Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1922-01-11
ALIEN PROPERTY
TO Be RETURNED
Government Officials Are Try
ing to Map Out Plan for Un-
travelling TangIe.
NECESSARY TO PEACE STATUS
Most of the Seized Holdings Will
Eventually Go Back to the Orig
inal Owners-cIaims of Our
Citizens Must Be Satisfied.

II
are trying to map out policy
for dispOsing of tie alien property
trusts. Most of the seized hold
ingS will eventually go back to the
original owners, but Alien Property
! Custodian Miller insists that the
claims OF American citizens against
| Germany and Austria must be
satisfied first. The ultimate dispoSi-
don of the property rests with con
gresS, except in cases where il has ex-
prpssly authorized settlements. Wind
Ing mp the alien property affairs is
now the big task before the admins
tratinn Ia getting back to an actual
peace status.
Virtually all the attention, both
public ard in congress. has been
focused on the seized German hold
im.S In this country. The chief claims
nr American citizens growing out Of
the var are against the German gov
crnmrni. which will probably he
charged up with tho financial loss 10
Americans Through the Lusitania
sinking. ru which many of the claims
rc-t. For this reason IL i expected
thai settlement of the German prop
criy will be longer delayed.
No Austria-Hungary New.
In addition. the fac; that the Aus
tru-llmgurian empire broke ny after
tie war has matte pns>!hic q return
"f e large portion of the property
seized from Austrian and Hungarian
nationals who after the peace treaty
hpcamr citizens of the new repuh-
lies that assumed friendly diplo-
matte relationship with the United
States. Mr.. Miller has been proceed
ing quietly with the unraveling ~
numerous claims until the old Aus
trian property is in such shape that
he can see daylight. and he antici-
pateS little trouble from that source
between now and the time congress
acts.
Congress will have TO pass on the
disposition or less than half the
Austro-Hungarian holdings, or prop
erty valued at S1SOOO,OOO out OF
total Of $4O,OOO,OO0 seized when war
was declared. When congress amend
ed the trading with the enemy act
L provided that the possessions OF
citizens of CzechoSlovakia and PO-
land and subjects Of the new Jugo- !
Slav nation and the section of old
Hungary added to Rumania might
be returned, and settlement of the I.
claims Of these people is proceeding
rapidly. Mr.. Miller announced that
possessions valued at more than
S9.OOO,OOC already had been handed
back To- the owners.
of tine remaining approximately
S30OOO.0OO Mr.. Miller estimated that
about S12O00.O00 subsequently will go
10 nationals OF the three new Euro .
pean states or nationals of the new .
section of Rumania. This will leave
approximately S1S,OOO.OOO tied up in
trust until congress authorizes the
President, through the alien property
custodian and the Department of JUS
tice, TO return ii or dispose of il other
wise.
In discussing the Austrian and Hun.
garisn property seized in this country,
very few pointed out that il included .
very few estates of any size--in fact.
only one. the Gladys Vanderbilt esrals.
valued at S4,0O0ND. which was re-
turned after congt eSs provided that
the property OF American women mar
ried To allen enemies prior 10 April g.
1917. which WAS taken over during the
war. might nc handed back. Count
Szechcnyi. who married Gladys Van
lcrblt. is now mentioned as the Hun
garian ambassador to the United
States when the treaty ratifications
are exchanged
One Item OF 500, 900.
or the remaining AuStro-Hungariau
property IN the hands Of the GOV
eminent the largest lump sum is
that ur StOO.OOO taken over with the
AuStro- Hungarian bank Of New York.
Tart oC this trust fund will prob
ably he handed back before congress
faascs on The Austrian property. Mr.
Miller said that citizens of Poland,
CZcchoSloVakia, Ju@O-Slavia and RU-
mania hold an interest, the extent of
which is still undetermined. in the
bank. 1t Is expected to materially
reduce the total when claims are al
lowed
Virtually all the rest Of the Aus
trian property consists Of small es-,
tates, some of which amount to only
$40 or similar sums awarded work
men under state compensation acts
The $1s,OOO.OOO of Austrian aud Hun
garian property is in the same boat
as the bulk Of the German trust funds,
over which the President has no
power of disposition until he obtains
further authority.