Evening star., 1926-05-04

An attack by Representative Gar
ner Of Texas on certain provisions oi
| the Mills bill dealing with the return
! to the private owners OF the property
Of former alien enemies held durin :
and since the war by the alien prop
| erty custodian has arounsed debate In
| the press, particularly on the plan
| presented in the bill for the settle
! ment of like claims Of American citi
| zens against Germany.
Before It adjourns, Congress ought
to provide finally for the quickest pos
sible restoration Of private property
seized by our Government within its
, domains from alien enemies during
the war" contends the Hartford Daily
| Times independent Democratic). for
1.-The longer this step is deferred. the
! more the country must be taxed on
account OF it. The restora ton Ia right
and in accordance with precedent ap
! proved both by repeated declarations
| Of American policy and the la W of ma
tions"
Opposed to this view stands the
opinion voiced by the New York Her
aid Tribune Republicsn). which de
clares: THE Herald Tribune is in
| tensely gratifed by the breakdown OF
the effort to put through Congress a
bill dispensing among German ex.own
ers the assets In the alien property
fund. These assets belong to our
Government under treaty agreements
having been dedicated by the German
Reich to the payment Of war claims
awards to American citizens, the
Reich having assumed the duty OF
compensating the former owners
Why devote the fund to Germans who
have no claim on 1t and deny it's bene-
fits to American litieants who. unless
they are reimbursed in this way. will
have to be taken care Of out OF the
Treasury"
Explaining the legal aspects Of the
situation. the Springfield Republican
independently refers, as it's authority,
to the Versailles treaty and the treaty
Of peace between Germany and the
United States, and states that under
provisions in these documents "the
German property still in the hands OF
the alien property custodian was seq
regated as security to meet the claims
Of American citizens against the Ger
man government" provision being
also made under treaty for the Ger
man owners to seek compensation Tor
their losses from Germany itself. But,
says this newspaper, the d1mculty
at this point arises from the fact that
there are not enough assets in the
alien property custodian's possession
to meet the claims OF American citi-
zens: Furthermore. the original Ger.
man owners would probably never
get anything from their own govern
ment. and their property, so tar as
they were concerned, would be wiped
out. Why be concerned about that?'
asks the Republican, and answers it
self-because for generations the
United States has stood Tor the prln-
ciple that private property should not
be taken in war without compensa-
tion."
The bill provides for a Government
bond issue by the United States OF
$3.50, ,000, 900. Speaking Of this feature,
the Sioux City Daily Tribune Gnde-
pendent) says: Congressman Ogden
l.. Mills of New York introduced bill
providing that American claims ap-
proved by the Mixed Claims Commits
sion be paid out of the United States
Treasury and that this Government.
in turn. look to Germany for reim-
bursement. The proposal was bad
enough on its face" declares the
Tribune, but 1t adds that the
sponsor Of the measure "holds stock
in one company which would be
among the beneficiaries; Secretary
Mellon holds stock in Ave corporations
which would be among the benefl-
ciaries." and it quotes Representative
Garner AZ having said that approx
mately rs members of Congress are
prospective benefciaries under the
plan"
n II
On the other hand. the Canton Daily
News Democratic) believes that the