The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-05-19
Will Retain Control
Of German Property
Pending Peace Treaty
'DY DAVID nAwI1NcE.
Copyright b. the Intelllcencer)

Washington. Nay 1s.-President Har-
ding wants the Knox resolution le-
clarins q state OF peace between tn"
United States and Germany passed BY
taa house but ne has found IL necessary
20 approve certain changes IN It from
the form In which It was passed by the
senate.
These changes are fundamental and
Will como as a surprise. to those Ger
mans residing in America who had De-
lisved the Knox resolution would auto
rnaticaliy end the powers Of the allen
property custodian and that the Amer!-
can government hereafter would simply
>ioid the German property without AZ
ercising any Of the broad powers OF
sale or supervision which wcrc entru>t-
I'd to 1t BY the trading with the enemy
act.
Tho language OF the Knox resolution
az passed by the senate simply says
that all enemy property now In the pos
session Of tho American government I
shall b retained" But II develops
that tho alien property custodian. Col.
Thomas W. Miller. advised President
Harding and Attorney-General Daugh-
erty that certain German interests
were Of the impression that MS soon as
tho Knox resolution Is PASSED the Am
erican government would be prohibited
from selling any German property or
otherwise administering It.
The fact Is tho trading with the enc
my act permits the allen property GUS
todian to sell at any time any GcrmSn
property held by our government.
Sometimes when the property Is deteri-
Grating or some other potent reason
arises making a sale necessary. the
alien property custodian disposes OF The
property and holds the proceeds In
trust All this money and unsold prop
srty Is held by the alien property Gus
todian until congress specifically pro-
vides for It's return to Germany. Con-
Sress has not tackled the subject yet
for the good reason that German prop
erty held by the American government
is . sort Of club which Is held by Wash
tngton over Germany in the event that
cl1tnaS such aS that. growing out OF the
sinking Of ths Lusitania arc not sattS-
tied. This Will b held In allegiance
therefore untI ths DATED Stated either
n>Gettat6s Q new treaty with Germany
or .RAttnes tn Versailles trsaty with
resesvstieaA
There are cthef amendments OF tha
Knox resolution which are deemed nee
esaAfy In order to safeguard American
rights. Tho alien property costedIAo
has been asked to appear before ths
house coinlnittss on forsiEn SffStrA Tns
sxineipal change 81 the addition c6
phrase which will provide that enemy
pfoSerty shall be retained and admin. :.
istsrcd as now provided by law ano
sale add disposition made" untf Sueh
time as the German government has BY
treaty with the United States H'ade
suitable provision for the satisfaction
Of American claims. Thus the amsni-
ment would absolutely keep In force
tho present trading with the enemy act
10 far rs it affects German property
held by allen property custodian.
Another suggested change ts that the
power Of the alien property custodian
shall be continued not merely until the
,iun.. a treaty with Germany Is .ratifisd
but until such time as congress shall
nave provided for such further sale
an1 disposition pursuant to SAIL
treaty"
II Is un 3erstood that Senator Knox
in favorable 70 tho amendments anu
probably would have made them when
tho measure was In the senate except
that the legal experts did not get tncm
ready in time. There Is no friction
about it-no clash between Presioert
Harding and members OF congress out
simply a revision OF the Language or
The resolution as so often happens when
4 bill passes one house and Is up Tor
nn,l psssage In the other house. Usu-
,,Ix important bills arc amended IN the
senate but the Knox resolution was put
through tho upper house nrst and Il
wa, deemed desirable to rush II
through without getting It tangled up
IN controversies
TIA Repeal Clalsa-
Nevertheless there Is one point which
has occasioned considerable comment
and which has produced honest differ
enees Of opinion among the Republicans
chemselves- It IS the phrase whereby
tho original declaration Of war Is TO be
repealed. 4 few Republican senators
and 4 larxe number Of house Repuoli-
cans seem 10 think there Is no necessity
FOR tho repeal clause. because 1t may
imply an apology or expression OF &C
sret and that a simple declaration or
state Of peace Is sufficient. Here Is
the text Of the paragraph as IT passed
the senate.
"Resolyed By the senate and house
Of representatives that the joint resolu-
,ion Of congress- passed April s. 1917.
tween tho imperial German govern
rnent and the people Of the United
States Of America, and making provis-
;on to prosecute the same. be. ana the
same Is hereby. repealed. and said state
Of war Is hereby declared at an end"
Chairman Porter Of the house corr
mittes on foreign affairs seems 20 feel
that the repea! phrase IS superfuous
and might lead to legal tantieS Rep
rssentative MondelL house leader
shares that view. The fear Is that
Germans may always look upon that re-
peal a san expression OF regret or apoi-
oyy or change OF heart on tho part or
The United States. Heretofore wars
have como to an end without repealtnS
any war legislation. The ratincaton
of treaty has automatically ended
the state OF war.
That's why so many members OF con-
xress feel that Il Is sufficient merely
20 declare tho war ended and state OF
peace begun. Although President Har-
ding hasn't expressed any Views there
IS rea son TO believe he would prefer ~
have the repeal clause eliminated.
USrANxIY Ukx1D
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