Evening star., 1928-02-12


of alien property taken over b,
this country, comprising one o
the most comu'icated problem
that grew out of the World War. seem
likely to be disposed of at this session
of Congress.
The House has passed the bill provid'
Ing the machinery for an orderly Solu'
tion of these war claims and the Senate
is about to begin consideration of the
measure. Senate leaders believe actor
will be had at comparatively early
date. which would remove from the
legislative calendar QUESTION that mas
been pending for a number OF years,
The House also passed this bill in the
last Congress but it became impossible
to get il before the Senate in the clos.
ing weeks of the preceding session and
It fell by the waySide. This year. how.
ever. it comes before the Senate fully
four months before adjournment and al
a time when the condition of the Senate
calendar is such that its consideration
to a final conclusion is possible.
Although the measure is ons Of intri.
cate financial calculations and adjust.
ments. the principal steps 1t woulc
accomplish may be summarized as
follows:
All awards of American nationals
resulting from death or personal injury
rs determined b. the Nfiv"d CLAIMS
Commission. would b, paid In full
There are 384 su~h cases which. with
interest TO January !. 1923. amount tc
s409l .o66
Terms OF Proposal.
Awards of American nationals that
do not exceed 100000 would be paid
In full The awards in this class decided
by the claims commission aggregate
2238 and involve S29.037.496
The claims commission has passed
upon 162 other American claims that
exceed 100000 and under the pend
ing legislation 100000 would be paid
on each of these awards. after the for
eign claims have been paid the balance
to be prorated later.
OF the property of German nationals
still held by the alien property custo-
dian. 80 per cent would be returned I'M
raediatelv. and 90 per cent. estimated al
about s40.000.000. would be retained
temporarily. as security toward the pay
r1ent of American claims. In reporting
the House bill few days ago the SEN
ate finance committee inserted an
amendment making immediately avail
sble $4,000 900 of the funds held BY
the alien property custodian for the
payment Of American claims.
The claims Of German nationals
against this country on account Of the
taking over of ships, patents and radio
stations during the war would be ad.
tusted bv an arbiter to be appointed bs
the President and so per cent of such
claims would be paid at the outset and
the remainder ultima tely. 1t is. stipu.
lated however. that the awards in thi.
class shall not exceed 500, 900. 600
The Senate committee has added an.
other amendment to the House bill per.
rnitting the alien property custodian
70 return all property of Austrian OF
Hungarian nationals. provided there I,
placed In the United States Treasury ar
OF Americans against Austria and Hun
gary
Would Extent Limit.
Still another Senate amendment
seeks to provide. insofar as Congress
can do so. for American citizens whose
claims have not been passed upon by
the Mixed Claims Commission This
amendment requests the President 70
enter into negotiations with the Ger
man government with a view TO extend
Ing the time within which claims can be
filed until July ! 1928 II such an
egreement can be negotiated those
claims would be paid In the same man
fier as awards already made
Senator Smoot Of Utah chairman o.
the finance committee. Is hopeful o.
having the Senate vote on the bill ir
the near future
1T is my opinion" said Senator
Smoot. that the bill as reported by thu
committee. and am sure that 1t Is alss
the opinion OF members OF the commit.
ter. that the bill is now In very gooc
shape. that all points involving serioli;
opposition have been removed and thai
II shoulo pass the Senate without de.
lay"
AS q measure Of protection TO cred.
itors Of those whose property Is held b,
the alien property custodian the Senate
committee added an amendment max.
Ing property In the possession OF ths
csgtodian subject 10 attachment
Since the United States was not Q
party 20 the treaty OF Versailles, some
agency had 10 be established to adtus.
American claims. For this purpose ths
Mixed Claims Commission was set ur
IN 1922. consisting OF one commissioner
from each country and an umpire Sc.
!ected by agreement between the two
governments For six years this com.
mission has been engaged in the in.
sr1cate task Of determining the value Oi
these claims. The agreement by which
the commission was created contained
no provision for the payment Of ths
AWARDS. however and that is the prob.
lem dealt with In the pending legisla.
ton.
Paris Conference Claims.
When the Paris conference was helt
several years ago 10 determine upon
division of the payments 70 be made b,
Germany under the Dawes reparation
plan, the United States vas represent.
20 and had two classes Of claims 10 b,
considered, The committee report OF
the pending bill explains that the frs
OF these claims was for the payment n
this Government Of the cDsts OF tn,
American Army Of Occupation. and
second, payment Of claims due Ameri
ran citize,s under the awards made b,
ths Mixed Claims Commission.
Under sn agreement made In Janu
cry, 1925, the report explains, tn
United States is receiving as reimburse
nsnt for the Army Of Occupation ap
s1foxiDately sl2 900 900 annually. TIL.
committee points out, therefore, thai
t'is Army costs are not involved In tn
pending settlement legislation.
Ifs Paris agreement further pro
vided that the United States sil0ult
receive, a. payment on the awards %
the Claims Commission. ~. per cent o
tils receipts from Germany under TN
Dawes snnu;tise. available for distfibu
ton through the Preparations Commits
siol. This percentage will amount
eDJut 80, 700 900 "a year.
IN fepDrttHg the pencjDg seltlenen
bili the JtoiIsf an1 benate committee
estimated that IL no utilef netfod 1
provided for the pr ssment of The award
II the Mixed Claims Commission, ap
pTazImsthiy 10 years X1Qid be re
UuiYed befnre all The awards, incindinI
thoN III The United States. are paid
IIaims Could he Settled.