Evening star., 1941-06-14
Soviet Russia,
Other Nations
.A|soAffected
Presidents Order
Applicable to All
Continental Europe
BY JOHN c. HENRY.

President Roosevelt this aft
ernoon ordered the immediate
freezing of all assets in the
United States of all countries Of
continental Europe, including
Germany and Italy.
Affected, too are assets of all in
vaded or occupied European coun-
tries not previously frozen, and OF
six nations not currently embroiled
in war-Finland. Portugal. Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland and Soviet
Russia.
In the cases of these latter. how
ever, the White House specified that
through the medium of general Ii
censes, conditional on assurances
that the licenses will not be sought
for purposes of pure evasion. the
control will be lifted. Extension of
the primary freezing order to cover
these six countries was directed. the
White House said, with view to
implementing the control of Ger
man and italian assets in this coun-
try and in view of the interrelation-
ship of international financial
transactions.
Foreign Owned Property Census.
Along with the freezing order. the
President also directed that there
be undertaken census of foreign
owned property in the United States.
This survey. it was explained, will
cover not only the property belong
ing to countries and nationals SUBJ
ject to freezing control, but to all
other countries as we'll.
Regulations defining property are
extremely comprehensive, including
patents, contracts, licenses, etc.
The invaded or occupied countries
not previously affected, but brought
under the freezing control today. are
Albania, Austria. Czecho- -Slovakia.
Danzig, Poland, Andorra, Liechten-
stein and San Marino.
The effect of the freezing order
is to hamper Germany and Italy
and protect the nationals of the
occupied countries affected.
/ Germany and Italy not only have
been liquidating their own assets
here, but have been draining the
funds of nationals of occupied and
seized countries from the United
States by bringing pressure on the
banks in the occupied and seized
countries.
About 5000, ,O00,O Affected.
The Minister of Czecho-Slovakia
requested the State Department
some time ago to take the step
announced today with regard to
Czecho- -Slovakian funds
Latest available figures indicate
the order affects about 100000 900
of assets held directly by Germany
and Italy. One Government official
expressed belief, however. that
other amounts might be held here
for them under other names. Assets
of other countries already frozen
but not included in todays order
have been estimated at $4,000 ,000, 900.
The White House announcement
of the order stated it is designed,
among other things, to prevent the
use of the financial facilities of the
United States in ways harmful to
national defense and other Ameri-
can interests. to prevent the liquida-
ton in the United States of assets
looted by duress or conquest and
to curb subversive activities in the
United States"
In making the White House an
nouncement, Press Relations Sec
retary Stephen T. Early said that
administration of the order and its
regulations will be handled by the
Treasury Department and that
machinery for the process already
is in motion.
Previous executive orders freezing
assets, dating back to April s, 1910,
have applied to Norway. Denmark,
the Netherlands. Belgium, Luxem-
bourg, France, Latvia, Estonia, Ru-
mania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Hun
gary, Yugoslavia and Greece.
The White House announcement
makes note of the fact that the
steps taken today in effect bring
all financial transactions in which
German and Italian interests are
involved under the control Of the
Government, and impose heavy
criminal penalties upon persons
| failing to comply herewith"