Evening journal., 1923-01-12
MILLER TELLS OF
ALIEN PROPERTY
Replies TO Criticism of Wis
consin Congressman
About Amendments
WAS ENDORSED BY
AMERICAN LEGION
Special to The Evening Journal.


WASHINGTON. Jan. 12.-Colonsl
Thomas w. Miller, Of Wilmington,
( Del, Allen Property Custodian, In a
statement today replied to the
! charges Of Congressman Cooper. Of
Wisconsin, on the floor of the House
yesterday. in which he made certain
/ charges against the Alien Property
| Custodian. Colonel Miller said that
the Inference drawn with regard
to amendments which were not
finally incorporated in the peace
resolution Is not true"
In a statement Issued today, Col
onel Miller quoted resolution pass
ed at the convention OF the Amer
Z lean Legion. following out the rec
concentrations OF Secretary OF War
Weeks, Secretary OF the Navy Dem
by and General Pershing. on the
general subject OF the chemical in
dustry I'M the United States. Col
onei Mlller's statement follows:
In June. 1921, when the peace
resolution was pending before the
House OF Congress. this office was
requested to discuss the then pend
ing resolution with the members OF
the respective committees I'm the
House and Senate, for the purpose OF
suggesting certain amendments to
the resolution vitally affecting the
administration OF tho Trading with
the Enemy Act. a number OF
amendments were suggested The
ones In which this offico was inter-
ested. were those that would CON
tinue the authority OF the ALLEN
Property Custodian In the following
mp of demands for property not
then reduced to possession, but
which, under the statutes Of prece-
dents. were in the same category as
proprty that has been surrendered
in response to previous demands. n
such an amendment had not been
inserted, those who had obeyed the
provisions OF the Allen Property
Act by reporting and surrendering
enemy property, would have been
while those who had dis
obeyed the law or evaded its pro |
visions by refusing TO comply with |
Just and proper demands Of the gov /
ernment, would have been immune. |
IL was therefore essential to this
office that the language in the peace |
protect and guarantee
with demands served be-
fore July ?, 1921. for the surrender
N property. The fact remains that
we have obtained the amendments
hat we wanted. The inference
Drawn with regard to the other
amendments, which were not finally
in the peace resolu-
ion, Is untrue"
In answer TO Mr.. Cooper's asser-
ton on the floor thar Colonel Mil
Ter attempted to get the National
Convention Of the American Legion
to adopt an unfair resolution bear
ing on the continued retention OF
alien property, Colonel Miller stated
This whole matter was thrashed
put last year and such a report was
shown 10 be utterly erroneous. l was
chairman of the committee on reso-
lutions at the third annual conven-
ton Of the American Legion, and
In that capacity presided over
that considered several
hundred resolutions OF all kind.
manner and description. among
which was a resolution following
'ut the recommendations Of Sec
'etary OF War Weeks Secretary OF
Navy Dandy and General Pershing. ,
IN the general subject of the chem
cal industry in the United States.
I was boadcasted from the con-
'ention that I was fathering and
this resolution because of
ny supposed connection with the ,
luPonts and their dye buiness. This
vas untrue. The best answer to ,
uch an assertion is resolution ,
which was passed at the fourth an 7
lual convention in New Orleans and !
adopted. This resolu- I
ion was motion that this body ir-
espective of the press. heartily en- {
lorse the action OF Mr.. Miller of
Delaware not only as a Legionnaire.
nut for his active work in the past I
IN the executive COMMITTEES and a
otherwise a true and loyal member !
'ack of every and any move in the !
interest of The American Legion. c
egardless Of political or any other
purposes.
This has been answered hereto
ore and effectively disposed of, but I
nasmuch as this member OF Con-
ress seems disposed TO bring it up j
gain and make unfair, unjust and [
rroneous statements, we feel it our
uty to call attention to the true
acts"