Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-04-05
HOLDERS or FOREIGN sEcuRI.
TIES WILL WAIT LONG FOR
THEIR RETURN.
Much PROPERTY IN
IOWA THUS TIED UP
Custodian Proposes to Hold Seized
Funds and Paper as Security For
War Debts Of Germany and Aus.
tria-conorsss in No Hurry to
Provide For Final Disposition.
fRy e. G. Dougherty.l

Washington. April 5.-Property
seized under the trading with the en-
omy act from subjects of Germans
and Austria in Iowa will not be re-
turned TO Them until congress dea-
nitely determines a policy to be pur-
sued by the government, it was ofh-
cially said today at the office Of the
custodian.
The decision to continue custody
'of the property. 1t was said: extends
to securities and other holdings that
belonged to American wives of GER
man and Austrian subjects. and none
OF the property will be returned to
the owners except that which has,
after careful Investigation. been
found to be wholly American owned.
The alien property custodian is
now preparing report on all enemy
property seized. with complete data
of the ownership. to be presented to
the president and thence transmitted
to congress. 1t is understood this re-
poft will show that the enemy prop
erty seized and still held by the gov
eminent is valued at more than
$500, 000.0
The American state department,
altho deluged with requests from
Iowa residents who came under the
with the enemy aiien prop
erty sections and from residents in
practically every other state, has Of
ficially ruled that the German and
Austrian property seized here under
governmental authority should be
held as security for this govern
ment's claims against the enemy ma
tons. 1t is understood that the seized
property about offsets the claims this
government has against the Central
empires.
Thus far no steps have been taken
in congress to provide definitely for
the final disposition of enemy prop
surrounds American claims against
Germany and Austria. and the fur
Their fact that this government is in
no way officially connected with the
reparations commission, handling in
demnity claims against the enemy
nations the state department has
taken the position that the continued
possession Of alien property serves as
security to compel a final accounting
with this government by the enemy
nations. The American government
has huge claims against Germany
arising out of the sinking of United
States ships and the other costa of
war
While the custodian has made no
suggestion to congress for legislation
definitely fixing the ownership of the
seized property. bills -have been in
troduced in the house to permit Am
ericap born wives Of German and
Austrian subjects to file claims with
the government for their property.
The bills, however, do not place this
government on record favoring the
return Of the seized holdings. but
provide that each case will be de-
cided on it's merits.
Proposed Packer Regulation.
The house committee on agricul-
ture, of which Representative Hau-
gen. OF Iowa. is chairman, is expected
to report out q bill this week provid-
ing for the naming Of a federal COM
mission to exercise supervision over
the packing industry The powers of
the commission will be similar to
those now vested in the interstate
commerce commission, which regu-
lates and controls TRANSPORTATION
Questions. The bill is expected to be
not as drastic as sought by Senator
kenyon. who~With Senator Kendrick
introduced bills in the house which
provided numerous safeguards
AGAINST the big packers continuing
the reported monopoly they have
been accused OF having.
Just how interested the Iowa stock
feeder and smallrpacker are interest
ed in the proposed bill is difficult to
say. There haveAbeen farmers from
Iowa here testifying emphaticalk
that control of the packers would
tend to disturb the stock business in
the Hawkeye state. while officials of
the Corn Belt Meat Producers Asso-
a r..