The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-04-10
TAX ON ALIEN
GOODS To PAY
CLAIMS, PLAN
Alien Property Custodian Mil
ler Gives Senate Account
ing of $350,000, 900 Worth
of Enemy Property.
DISPOSITION is VITAL
(By Associated Press)

WASHINGTON, April 10-An ac-
counting of the $350,000.0OO worth of
enemy property held by the govern
ment was given the senate today in
report, the first compiled since Feb
ruary, 1919, filed by Alien Property
Custodian Thomas W. Miller, in re-
sponse to a resolution by Senator
King, Democrat, of Utah.
'The final disposition of this prop
erty," Mr.. Miller said will undoubt-
edly have direct bearing on the econ
omic relations between this country
and Europe, with particular reference
to the late enemy powers The Sc
questered property will also have a
bearing on the question of settlement
of American claims against Germany"
Discussing the $415, 100000 of Amer
lean claims against Germany, Mr.. Mil
ler recalled the terms of the Knox
Porter peace resolution indicating
that no disposition should be made of
enemy property held by the United
States until the German government
had provided for the satisfaction of
all American claims. He asserted that
congress must evolve some plan
whereby American claims against Ger
many may be adjudicated by some
proper tribunal created by law.
Glasses of Claims.
There are several classes of claims
against Germany" Mr.. Miller said, "as
for instance, those of Americans whose
cash was seized by the German Gus
todian, and who are now being offer
ed the return of their money at the
deprecated value of the Mark, which
today is valued at one-third OF a cent
for each Mark, or a reduction of 72O
percent from the pre-war value. This
proposition amounts to practical con
fiScation on the part of the German
government.
There are also claims on file with
the state department for the loss OF
property and life, at sea, growing out
of submarine sinkings previous to
April g. 1917.
, IF the German property were re.
turned today without any conditions
the tax laws in force in Germany
would require German nationals Oh
other people under the Jurisdiction oi
the German government whose prop
erty was returned to them to give uI
in taxes to the German government g
! majority portion of the funds returned
| One OF the taxes assessed is known
as the empire need tax, the revenues
of which are utilized by the German
government for its own nationals anC
second tax known as the indemnity
| tax the proceeds of which are paiC
! into reparations going to our late al
I lies.
Might Form Fund.
| TT has been suggested that The
amount of money which the German
government would realize from sucl
taxation might form the basis of {
| fund to be left in this country the
same to be applied for the satisfac
i ton of claims of American citizen!
against Germany when these claim:
are adiudicated"
Mr.. Miller's report consisted of thou
sands of typewriter papers giving tn.
details of about $4,000 active trusts
! representing property in every stat,
and territory in the United States an,
the Philippines and Hawaii, consfstin;
of industrial plants, steamship lines
banks, land and cattle companies, sal
mon factories, gold and silver mines
and thousands of parcels of real es
tate and securities.
Answering charges by Senator Kin!
that property had been seized sine
peace was consented with German
last July, the report declared that tn
last property seized was that belong
ing to Grover Cleveland Bergdol
which was seized May q, 1921.
Reports Details
Responding to inquiry for details O
salaries and fees paid in connection
with tie enemy property, the repor
showed the following list.
Attorneys fees prior to March 1
1921, $2,13S546; attorneys fees pal
since March 4, 1921, S116,469; salal
ies, officers and directors of corpora
tions previous to March 4, 1921, 81
574.017; salaries since March 4, 1872
S132, ,435; paid for accounting and al
praising previous to March 4, 1922
S1,0S4,S59; paid for same since Marc
a, 1921, S2,61S; paid for advertisin
and printing previous to March
. 1921, $25S,067.
One accounting bill alone of $173
757, the report declared, was paid
: an accounting firm out of the congre!
sional appropriation for a report CO..
ering various operations of the Gu
todian's office to August, 1919, bJ
which was not completed until Apr
I, 1921, and was then 'of no practics
value" The report listed all none
spent on advertising and "the new
, papers so favored"