Evening star., 1926-04-25

An effort to close up all of the prop
ertv disnutes arising out OF the
World War, to pay the claims "i
American and German victims OF
propertv confscation and loss. To
close ont the work of the alien prop
ertv custodian. and generally 10 WIPE
the slate clean. is being pressed IN .hF
present session of Congress. Cilor
tuDatelv a great many comphcdtio'9
exist and closing the books on wa
ia mage is no easy matter The GOV
eminent agencies hope. however. 10
avoid the condition which followed 'he
civil war. when claims dragged on
for scores Of years. some having never
been settled to this day. .,,
The alien property custodian sun
holds MANY millions OF dollars worm
of property Of enemy aliens which
vas seized shortly after the war be-
con Under q recent law he has been
chic 10 return some of the smaller
nroperties, and bill is now penang
which would enable him TO return .ne
remainder to the former owners. inc
properties have ranged all 'ne va
| from a house and lot or snlali Shop
| to great manufacturing ihous'i'e9' vi
enormous patent rights. ,>
The return of the remaining prop
cries NAV be DELAYED by another
man pending in Congress. whlch
uo,,ld use them as pledge TO cover
tho navments Of claims TO Americans
who lost property in the war. Ihese
cla,ms are chiefly for ships tofpedoeol
| hv the German U-boats. and Tor loss oi
| life and property on such ships. there
nre sor,e claims also b? Americans
Who owned property in Germany prior
| to the war. o,o3nos
! mixed German.American claims
commission has been at WORK LOT t"o
years settling the proper amounts VI
| these claims. and Of smaller huiipe. .
| Of claims OF German citizens as"liis.
|, ,his country. and has adjudicated most
80 IN. cases This only means that
,ha sum TO he paid each claimant mas
naan hxed. 1t has not been pala. Eer
many has expressed q Willingness 'o
,n, tho claims, but asserts she ma
| m funds at present. and that an VI
! her surplus taxes are beihs useu ~
nov her war damages to the aiiies
under the Dawes plan.
Bond Plan Proposed.
| hr.is condition prompted pau
nh,, Germany should issue bonus
W. o,, tbe American war claims OF IN,
s',.;a,,als and the United states Wouiu
urderwrite, or guarantee, tne oonua
Then somebody proposed tnat '
TInited States retain the amen piopel
ties held by the alien property cas
| todian as a guarantee on the oo IL =
This led to the suggestion Una. ne at
plope mortgage. the money used 10
80 Anoerican war claimants. ana Ier.
p" o,v assume the bonds. Unoer ina
.ion the German owners OF seiAeu
pronertv would get the property pack,
a,,niact TO this mortgage, ana iooN
to their own government to pay oii
'hg Tha na'o Nan has complications. but In
80 ahsence Of ready cash on haEu
IN Germany to pay the claims II Woulu
hava the merit of getting the claims
naid and leaving Germany OWING yer
man citizens. instead OF Her''ans ,
owing American citizens or nd tnd
American Government. Ihe Uhiteo
States could then guarantee the Dohus ,t
with the knowledge that IN cas :,
tai1,,re tn nav It could levy on property
.h;nh would lie within the Uniteo
States. ,,;us of New
vorix Ia sponsor for legislation Which
will settle the claims and the STATUS
! ~ alien property on this or some
bas;s which would pay the claims OF
| Ar,er;cans who lost ships ana otneI
things. and which would close up 'ne
alien property business as quickly dc
possible.
Much Trouble Caused.
The alien property has caused much
+rn,,hIe since its original seizure. ano
ore or two governmental scanoals
Soine of the properties seized py our
C;overnment were very rich concerns
/ earning large sums. and the amen
nroperty. custodian appointed Amerl
ms as administrators for each prop
ertv Some Of these administrator
and their attorneys received very
large fees. ,. ,,,,r,he,
of chemical products were sold py .
former alien property CUSTODIAN
Era ncis p. Garvin, to the Chemica
Foundation, an American corporation
formed to take them over. This SAFE
was later attacked by a subsequent
alien property custodian. Thomas W
Miller. but the courts upheld tne
transaction, and these patents, remain
in the hands of the American corpora
ton and cover dyestuffs and other
products formerly made only by Ger
man firms.
Custodian Miller was later the OBJ
iect of criticism for the return tc
former owners of a. large metal com
pany which had been seized as Ger
man property, but which was returned
] Az the rlea that it's Owners were