New-York tribune., 1921-01-30
Senator Fights
u. S. Returning
Alien Property
Underwood Says Seizures
From Germans Here Were
Made as Acts of War to
Offset American Losses
-------------v---
Rights of Allies Cited
Declares Matter Was Set
tied at Versailles in Fix
ing the Peace Agreement
From The rrioure's Washington Bureau

From. The TribureS Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON. Jan. 29.-In a dis
cussion in the Senate to-day Of the
question OF restoring to German
citizens the property sequestrated by
this government at the time of the war
and taken over by the Alien Property
Custodian, Senator Underwood, of Ala
hama, Democratic leader, voiced strong
opposition to restoration.
Senator King, of Utah, Democrat,
advocated restoring the property and
this led Senator Underwood emphat-
ically tc serve notice that he was
against it and the Senate would by no
means be unanimous for it.
The subject came up while the Sen
ate was considering a bill by Senator
Knox to amend the alien property act
so that the property taken from Ameri
can women who were born of American
parents while abroad and who have
married alien enemies will be restored
to them. The law now applies literally
property restored to them. The law
only TO American women born in this
country, and it has been strictly con-
strued by the Alien Property Custo-
dian.
An Act of War
Senator Underwood, in reply to Sena-
tor King, said:
II seriously object to the statement
that we should return to German ma
1ionals property taken by the Alien
Property Custodian during the war.
That was an act of war 1t was done
by other governments, and the property
of American citizens was ruthlesslv de-
stroved, taken and confiscated during
the war by the German government.
I'VE have billion dollars worth of
claims Of American citizens filed with
the State Department for property
taken and contiscated by the German
government and the only manner we
havb or opportunity we have for the
payment of those claims is out Of this
property taken by the Alien Property
Custodian.
at was agreed TO in the Treaty of
Versailles and the Germans have con-
scented TO pay their own nationals for
the property we have taken and to al
low us to take this property and pay
our nationals for the injury done them
by the German government and its citi-
zens. Now. it seems to me it would
be rank piece of discrimination
against our own people and in favor of
the late enemy for Us to say that we
are going TO surrender this property.
Settled at Versailles
'The matter has been worked out and
settled in the Treaty Of Versailles. You
may say that we are not a party to the
treaty, and we are not, and probably
never will be now. Nevertheless, the
title to this property comes from Ger
many, and under her agreement in the
IL eaty OF Nersai es it is settled on the
basis that it shall be used to pay our
citizens for property lost and destroyed
b! German action, and in the event
that it is not all used up for that pur-
pose it snail 90 as a reparation claim
u E1pl land and France
THAT is the German agreement, and
If we Surrender our rights think that
we will find ourselves facing the claim
OF the English and French that they
have rights in this matter, and that we
are surrendering title to property to
pay the nationals of some other nation.
81 DO not thinS the time has come
when out of desire to please some
Of our American citizens who have rel
atives in Germany or out of a matter
OF politics we should start now to
surrender the rights Of our own clti-
zens."