Evening star., 1922-03-27
individuals With Claims for
Lives or Property See
Hopes; Dwind|ing.>-
BONDS MAY BE ISSUED
ON ALIEN HOLDINGS HERE
Special Methods Seem Needed
( When Berlin Balks on
~ Army Bill.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Americas difficulties in collecting
sums due her from Germany are
growing The effort to obtain the
United States army Of occupation on
the Rhine now has drawn attention
to a complication with respect to an
other claim of approximately $780,
100000 due American citizens whose
relatives lost their lives in the
Lusitania disaster and Americans
whose property was seized or destroy
ed by Germany during the war.
American claimants have been pa
tiently waiting for the German gov
ernment to pay them. But 1t is
apparent now that all Germany's 8
assets are mortgaged to the allies.
and even the United States govern
ment seemingly cannot get q priority
on money spent since the armistice
representative of the host of Amer
ican claimants. who include the
stockholders of such big concerns as
the American Radiator Company,
Standard Oil Company, National Cash
Register Company. Singer Sewing
Machine Company and international
Harvester Company. are beginning
to get anxious about their claims.
Most of these companies had proper
ties in Germany which were seized OF
Hquidated by the German custodian
Of alien property.
Allies Claims First.
If the German government cannot
pay American claims because all
funds must first go to satisfy the
claims of the allied governments. then
the American claimants must look to
the United States government for
satisfaction. The Harding admins
tration has been trying to evolve a
policy which would be in harmony
with American tradition. 1t has not
felt kindly toward the idea of con-
fiscating German property as a means
of raising the money to pay American
claimants against the German gov
ernment. The feeling Of President
been that the Individual owners of
German property in. America were
not responsible for the acts of their
government. The American govern
ment does not care to conflscatS irr-
man property.
But how are the American claim.
ants to be paid? There are two ways
proposed. One is that the United
Stats government shall directly re-
imburse the claimants and collect in
the far of future from Germany. The
other is that the German property
now held by the alien property GUS
and that bonds be issued against it
and these bonds turned over to the
American claimants, who COLD sell
them and realize cash value. Thus
the German property would be held
intact for many years and as soon as
bonds the property would go back to
the lawful owners. Such a scheme is
In effect in South Africa and has the
sanction of the British government.
Clearing House Fund.
The British central government, as
we'll as the Australian and other CO.
lonial governments, are applying a
somewhat different system. All the
British claims against Germany are
satisfied out of clearing house fund.
This fund is accumulated from the
proceeds Of liquidation of German
property, which, by tlH terms of the
Versailles treaty, can be retained or
sold as the case may be, and the
German owners are in turn recon-
pensed by the German governments g
clearing house for debts Of this kind.
The policy of the allies has by no
means been definitely evolved, but the
allies can apply the German property
reparations IL they like.
American policy depends entirely on
the wishes of Congress. by whose
authority the German property in
America was originally seized. While
1t is true that American claims
against Germany are estimated at
$500, 600. 900, a mixed claims commits
sion is about to be set up by Ger
many and the United States to ad-
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