New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-20
Porter Expects
Harding to Let
Peace Bill Pass
Takes Joint Resolution to
White House and Does
Not Believe President
Will Offer Opposition
Looks for Early Report
Alien Property Custodian
to Present Amendments
to Enemy Trading Act
From, The Tr;b,ua,s wos.,,rto, n.,

From The T,ibune,s Waahingto. Bureau
WASHINGTON, May 1s.-Represen-
tative Porter, of Pennsylvania, chair
man of the House Committee of For
eign Affairs, conferred with the
PRESIDENT to-day regarding Mr.. Por-
ters joint resolution designed to ter
inmate state of war between this
country and Germany. Mr.. Porter
took with him to the White House
copy Of the resolution, decidedly
brief document, which he read to the
President. Following his conference
MT. Porter said that he believed the
President would not interfere with
the passage of the resolution. The
President indicated that he felt will
ing to leave to the Legislative branches
of the government the duty of seeing
that the resolution conformed to all
requirements.
The resolution will be taken UP in
committee early next week anG will be
reported in ten days, Mr. Porter be-
lieves. The bill reads as follows:
Resolved, by the Senate and House
Of Representatives of the United
States of America, in Congress assem-
bied. that the state of war declared
government and the United States by
the joint resolution Of Congress APP
proved April s, 1917, Is hereby de-
clared at an end.
Would Safeguard U. 8. Rights
Section 2. That nothing herein con-
tanned shall be construed as waiver
by the United States OK it's nationals
OF any rights, privileges, indemnities,
feparations or advantages to which it
or they have become entitled under
the terms Of the armistice signed No
yember II, 1913, or any extensions or
notifications thereof: or which were
acquired by or are in the possession
Of the United States or it's nationals
BY reason of its participation in the
war; or which, under the Treaty of
Versailles, have been stipulated for ITS
or their benefit or to which 1t is en-
titled. as one of the principal Allied
and Associated powers; or by virtue
Of any act or acts Of Congress or
othe rwise; and all fines, forfeitures,
penalties and seizures and sales inn
posed or made by the United States
are hereby ratified, confirmed and
maintained"
Certain amendments to the Knox
resolution as passed by the Senate and
relating to the trading with the enemy
act, as administered by the Alien Prop
erty Custodian, will be formally pre-
scented soon to the House Foreign AZ
fairs Committee by Thomas w. Miller,
Alien Property Custodian. The sug-
gested amendments were prepared by
Mr. Miller and informally submitted to
the President, as we'll as to Senator
Lodge, of the Foreign Relations Com
mittee, and Chairman Porter, of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee. Be-
fore drafting these amendments Mr..
Miller conferred with Senator Knox,
the authog of the original resolution
passed by the Senate.
The following statement was given
out by Mr.. Miller after leaving the
White House to-day, where he was in
conference with the President:
Zone amendment to be suggested by
the Alien Property Custodian will pro-
tect the government in demands here
tofore made for the turning over of
properties which have not as yet been
reduced to the possession and control
Of the custodian. If such amendment
is not adopted, it is possible that those
who have fought the government In
the courts and heretofore have refused
to comply with the demands Of the Gus
todian, will be protected to such an ex-
tent that the custodian will be pre-
vented from enforcing demands here
tofore made for the surrender OF enemy
alien property within the United States.
Another amendment insures the
continuation of the present powers of
the custodian under the trading with
the enemy act, and which must neces-
sarily be possessed by him in order to
administer the properties in the pos
session of the custodian during the
peace negotiations after the adoption
of peace resolution by Congress. In
order to avoid any possible misunder-
standing or further litigation in cases
already won by the government, such
an amendment has been prepared.
Another amendment is to avoid any
ambiguity in the authority of the Gus
todian to complete any program of sale
possibility of contest at law.
"The wording of the Knox resolution
refers to the German government or
German nationals, but no reference is
made to property now in the hands of
the custodian belonging to persons
other than German nationals, and cor
porations, associations, etc, in which
they are interested. AS the German
government is unable to make any bind
ing treaty relating to other than its
own nationals, it is necessary for ian
guage to be inserted protecting the
rights and property Of the nationals of
countries before the war under the
jurisdiction of Germany or Austria
Hungary, which are now independent
states or nations. The language of the
Senate resolution is more broadly de-
fined, in order not to involve the rights
OF citizens of other nations.
"a further amendment provides that
all property shall be retained until the
treaty has come into force, and until
such time as Congress shall have pro-
vided for further disposition of the
property, pursuant to whatever treaty
is negotiated between Germany, Aus
tria- Hungary and the United States %