Evening star., 1928-05-13

Payments are about to commence
on the so-called Lusitania claims. Sew
eral thousand American individuals
and firms will receive damages incurred
| by reason of the war with Germany.
These payments of almost 100000 900
actually represent a great deal more
than the claims for personal damages.
/ Above and beyond the personal justice
brought about through their payment.
they represent probably the most sue
cessful effort in all history to adjudi-
cate and settle private claims of this
kind.
Germany and the United States
have reached complete agreement
about the private war claims, have
reached It In remarkably short time
as compared with claims from previous
wars. and have reached II IN harmony
| by reason of the excellent spirit on
| both sides prompting the settlement.
! and the remarkable talents brought
| into play tn the task by members Of
the Mixed Claims Commission.
| Little public attention has been at
| tracted by the work OF the three men
composing this commission. and the
various agents and attorneys and au-
ditors assisting them Quietly, rapidly
| and harmoniously they have disposed
I
lem. and brought the whole question
| Of seized and destroyed property, In
| iured individuals and infracted rights
| from q condition OF chaos to one OF
simple and specific order. tabulated In
plain dollars and cents. and ready for
cash settlement
| With the aid OF Congress which
has passed the war claims settlement
bill, and found the medium OF ailo-
| eating the money to pay the claims
| the Mixed Claims Commission has
| practically written the final word In
closing our account with Germany.
The whole vast diplomatic and legal
procedure has aroused less excitement
than the clustering Of single boil
sheviki orator at Geneva conference
when we recall that the Spanish
Treaty Claims Commission required
longer time 10 make awards of less
than two million dollars. and that the
Alabama claims of some nine. millions
were not settled until 30 years after
they arose the settlement IN the pres
ent case Is the more remarkable. Amer"
ican claims of almost two hundred mn"
lions and German claims OF probably
fifty millions have been adiudicated
and methods OF payment provided III
less than six years after negotiations To
that end commenced.
Ger: ,any Clears the Way.
The first step In expediting this set
tl,ment was diplomatic, To GERMANY
must go great credit for adopting q
policy making quick settlement possible
| That government agreed 70 q commits"
sion Of two members and one umpire
one German member, one American
member and an umpire selected by the
President of the United states. Ger
many. In other words. made great
gesture OF good WILL laying her fate
as to war claims payments entirely IN
the hands of her late enemy. IL IL true
that she was under severe economic
pressure on many sides, yet she might
have insisted on a neutral umpire. she
might have delayed and negotiated fer
years, she might have done many things
besides what she did on August 10,
1922, wnen Chancellor Wrth wrote to
the American Ambassador at Berlin
Mr.. Houghton as follows
"The German government believes
that the distrust Of nations toward one
another brought about by the war and
the severe economic damages which. II
caused To all countries concerned can
be most certainly done away with II
these countries decide to approach the
solution Of the questions which have
arisen between them a6 consequence
OF the war In generous manner and
In the spirit Of mutual accommodatlon
"The German government welcomes
the fact that the American Government
intends To take the initiative In tia
connection In order to make this pcs
sible and In order To give the Ameriean
Government proof vi Its confidence,
the German government has the hnnnf
to request The President Of the United
States 10 intrnEt an American person,
seeming 10 him suited for this renpon-
sihle task, with the Office of an umpire
such a. IL contemplated In the above
: mentioned agreement. ! should be
grateful Ia your axeelleney II you would
transmit this proposal OF the German
government 10 the President Of the
United States"
This communication may not have
been wholly, spontaneous but u set u
precedent In diplomatic negotiation.
Germany placed her case completely IN
the hands OF her opponent, leaving all
settlements 10 commission 0f two
members, one from each government,
and an American umpire who should
settle every contested point,
The late Mr. Justice william H. Day
OF The Supreme Court .of tbs United
states retired from the bench 10 be-
G0ms The first umpire OF the Mixed
Claims Commission After u short sur
yey hs fealiasd that tha task WAS tap
great for man of hia years and failing
; health The President thsn appointed
JUDGE Edwin II pafker ~ Texas 10
be Ia umpire Mi Chandler r. AndeIn