Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-19
SENATE WILL ACT
ON PROPERTY BILL
House Approves Measure
Designed to Clear Up
World War Claims.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
The alien property bill. by which
the administration hopes TO settle
claims Of American and German ma
tionals against the two governments
growing out of the World War, was
passed yesterday by the House and
sent TO the Senate.
Offered as a compromise agreeable
to both the claimants and to all mem
lers of the ways and means COM
nlittee. which drafted it, the bill was
approved by a vote Of 279 to 66.
Opposition came largely from Demo
Gratis, who contended the act amount
ed to confiscation of German prop
erty now held by the alien property
custodian, and who criticized its
failure to provide for reimbursement
of American holders of German Sc
curities which lost their value with
the fall Of the mark.
The Republican majority prevented
any material changes in the bill,
Warding off a la-St-minute attempt by
Representative Fish. Republican. New
York. to force immediate return of all
property held by the custodian, In
stead of only so per cent. Under the
bill the remaining 90 per cent will be
held as security until all American
claims against Germany are satisfied.
Payment of Claims.
AS described in the committee re-
port accompanying the bill, it would
provide "for the immediate payment
In full of the claims of American ma
tionaIs against Germany not in ex-
cess of 100000 and for full payment
in installments of the remainder of
such claims; for the payment in the
immediate future of so per cent of
the claims of German nationals for
ships, patents and radio stations and
for the payment of the remainder of
such claims in installments, but the
total amount is not to exceed $780,
100000, less administrative expenses;
for the immediate return of so per
cent of German property held by the
alien property custodian and for the
eventual return of the remainder"
II would provide also for creation
of a special deposit account" from
which the payments are to be made,
with exception of the so per cent of
German property, which will be made
from funds held by the custodian.
The special deposit account would
be composed of the following:
Twenty per cent of the German
alien property custodian ESTIMATED at
$40 200, 000). the German share of the
unallocated interest fund tapproxi-
mately $4,000 ,000). payments hereto
fore or hereafter received from Ger
many under the Paris agreement in
satisfaction of the awards of the
Mixed Claims Commission ($14, 000, 900
10 date and SIC, 700 900 a year here
Rfter), an appropriation authorized to
be made in amount equal to the
awards for the ships, patents and
radio stations. $50 900, 900 of which is
to be Immediately available"
To Determine Values.
The value of ships and other prop
erty seized by this Government will
be determined by an arbiter to be ap-
pointed by President Coolidge. The
measure specifies that valuation must
not exceed 500, 900 geo. Proponents
of the bin contended the Government
had used the ships and had sold some
of them. and that the payment out
of Treasury funds was justified.
The bill passed out of the House
amid sharp retorts between Chairman
Green of the ways and means com.
mittee. who had charge of the meas
ure. and Representative Cox, Demo
crat, Georgia.
Green declared Cox had impugned
the motives OF the committee when
he had described the measure as 'dis.
honest and a miserable compro
mise of principle"
Senator Borah, Republican. Idaho
who had planned to lead the fight
against the bill in the Senate, was
rallied to the Treasury yesterday and
requested by Secretary Mellon tc
withdraw his objection.
The foreign relations COMMITTEES
chairman agreed to study the House
bin. but warned that he would op
pose it if it contained any semblanc.
of confiscation of German nationals
property.