The Washington times., 1922-07-24
SEES GERMAN
PLOT To GAIN
WAR REFUNDS
Underwood Charges Teutons
Are Seeking Payment on
Property Seized.
By j. BART CAMPBELL,
international News Service.

A German plot to compel the re-
storation of German property seized
and sold in this country by the
Alien Property Custodian during the
world war, and to drive the United
States Government to pay the
former German owners of such prop
erty whatever profits have since
accrued from II, was charged in the
Senate today by Senator Oscar w.
Underwood OF Alabama, the Demo"
cratic leader.
Senator Underwood, in a prepared
speech, took sharp exception to
President Harding's demand on the
Chemical foundation for the su:
render OF the former German dye
patents held by. 1t, and strongly
supported the position of Francis y.
Garvan, head Of the Foundation and
former Alien Property Custodian. in
refusing to turn them over to the
Government.
Would Hit U. S. Treasury.
Underwood urged again that
American war claims against Ger
many or Germans be settled from
the proceeds of sales of former Ger
man property by the Alien Property
Custodian, but the German govern
ment itself had recognized the right
of the American Government to
make such a settlement under both
the Versailles Treaty and the
separate peace treaty between the
United States and Germany.
According to Underwood, the Ger
mans are not only plotting to get
their property back. and to force a
settlement of their war claims
against the United States Govern
ment, or American nationals, but II
they succeed the only restitution
American claimants can expect
would be from the United STATES
TreA sury, and therefore from Amer
icat rather than German funds.
The Germans were declared by
Underwood to be more interested in
securing the return of their chemical
patents, the basis of their manu-.
facture and use of deadly poisonous
gases in the world war, than in get.
ting back all the rest Of their prop
erty, but there is reason to believe
that they have hopes that II the pres
ent action against the Chemical
Foundation is sustained, and the
sale to it Of the former German dye
patents voided because Of alleged
Inadequate compensation, they can
drive the United States Government
to the position where 1t must set
aside many other sales. of German
property and return these properties
to their former German owners with
all the profits which have accrued
from them in the meantime" =
Able German Lawyers Here.
THE Germans have sent a com.
mission TO the United States com.
posed of eminent German lawyers
who take the position that, with
President Harding committed to the
doctrine that German property could
not be disposed of by the Alien
Property Custodian for any con.
sideration that was inadequate, they
will be able to set aside many other
conveyances," continued Underwood.
The President has committed him.
self to the doctrine that the sale Of
the former German, dye patents to
the Chemical Foundation was in
violation of a trust.
This is a mistaken theory Of the
law, for the title TO the property WAS
vested absolutely in the United
States Government and the Alien
Property Custodian was not trustee
for the former German owners. lie
was a trustee only in the sense that