Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-21

| met here to fix the money damages.
| The war with Germany is now a thing
! OF the past: it is the duty OF all good
| Germans and all good Americans to
! do their part in the permanent res
toration OF good feeling and coop
Grafton. The prompt and fair set
Element OF these claims will at once
| wipe out one of the most persistent
| causes OF dissatisfaction and inter-
! national i'll will
Proceedings of the commission are
| based primarily upon the treaty of
/ Berlin, including the so-called Knox
indemnity clauses, and not on the
/ treaty of Versailles. The American
Gains are said to be distinct from
T: the general question of PREPARATIONS
! two governments. America will look
| direct TO Germany for payment OF
! claims allowed by the commission.
Plan Test Cases.
| Most of the 1900 claims flied, II is
expected, will be disposed of through
| decisions on test cases. About forty
| classes of such cases have been pre-
| for claims. The United States gov
eminent claims, however. are regard
ed as III a special class. The others
arise from the Lusitania sinking
other submarine warfare damage.
German raiders operations. war risk
| premiums, property seized in Ger
-aany or occupied territory, damages
rom German bombs and mines, prize
court losses, insurance. parcel post
losses, charter losses, losses of per-
sonal property by Americans taken
prisoner by Germany. and debts of
Germans to Americans. Many claims
are based generally upon "conse-
quence of war
Contest Claims.
Many claims promise to be contest
] ed DV Germany The ranOFtS n the
state Department disclose for the first
time that already Germany has dis
1 claimed liability for private debts of
! German nationals owing to American
J question is soon to he presented and
| argued before the commission. The
! American agent has taken the posi-
! ton that Germany is liable.
Another American position is against
/ final disposal of the American claims
in bulk, although it is desired to es-
tablish body of presidents in class
cases which will have bearing on
| settlements in each class.
/ There can be no safe shortcut by
| attempting to throw in a group or an
! entire class of claims for general con-
| sideration and adjudication by the
| commission" said Mr.. Morris report
| TO Secretary Hughes. Each claim
\ must stand upon its own merits. and
| each is entitled to separate considera-
J
| ing claims for group decision would
undoubtedly entail injustice to the
! individual claimant"
| Oppose Bulk Award.
| This principle is regarded as hav-
| ing vital effect on the Lusitania
! claims. The American representa-
tixes are prepared to oppose any
! of the Lusitania's sinking. insisting
| upon an individual award to each
| interest proving actual damage or
! loss; Under bulk award the pro-
rata on the amount of each claim.
| and il is believed that such proce-
| dure might entail sharp reductions
| In individual recoveries.
! commissions consideration has in
| Volyed months of work by a large
staff under Agent Morris. Many of
| the claims and much evidence has
been been presented in crude form, al
! acted for large interests. The staff
! of the American agent includes ex-
perts in International law formerly
! with the State Department and in
tornational law firms of New York
| and other cities. ~.
| Government Claims.
The largest claim listed in the re-
; port is the American governments of
{ s255,544, S10.53 for costs of the army
i of occupation in Germany, now un-
, der negotiation with the allies in
! Paris by Assistant Secretary Wads-
I worth of the Treasury. 1t is under
stood, however. this claim will not be
/ pressed in the event the Paris nego-
tlatlons result in an agreement.
other government claims are for
S61.266.626.23. for general damages
warfare: $37,9S2.000 by the Veterans
: Bureau for war risk premiums; S.
] $4,000 by the Railroad Administers
tfon, and S40,0T5 for war risk pre-
miums of the Shipping Board.
A 81 claim is presented by Emery
; Roberts for loss of property while
! German prisoner or war.
There are few other small claims
OF $3.50 and 50 for loss OF parcel post
property by shippers. but most of the
claims run UP into hundreds of thou
. sands and millions The largest in
Roger B. McMullen, for alleged patent
Infringement and one by William 7
Quillon for s9s.o00,0o0 damages from
German submarine warfare. Other
Schiller. s11.362.00O, entitled "conse-
; quence OF war: George r. MosIe, ST.
100000. submarine warfare and con-
sequence of war. and Arkell & Doug
las. $6,550.o0o. consequence Of war.
The largest Lusitania claim is S.
100000 for the death of Fred S.
Pearson. plus 100000 for the death Of
Mabel Ward Pearson. Other large
Lusitania claims include those OF
heirs or estates OF the following;
Forman. 100000: Charles Frohman,
another former New York theater
rn4suate. s250.0 Alfred G. Wander
hilt. s250.n00. and Samuel and Solo
mon Friedman. ss42.ao0 Most of the
I rtfa In inn
to $4,000.
In size OF claims. the principal
claimants are american Insurance.
oil. shipping and manufacturing con-
Germs
Many prominent Americans are
among the claimants, the list includ-
f. ing: John Wanamaker, $97,504, for
war risk pre- niums: Thomas A. Edi-
SON, sl0.422. for property in Ger
many; Ford Motor Company, $4,000,
property in Germany and war risk
premiums; Herbert Hoover & Sons
Company, 500, property: Theodore
H. Marburg, Baltimore banker, for
property in Germany: Carl L. Schurz,
S35,520, property In Germany: Albert
w. Morris, 100000. property in
Germany: August Belmont & Co.,
s4o,o55, property in Germany; Baruch
Charles Edward Russell, 1884, sub
marine warfare.
vfereck Files Claim.
George Sylvester Viereck, former
editor Of The Fatherland." and
prominent in. prewar agitation, has
claim filed for $4,000 property in
Germany. Charles ]. Vopicka of Chi
cago, former, minister to the Balkans,
claims $4,000 for property in occupied
territory