Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-03-17

the two commissioners are unable
to agree upon the amount of the
claim involved.
Robert c. Morris, a lawyer of
New York, represents the United
States as agent of the Com
mission, while Karl Won Levin
ski, one of the counsellors of the
German Embassy here is the Ger
man agent.
Of course, it is not expected
that more than fifty per cent. Of
the claims for damages and loss
es filed with the Commission will
ever be paid by the German gov
ernment, for this percentage will
be thrown out by the agent Of the
United States and lawyers on tie
Commission who will hold many
claims to be illegal and viii cut
down others. A statement of the
total amount of claims filed with
the Commission must be in the
hands of the German government
not later than April 9, 1923, ac-
cording to the terms of the agree
ment signed between Germany
and the United States on August
10, 1922.
The Mixed Claims Commission
has no authority to make ar
rangements for the payment of
these claims, its sole duty being
to fix the amount of such claims.
But the fact that the representa-
tives of the two governments have
agreed upon such amounts will
make it binding upon Germany
to make restitution. 1t has been
suggested that the moneys now
held by the Alien Property Gus
todian belonging to Germany and
to Germgu citizens be used N Ii
Iquid&tss the adjusted claims
against Germany
The method that has been fol-
lowed in the claims thus far pre-
sented to the Commission con-
sists in filing the original claim
with the Secretary of State. H.
in turn refers it to the agent OF
the United States government or
the Commission. The agents le.
gal staff then goes into the claim
very thoroughly to determine
whether it is in proper shape
/ duly authenticated and backed up
by the necessary documentary evi.
dence. Then it is. laid before the
two members of the Commission
The American agent may then
file a brief in support of the claim
while the agent representing Ger
many is given an opportunity to
make answer to this brief. Then
if the Commission so desires, it
will hear arguments on the claim
| by counsel representing the two
governments. Unless there is som,
disagreement, the claim is ad
mitted by the representative OF
the German government.
1t has been estimated that there
are more than 10000 claims filed
with the Commission. ranging
from the loss of life on the. Lusi.
tania to the destruction Of az
automobile or some wearing ap
parel by the Germans. They
have come in from the claimants
in all sorts of forms, few well
prepared, but mostly in the rough
est manner. There are some
claims in the form of letters and
even kilograms.
When the Commission was first
organized on September 26, 1922
the amount of the claims on the
part of the United States ma
tionals was $3.50 100000 and the
claims on the part of the govern.
ment itself $4,000, 1000. The total
has grown from day to day un-
til now it has reached the stu
pendous figure of 81 900, 100000.
To date, three cases have been
argued before the Commission.
Two are what are known as the
I"occupied territory" class while
one has to do with the confiscatior
| of the property of an American
firm. No decisions, however, have
been handed down by the Com
mission in any of the test cases
| submitted for argument.
The German Commissioner and
THE German agent are now in
their country making arrange.
ments for more methodical
method of handling the work OF
the Commission as it arises. They
Sexpect to be back in Washington
not later than April 1. During
their stay in Germany it is ex-
pected that they will have work.
ed out some plan for the handling
of evidence and bringing back
the. answers to the claims in or
der; that prompt decisions may be
reached by the Commission.