, page 2044 “German Officials.”)
In his speech, Mr. Wade speaks of a Lands Department Christmas card from 1913 with artwork attributed to A. G. Von Stach.

Source 3: The Mirror of Australia (Sydney, NSW: 1915 - 1917) Saturday 25 December 1915, page 3.
PLANS STOLEN.  
FROM N.S.W. LANDS DEPARTMENT.
(Special to "The Mirror.")
Another plan has been stolen from the N.S.W. Lands Department. About five weeks ago one of the officials of the department was working upon a plan of a certain Australian harbor. He by chance one evening left this map, weighted on the four corners, on his desk.
Upon his arrival the following morning, to his dismay, he discovered the plan was missing.
A thorough search was instituted throughout the drawing-room, and even the bins where all waste paper is thrown were thoroughly searched, on the bare possibility that one of the cleaners may by some mistake have swept the plan away. But it was of no avail.  
The draftsman is quite positive that when he left the room after office hours that the plan was there.      
Two facts remain: The plan is missing, and at the present time there are three persons of German birth or descent employed in the Department of Lands. The nature of their employment affords them ample opportunities, if they so desired, of giving geographical information to the enemy.
Mr. Otto Fischer, who was naturalised in 1905, and is 64 years of age, has been in the employ of the department since 1906. The class of work on which he is employed is to revise maps on stone. He is a most efficient and able draftsman.
He is not on the permanent stuff, but works in the Lands Office building, and is paid per hour for the time worked. Mr. Fischer's wife is also German and one of his daughters is married to a German residing in Java.    
C. G. L. Young (originally spelt Jung) became naturalised in November, 1894, and has been employed in the department since 1875. He is not on the permanent staff of the department, and is considered an   efficient draftsman.
He is married to an Australian.                  
The third is A. G. Von Stach, whose father and mother was German (incorrect). He was born in Victoria, and then went to Western Australia, afterwards coming to Sydney, where he has been employed as a draftsman in the department.              
We have no reason for suspecting the association of any of these three gentlemen with this particular incident. But the Government should not place them in the unenviable position of working in a department where their names must inevitably be mentioned in such circumstances.    
Two other Lands Department officials of German parentage have come under our notice.
F. J. A. Duhr, messenger and caretaker at the local Lands office at Orange, was born in England of German parents, O. G. Rienits, draftsman at the local Land Board office, Grafton, was born in New South Wales of a German father and English mother.  
Source 4: The Mirror of Australia (Sydney, NSW: 1915 - 1917) Saturday 25 March 1916, page 3.

VON STACH AGAIN.
ANOTHER ROLL OF HONOR.
(Special to "The Mirror.")      
Some time ago we exposed the existence and   doings of Von Stach, the Draftsman in the N.S.W. Lands Department. The work of designing a Roll of Honour for the Department was taken away from Von Stach after our exposure.    
It now appears that the work of executing another Roll of Honour (this time for the Manly Surf Club) has been given to the same man.
This is an insult to the Manly heroes whose memory the Roll of Honour is intended to perpetuate.
We desire to know who was responsible for giving this work to Von Stach, and we feel sure   that the members of the Manly Surf Club would prefer to give this work to a draftsman of British or Australian origin.  

Source 5: The Mirror of Australia (Sydney, NSW: 1915 - 1917) Saturday 1 April 1916, page 3.
MANLY ROLL OF HONOR.
VON STACH'S DESIGN REJECTED.
(Special to "The Mirror.")
We have pleasure in recording that the Roll of Honour designed by Von Stach, of the N.S.W. Lands Department, for the Manly Surf Club, has been rejected.      
It should never have been ordered.  

Source 6: Sunday Times (Sydney, NSW: 1895 - 1930) Sunday 26 March 1916, page 8.
HUNS!
PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD AND THE GERMANS
"NOTHING TO SAY"
The Public Service Board has "nothing to say" about the Germans in our Public Service. There are three members of our Public Service Board, according to directory information. These gentlemen and their full titles are as follow: — Messrs. J. M. Taylor, M.A., LL.B., chairman; W. J. Hanna, J.P., M.A.; E. H. Wilshire, J.P. Mr. K. A. Gilfillan is secretary. This array of scholarly talent transacts business at No. 4 O'Connell-street.
On Friday afternoon a representative of the "Sunday Times" called at No. 4 O'Connell- Street to ask the following very simple, straight-forward question:
"What is the opinion of the Public Service Board upon the subject of Germans in the Public Service?"
Mr. Gilfillan, the secretary, was seen first, and the foregoing question propounded. "NOTHING TO SAY."
"Personally, I have nothing to say on the matter," he replied. "Other persons are having plenty to say," he was reminded. 'The 'Sunday Times' has been enquiring around certain Government Departments, and has found a good deal of dissatisfaction among the higher officials as to this matter of Germans in their employ. Furthermore, certain of these higher officials have expressed it as their firm opinion that the fault lies primarily with the Public Service Board, which stands accused of wet-nursing these Huns. How about that?"
"I have nothing to say," he repeated.
"Is it true that the Public Service Board is willing to allow these Germans to continue in Governmental employ?"
"I have nothing to say," he said again.
"Didn't I read within the past week that Mr. Holman said that there were only some 26 — I think it was — Germans left in our Public Service ?" he questioned.
"Even if that is a correct presentment of the case, don't you think that it would be 26 too many, Mr. Gilfillan?"
"I have nothing to say about that," replied the official.
The secretary then said that he would go into the next room in which the members of the Board were holding solemn conclave, and ask them if they would care to make any statement as to Germans in the Public Service.
"The Public Service Board has nothing to say," he announced on his return.
"You are especially fortunate in that all the members were there."
"And that is the Board's reply to our question, 'What about the Germans in the Public Service?' Mr. Gilfillan?"
"Yes. The Board has nothing to say."
LANDS OFFICE HUNS.
And wondering and pondering much, the journalist took his hat and made a dive for the elevator to get outside and think it all over calmly in the fresh air.
As to the Huns in the Lands Office, about whom there has been a good deal of criticism, Mr. Hare, Under-Secretary for Lands, was seen on Friday.
This newspaper had been in- formed that A. G. Stach, alleged to be a German, and had been entrusted with the work of preparing the Lands Office roll of honour.
"This action was taken quite without my knowledge," said Mr. Hare. "I heard of it outside the office, and at once had Mr. Stach discontinue out of respect for general sentiment.
Altogether there are 901 employees in our department. And we employ only two Germans; these are contract draftsmen not on our regular and permanent staff.
They are outside men to whom the work is given on contract. One has worked for us for forty years. The storm centre of all the recent trouble was the man Schulze, whose services have now been dispensed with.
"SET FIRE TO KAISER!"
It had further been stated by our informants, to whom reference already has been made, that Stach was preparing a roll of honour for the Manly Surf Club, which has sent 95 out of its 110 members into the firing line.
Mr. J. A. Miller, the club secretary, states that this is untrue. He asked Mr. Stach, quite in a personal matter, to draft a design for the honour roll. Later, though, in view of the fact that the club had done so finely, it was determined to erect a memorial of a more substantial kind, probably of marble. Stach's design, therefore, would not be accepted.
Stach, who is employed in the Lands Office, is of German parentage, but was born in Victoria, where his father was a teacher for 40 years.
His father, who was a German, married to an Irish lady, entered Australia 72 years ago. Before that, though, he had been naturalised as a British subject in England.
Mr. Stach regards himself as a loyal Australian. There are sixteen in the Stach family, none of whom, according to Mr. Stach, know the German language even, and none of whom "have ever been within coo-ee of Germany."
"Set fire to the Kaiser," is the sentiment expressed at the end of Mr. Stach's written statement. WHERE THE BLAME BELONGS.
After earnest enquiry, "The Sunday Times" had been forced to the conclusion that the departmental heads are not so much to blame for the Huns in the public service as the Pub- lic Service Board and the responsible Ministers.
The Ministers, though, are politicians. Their only virtue is that they are not permanent. They have to go to the people for their tenure of office. And it is precisely because of this that they make someone else the ''goat." And the other responsible body for the employment of our government office Huns — the Public Service Board — has nothing to say.
What have the people to say to a public body that has nothing to say on a matter of such cardinal importance?

Source 7: Sunday Times (Sydney, NSW: 1895 - 1930) Sunday 2 April 1916, page 8.
ARTHUR GEORGE STACH
(To the Editor.)
Sir, — I trust you will do me the justice of publishing a statement from me in reply to the numerous attacks as to my nationality, both in Parliament and the Press. In the first instance, I am not a German. I am a true-born and loyal subject of his Majesty King George V.
I was born at Fitzroy, Melbourne—I am therefore an Australian.
My father left Germany when quite a young man, owing to his aversion to the military despotism he was subjected to. He went to England, where he resided for several years, and became a naturalised British subject. He left England and sailed to Australia in the early 'forties, arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, in the year 1844 (72 years ago) as a naturalised British subject. He entered the Education Department and remained in that capacity for close on 40 years. His wife, my mother, was an Irish lady.
I have four nephews and one brother at the front. Two of my nephews have been killed in action — one, my brother's son, at the glorious landing at Gallipoli on the memorable 25th; the other, my sister's son, in Egypt. My brother and the remaining two nephews are still doing their bit at the front.
There were sixteen in our family, all Australians and loyal subjects of his Majesty the King.
I myself am a sworn member of the reserve forces of the Commonwealth, and defy anyone to say that I have at any time, either by word or action, expressed or implied any sympathy with anything German. —I am, &c.,
ARTHUR GEORGE STACH.

Source 8: The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842 - 1954) Friday 7 May 1915, page 9.

PRIVATE STACH.  
Private Vincent Alexander Stach, of Melbourne, was 23 years of age. He was educated at St. Saviour's College, Victoria, and entered into business in the sister State. Sometime before the commencement of hostilities he came over to New South Wales, and was one of those who left here to go to the front with the First Australian Expeditionary Force. The deceased soldier was a son of Mr. Julius Stach, of the Education Department, Victoria, and a nephew of Mr. A. G. Stach, of the Lands Department, New South Wales.

Source 9: The Mirror of Australia (Sydney, NSW: 1915 - 1917) Saturday 8 April 1916, page 2.
EXIT VON STACH.
FROM N.S.W. LANDS DEPARTMENT.
A MYSTERIOUS ENQUIRY.
(Special to "The Mirror.")
A. G. Von Stach, the draftsman of German origin, who has for some time been employed in the N.S.W. Lands Department, has been relieved of his duties. We first referred to this officer some months ago. His retention in the service has been bitterly resented by his colleagues, and the relations existing between him and other members of the staff have not conduced to the efficient working of the Department. The fact that he was given the task of designing a Roll of Honour for the Department was rightly regarded as an outrage.
In the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Mr. Hall, the Attorney-General, stated that it was "ridiculously untrue" that an investigation had taken place in the Lands Department with regard to alleged leakages in regard to cases of officers of German origin, such as Von Stach. We are surprised that Ministers should be so ill-informed.
We could supply Mr. Hall with a good deal of information on the subject.  
We are asked by the Secretary of the Manly Surf Club to state that no order was given by the Club to Von Stach for the execution of a Roll of Honour. It was the Manly Life Saving Club which gave the order. The members of the Manly Surf Club are naturally annoyed that the name of their club should have been associated with the matter.      

Charlotte Stach died in Sydney on 27th August, 1949, relict of the late Arthur George, mother of George and Dorothy (Mrs Inglis), and grandmother of Anne.
Report around Christmas 1935 of Mrs Stach from Queensland visiting her son and daughter-in-law at the Great Northern Hotel, also his sister and young daughter staying there as well. The hotel burnt down 6 months later, licensee Keays is G Stach’s brother in law.

Source 10: The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842 - 1954) Thursday 23 September 1915, page 10.
GERMAN EMPLOYEES.
MR. WADE'S DEMAND.
SUSPENSION AND REMOVAL.
PREMIER'S STATEMENT.
The question of the employment of persons of German birth and origin in the Public Service of the State was again before the Legislative Assembly last night, the Premier making a further statement and the leader of the Opposition moving the adjournment of the House to call attention to the undue consideration extended to persons of German origin by the officials of the Lands Department. Mr. Wade complained of evasive departmental answers to his questions on the floor of the House and a trifling with the truth in affording information regarding some of the persons about whom he desired information.
The Premier said he desired to make a statement in addition to the one he had made on Tuesday with reference to Germans and persons of German parentage in the State service. He now had information with regard to 23 cases which had been furnished after careful investigation he was informed by the under-secretary of the departments in which those persons were employed. He had al-ready mentioned 11 cases and with the permission of the House he would now briefly review the cases from No 12 to No 23. In regard to two cases he was not at present in a position to give particulars. These cases would be included in the full list of 25 persons. He thought it right to explain that in all cases in which the officers concerned were being retained there were strong counterbalancing reasons at a time of public unrest why they should not be harshly treated by the Government.
HARBOUR TRUST STAFF.
The first and second cases mentioned were those of men in the employ of the Harbour Trust .Both were married men with families. One had three sons fighting under the British flag at the Dardanelles The officers of the Harbour Trust reported that their loyalty had never been questioned. The case of an unmarried woman school teacher, who was born in Germany was mentioned with the comment that her brothers were born in New South Wales and that there was no report against her of any kind.
Some remarks about the case of a teacher of foreign languages, who claimed to be thoroughly British, followed. The case of a married female teacher in a suburban school was then dealt with. It was explained that although born in Germany this teacher was the daughter of French parents. She would not be disturbed. The final case reviewed was that of a teacher of languages who had married an Australian, and who had sent one daughter to the front as a nurse. In nearly every instance, it was pointed out these servants of the State occupied humble positions with small salaries and in the majority of cases they had dependents who would suffer in the event of the dismissal from the service of the breadwinner.
GOVERNMENT ATTITUDE.
Subject to good behaviour and further proof of loyalty said the Premier the Government while keeping them under observation did not propose to interfere with naturalised Germans or with men and women who were married to Germans.
Proceeding, the Premier expressed regret for having said on Tuesday that his list of 25 names covered the railway service. He had found that it did not include employees in the railway and tramway service. The list, as far as could be ascertained included all Germans and those of German parentage in the other departments of the Public Service. The Railway Department was now preparing another list which he would have printed and laid on the table of the House.
A member of the Opposition asked: Does the list you have gone through include the Water and Sewerage Department?
The Premier I thought it did but I have just been informed that it does not. That list is also being prepared The full list will be furnished to hon. members omitting names and localities The course I have followed in going through the cases yesterday and to-night without disclosing the identity of the persons on the list will I am sure be approved of by both sides of the House. If we decide to get rid of any of these persons we can do so without publishing the names. In the present state of public feeling nothing would be gained by exposing them to anything like persecution (Hear, hear from the Opposition, and Ministerial cheers.)
Replying to a question, the Premier said he knew nothing about the case of a German who was a State employee at Mount Kosciusko.
MR. WADE DISSATISFIED
The leader of the Opposition said it was not desirable that he should make a lengthy statement until the Premier had given them a full and exhaustive list of persons of German birth or German parentage who were holding permanent or temporary positions in the service of the State. (Opposition cheers.)
The procedure was a wrong one on the Premier's part to flood the House with particulars of the social rank and domestic circumstances of persons who were regarded rightly or wrongly, as being pro-German in sympathies. The question of caste or salary did not enter into a question which should be considered only on broad lines of public interest and national safety. The thing they had to decide was whether these persons should continue as public servants at a time of angry racial feeling and while the freedom of Australia was in peril. (Opposition cheers)
QUESTION OF SPIES.
All these persons naturalised or otherwise said Mr. Wade should be suspended till the end of the war. Instant dismissal he would reserve for those only whose disloyalty was proved. It was impossible he thought to draw a distinction between men of German birth who were naturalised and those who were not naturalised and there could be no question that the employment of men in the State service who might be spies was causing great unrest in the public mind. Without advocating harsh methods he did not hesitate to say that while the Government was under an obligation not to allow such persons to starve the rights of the majority must prevail The proper course was to rid the country of a potential menace. What self-preservation demanded should be done before it was too late No fair conclusion could be drawn from the figures presented by the Premier. It was ridiculous to pretend that a list of 25 men and women covered all the Germans and German sympathisers in the Public Service.
MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT.
Mr Wade then moved the adjournment of the House for the purpose of calling attention to the undue consideration extended to persons of German origin by the officials of the Department of Lands.

He said he would commence with the case of Albert George Von Stach, an officer in the Department of Lands. Since the war this man had been dropping the Von and called himself Stach. In June last, this man of German extraction was promoted over the heads of Britons who were his seniors.
It was pointed out by the Opposition leader that the work of preparing a roll of honour of those sent from the department to the front had been entrusted to Mr. Von Stach and the officers of the department resented having a roll of honour made, so to speak in Germany.
When this resentment became known the work was given to other officers, and then Mr. Von Stach put up in a prominent place in the office an insulting cartoon casting a slur upon some of the leading officers of the department, and as far as he knew, Mr Von Stach was still employed there.
An Opposition member: Shame
CONTRAST IN TREATMENT.
Mr. Wade complained that the answers furnished by the Lands Department regarding this matter were evasive, misleading, and that they trifled with the truth. It was first of all said that there was no officer named Von Stach; but Mr. Wade produced a Christmas card issued by the department which was signed "A. G. Von Stach," and he claimed the Under-Secretary of the department must have known that there was an officer of this name and that it had been changed to Stach. He contrasted the treatment meted out to Mr. Von Stach with regard to the insulting cartoon with the circular issued by the Under-Secretary of the department (Mr. Hare), which stated: — "It has recently transpired that on various occasions officers of this department have discussed matters relating to the present war with other employees of the department known to be of German nationally and whose sympathies for that reason are likely to be with the German nation. Such conversations at the present time are indiscreet, and are to be avoided. In this connection the Public Service Board has informed the department that such discussions are looked upon with marked disapproval by the board." The officers were told not to discuss war questions with men of German origin because it might hurt their feelings.
Mr. Fitzpatrick: Poor fellows; poor Germans!
Mr. D. Storey: Who is responsible for that circular?
Mr. Wade said that if Mr Von Stach had got his deserts the door of the Lands Department would be closed on him for all time.
A SECOND CASE
The attention of members was then drawn by Mr. Wade to the case of Ludwig Schultze, a contract draughtsman in the Lands Department, against whom he said two charges of anti-British utterances had been made and inquired into. The words complained of were admitted by Schultze, but he denied the interpretation placed upon them. On the first occasion he fell afoul of a fellow officer by making remarks disparaging to British soldiers, saying that they could never land in Europe, and on the second occasion he said in a public tram car that his sympathies were entirely with the Germans and he hoped that they would be victorious.
There was some attempt made to curtail the amount of contract work given to Schultze, but he made a protest to the Under-Secretary, and his influence was strong enough to have the work restored to him. That said Mr. Wade was a crying shame to the country at large. (Opposition cheers.) Here was the case of a German who had an ineradicable prejudice in favour of his fatherland in preference to the country of his adoption, and he was continued in his employment, and given the opportunity, if he wished, of supplying maps to the enemy.
Only two weeks ago Schultz, said Mr. Wade, was given work preparing foreshore plans in connection with Wollongong Harbour, and when a previous question had been asked on this subject in the House there had been an endeavour to mislead the questioner and the public. Now for the first time the rule had been made that men of German origin should have no work giving them access to plans of fortified places.
Mr. Hollis: Do you think the Germans were not in a position to get every plan of New South Wales fortifications years ago?
Mr. Wade: If that is the argument throw open all the Government archives to them.
CHAFF-CUTTING CONTRACT
With regard to the chaff-cutting contract of Messrs Stockmann and Kleinig who were employing Germans, Mr. Wade asked why favour had been shown them unless there was some undercurrent of feeling to the prejudice of the native Briton. There ought to be some searching inquiry into these allegations— something more than a departmental inquiry —and the speaker said that if one was granted he would produce evidence to substantiate every statement made. (Opposition cheers.)
MR ASHTORD'S REPLY.
The Minister for Lands said there were separate charges of favouritism and of mis-representation in regard to answers given, but there was no fresh ground broken, and no charge against the Minister at the head of the department. The previous questions had been answered frankly and in good faith but it were obvious that Mr. Wade had been obtaining information from a spy in the Lands Department, and a spy whatever his nationality, was beyond contempt. (Opposition dissent.) On August 25 Mr. Wade had advocated the placing of disabilities on the sons of naturalised Germans, but on a subsequent occasion he had said that only those guilty of overt acts of disloyalty should be interfered with. Which did he mean? If the latter represented Mr. Wades' attitude then he would remind the leader of the Opposition that Stockmann and Kleinig were Germans of the second generation. Did Mr. Wade accuse them of disloyalty? 
With regard to the men they employed it was ridiculous to suppose that the department should know the nationality of men employed in different portions of the State, and the original question asked on the subject was a political move rather than an attempt to get a satisfactory answer. He asked that the imputation that the department had employed Germans who were on parole should be withdrawn. The firm in question was not associated with Germany in any way.
Mr. Wade: I say you give them special favouritism.
Mr Ashford said the price charged for the work was fair and reasonable, and investigations showed no other company to be willing to undertake it.
CASE OF MR. SCHULTZE.
With regard to Mr Schultze, the Minister was not going to defend any pro-German, but he would point out that the inquiry regarding Mr Schultze's alleged disloyal utterances had exonerated him, and that the military authorities had not considered it necessary to take action after a subsequent report. The people who looked after the defence of Australia were the Federal authorities, and maps of the lands which Mr. Schultze had access to had, for that matter, been on sale at the department, while several stationers in Sydney sold Admiralty plans. When the German Pacific fleet was in Australian waters there was no sign of the present agitation, though there was some danger.

The Minister added that now every inquiry had been made, and it had been decided that Mr. Schultze should not get any further employment from the Government during the war. Moreover, if the allegations against him were proved, even though he had an Australian wife and five Australian daughters, he would get no work from the Government afterwards. The Government would try to purge the Public Service of anyone expressing any disloyalty whatever.
STACH OR VON STACH
Mr Ashford then referred to the case of Stach or von Stach, who, he said had always been known by the former name Arthur George Stach had been appointed draughtsman before the war broke out, and though his father was a German, he was himself of Australian birth , His loyalty had not been questioned.  Mr. Wade: What I say is that, being of German blood, you gave him preference over Britons.
Mr. Ashford said the appointment would not have been made undeservedly. Friction with regard to Mr Stach had arisen through his being given drawing to do in the preparation of a departmental roll of honour. Other draughtsmen objected on account of his name and origin, and this particular work taken away from him. There was ill-feeling over this and he drew a cartoon which was offensive to certain of his colleagues and for which he was departmentally censured.
Mr Edden: He ought to have been put in gaol at once.
PREMIER S INQUIRY.
The Premier deprecated in the strongest way the taking up of the time of Parliament by such squabbles. What were Mr Wade's charges? He did not charge Stack with disloyalty and the only thing against the latter was rudeness to four of his fellow draughtsmen.
Mr Wade said the question was one of giving work to Britain's enemies.
Mr Holman said a man like Stack born in Australia with one parent British could not be called an enemy. Disloyalty had been charged against Schultze and the latter had been dealt with. When men drawing money from the State were such fools as not to act in accordance with the policy of the State they could not complain when the axe fell.
Continuing Mr Holman accused Mr Wade of misusing his high position and adopting the anti-German cry as a purely political weapon.
THE GERMAN MENACE
Mr Wade in reply said the German menace was the most widespread organisation the world had ever seen. Every German left his native land and went out as a missionary of empire to devise schemes for his country wherever he went. The German in their midst was a vital danger, and they could not tell who was sincere and who was not. (Opposition cheers.)
In view of the inverted rules of morality and public honesty as declared by the German Empire it made them very uncertain where they stood with regard to any German in the Public Service. (Opposition cheers.)

Information on Arthur George Von Stach was provided by Mr Glenn Burghall and letter to Dr Dorothy Erickson who has written a small biography for Design & Art Australia Online.
Thanking them kindly for the contribution to my website.