The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-07-11

vancing price of wool, there was like
ly to be general, though for the mo-
ment moderate, increase In the price
Of wooden clothing = that on account of
the condition Of the cotton market we
might anticipate some advance in the
price Of cotton fabrics; and, finally,
that some factors in the metal market
were disposed to discourage orders at
i this. time, hoping thereby to- secure
better prices later on. IN il :
II want to say frankly that 4 do not
believe that is the procedure sby which
to bring about quick and permanent
restoration of good times. The strike
of buyers, the unwillingness of a
great mass of the people to go into the
markets and make purchases, does not
represent, and must not be set down
as representing, q merely perverse
state Of the community mind. Itrels
resents rather an adverse state of the
community ,pocketbook: You can gen
orally count on your public to buy at
least as freely as it can afford to buy;
and you can pretty safely assume that
when as a whole your public persists
lin wearing its old clothes, in putting
a third pair of half-soles on its old
shoes, and in getting along without a
large share of the things we common
ly regard as luxuries, it is taking that
attitude, not because it wants to hurt
somebody else's feelings, not because
it is animated by q desire to make it.
self disagreeable, but because it hasn't
the money with which to buy the
; things it wants" : ~
/ Ready to Return Alien Property.
The United States is ready to
: begin returning the property it took
from German nationals during the
World war. This property IS valued
lat something over, $4O0. 100000, Of
which. $780, 100000 is in. cash and on
deposit in the vaults of the treasury
here. The alien: property custodian,
Thomas w. Miller, has bill ready for
presentation to congress: under which,
all sums Of $4,000 and under will be
returned to their owners at once. I'm
! der, the law no property vested in a
citizen OF either Germany, Austria or
Hungary can be returned until con-
gress acts. TX
There are $4,000 trusts valued at
$4,000 and under. If all of these
should be disposed of under the legis-
lation which. the alien property Gus
todian is about to propose, an aggre-
gate OF about $24,O 1000 600 would be re-
turned. There would be left for future
disposition 1902 trusts of between
$4,000 and $4,000; 498 trusts be-,
tween -S5O, 900. and $3.50, 900; l62 trusts
between $25O,O0O and $1,O00,O00,s. and.
so trusts Of over S., 100000 each.
The separate peace resolution which
congress passed last year, known as
the Knox-Porter resolution, provides
that the United States shall not sur
render any Of the property which It,
took from German citizens during the
war until arrangements shall iha We
been made for handling the An1erfcap
claims against Germany. The two, soy
ernments have just come to an agree
ment under which these CLAIMS Will be
handled by a mixed commission, and
this agreement, it is pointed out, opens
the way for return Of the property.
There are several classes. Of claims
against Germany. First There are
those claims, Of Americans whose cash
was received by the German alien
property custodian. The, holders Of
those claims are now offered the re-
turn Of their cash at the deprecated
value Of the mark, which, II accepted,
would amount to practical confisca-
ton.
There are claims on file with the
State department for the loss Of prop.
erty and life at,sea growing out Of the
submarine sinkings previous to April
6, 1917, the date on which the United
States entered the war, amounting to
SALE, 900, 600. OF this amount approx
imately $3.50, 0Oo.0 600 are claims forlloss
OF life. Then there is the American
Governments claim Of $241, 100000 on
account of the maintenance of troops
of the United States on the Rhine.
It will not be the policy Of the Unit
ed States, 1t. Is autf1orftatively an
nOuUCeU, IL Obc any YAAG OASlHC P1oOt-
100000 Of alien property heM by this
government TO satisfy thes sAmerican
claims. against ? Germany President
Harding and Secret arg III State
Hughes Who have given d good deal
of thought to the matter, hold that
such use of the trusts held by the
United States would be confiscation of
private property. 1t is not unlikely
that a considerable part of the $685.
OOO, 200, which still remains in the pos.
session of the, United States after re-
turning all the trusts of $4,000 and
under will be, held until there is rea-
sonable assurance that the American
claims against Germany are to be set
tied. The authorities here confess
I that they have no information as to
when Germany will be able to pay any.
considerable part.-ef the $415,OOO, 600
ior the $241, 600, 900:
p mo nnTAIN nECYn 1H0