The Washington times., 1925-11-06
ALIEN PROPERTY
PROBE ASKED
BY SENATORS
King and Borah Prepare Meas
llres for Coming Session.
Menace to Trade Seen
By WILLIAM K. HUTCHINSON

BY WILLIAM TX. HUTCHlNsUlrt
A sweeping investigation Of the
Alien Property Custodian's office
ana its administration Of the $500
100000 worth Of property seized
from enemy aliens during the war
viii be demanded Of the new Con
gress, ii was learned today.
Declaring the American people
were desirous of an accounting Of
the haIf-bfllion dollar trusteeshlp,
Senator William HI King lDena. u 81
Utah. announced he would sponsor
. B resolution calling for the INQUIRY
Because Of the recent activity or
the Department Of Justice, which
resulted in the indictment o1 Goi-
onel Thomas w Miller former
custodian, King said he expected
no opposition 70 passage Of ms
resolution.
would Return PROPERTY
ASIDE from this proposed inquiry,
il vraa further learned, number
~ hiIIs will be introduced In the
nav Congress providing for Inn
mediate return OF all enemy prop
ertv stin held by the Alien Properly
custodian, along with an accounting
az the American steward ship.
BINS, with these provisions in
corporated. will be sponsored by
Senator william II BOrah Rep@
b Idaho and Senator King among
others.
II am now working On q bill
calling for the return ok All seized
property, said Borahs and Will
introduce it as soon az Congress
cOnvenes.
This property was taken At \
time when d treaty existed between
the United States and the central
powers that the property Of M
tionals should be protected even ~
time Of war.
both the executive and Legislative
Idepartnaents that we would keep
II intact. &c IL matter Of good
faith and honor "a return II now. "
Borah Fears Precedent
Boah also called attention to the
|nrecedent. which would be estab-
l,shed X the American Government
continued to retain control OF alien
property seven years after the end
of the war.
such 4 precedent, he intimated,
might be q great embarrassment
ii the future to American business
interests which have millions Of
dollars invested around the world.
Senator King went further than
Borah. He demanded not only 70
fiYrn 81 the property but an inves-
tirafton AZ the manner In which the
alien property custodian managed
5 - ,ssnls,saH rng.nVSeFrtVf
~ have been demanding an IN
yeetfea4ion Of the alien property
custodfara'a office since 1922. said
King. II think Congress and the
American people would like 70
grow how the Government handled
4 trust of $500, OOO. 900.
Since the indictment OF Colonel
Miller. the need for such an inyesti-
CATION is apparent to everybody.
Points to Be Probed
King said he would sponsor q
resolution providing for an investt-
cation OF al, the seizure and APP
nrafsal of enemy property; Cd. the
sale and conversion Of seized prop
ertv: (3l. whether the law was VIC
lated in such sales through receipt
az Inadequate values; Cd. whether
aaiee were made to agents or OF
ficials having fiduciary relations to
the seized property. and 90, the
sale OF patents trademarks and
trade names, particularly those Of
the Chemical Foundation and the
Bosch Magnetic Company.
1.-THE United States has taken the
lead for 100 years in fight for
the sanctity OF private property IN
time of war said King. When
Congress passed the act providing
for seizure of alien property. 1t was
declared in both House and Senate
that the property would be held by
the Government as trust and re-
stored when the war was over.
Good faith, as well as adherence
to a proper standard OF ipterna-
tional morality, requires that these
promises be fulfilled and the prop.
erty now restored to its lawful
owners