The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-03-28

expenses of the United States army Of
occupation on the Rhine now has drawn
attention 10 a complication with respect
to another claim of approximately
$300.O00,000 due American citizens
whose relatives lost their lives in the
Lusitania disaster and Americans whose
property was seized or destroyed by
Germany during the war.
American claimants have been pa
tiently waiting for the German govern
ment to pay them. But it is apparent
now that all Germany assets are mort
gagged to the allies aud even the United
States government seemingly can't, get
a priority on that money spent since
the armiStice in maintaining its army
The legal representatives of the host of
American claimants who include the
stockholders of such big concerns rs the
American Radiator Co. Standard Oil
Co. National Cash Register Co.. Singer
Sewing Machine Co., and National Har-
vester Co, are beginning to get anxious
about their claims. Most of these com
pauies had properties IN Germany which
We're seized or liquidated by the Ger
man custodian of alien property.
Look TO L. >. Government.
+ If the German government cannot pay
American claims because all funds must
first go to satisfy the allied govern
ments. then the American claimants
must look to the United States govern
ment for satisfaction. The Harding adj
ministration has been trying TO evolve
Il policy which would be in harmony
/ with American tradition. 1t has not
/ felt kindly toward the idea of cOnfis-
eating German property here as IA means
of raising the money to pay American
/ claims against the German government.
/ The feeling of President Harding and
] hos 1,,
dividual owners of German property in
America were not responsible for the
f.. acts of their government. The Amer-
can government does not care to con
tiScate German property.
Two Methods Discussed.
But how are the American claimants
. TO he paid% There are two ways pro-
posed. One is that the United States
shall directly reimburse the claimants
and collect in the far-of future from
I Germany. The other is that the Ger
man property now held by the alien
property custodian here be retained in
definitely and that bonds bee issued
against it and these bonds turned over
to the American claimants who could
sell them and realize cash value. Thus
the German property would be held in
tact for MANY years and as soon a. the
German government redeemed the bonds
the property would go back to the law
full owners. Such scheme is in effect
in South Africa and has the sanction oI
the British government The British
central government a. we'll as the Aus
tIalian and other ealonial government,
/ are applying i somewhat different sys
/ TEN. AL the British claims against
Germany are satisfied out Of a clearing
house fund. This fund is accumulated
from the proceeds of liquidation of Ger
man property which, by the terms o
the Versailles treaty, can be retained OF
sold as the case may be. and the Ger
man owners in turn IeCompenSed by the
German governments clearing house fOl
debts of this kind. The policy of tn,
allies has by no means been definitely
evolved but the allies can apply tn,
German property toward separations j
] they like.
Congress Must Say.
AMERICAN policy depends entirely OF
the wishes of congress by whose author
ity the German property in Americ;
originally was seized. While ii is true
that American claims against German,
are estimated at S30O,OOOO00 a mike,
claims commission Is about To be set M
by Germany and Che United States I,
adjust the claims and. as usual in sucl
leases. cXtraYagant estimates are. ma
teriaIlv cut a6wlRru7But thcf9f9@ enongI
German property in America to ofISc
the American claims against Germany
y very effective campaign has been in
Stituted by Germans i'm America to per
suade congress 10 give back the prOpert!
to the lawful owners.
Officials concede, that if congress wcr
1 to vote on the issue today the propert.
would be returned by an overwhelming
4 vote as there Is no disposition To hole