Evening star., 1943-09-09
Allies to Restore SiciIiun Lands
Seized FromU.S. British Owners
By THOMAS r. HENRY,

BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
Star Staff Correspondert
WITH THE ARMY IN SICILY
by Mall Real estate on which
the total assessed value was 35,-
000, 900 lire was owned by American
and British citizens in Sicily at the
time of the invasion and had been
sequestered by the Fascist govern
ment.
Allied military government off,
cials are now seeking this property
with the intention of restoring 1t
to its rightful owners when the
necessary legal formalities have been
fulfilled.
The total does not include busi-
ness properties owned by American
or British firms. The question OF
title in these cases is much more
complicated since it was held, in
many cases, by subsidiary Italian
corporations which may, or may not,
have been mere dummies.
American property consisted, for
the most part, of small holdings.
such as farms or humble dwellings
owned by former Italian immigrants
to the United States who had re-
turned to Sicily after saving a few
thousand dollars. They expected to
live comfortably for the rest of their
lives on the interest due to the
relative cheapness and low stand
ard of living there.
Before leaving the United States
they had taken out citizenship pa!
pers. Well known to local officials,I
their properties were among the first
taken over at the outbreak of the
war. Few wealthy Americans, had
made personal investments in Sicily ;;
which never was a popular resort
for people from overseas.
Large British Holdings.
British property, on the other
hand, consists mostly of large hold !
ings by wealthy families. The larg :
est single property on the island,
for example, was the estate of
Bronte in the western foothills of;
Mount Etna, the property of third !
generation heirs of Lord Nelson.
There were other palatial homes.
and shooting estates owned by rich.
Englishmen. fo-- whom Sicily was al
popular winter resort,
The task of restoring the property
is beset with many complications
due to the often inadequate records
now on hand, claims OF sales, mort
gage fOrfeitures. etc.
The 5000 600 lire valuation. I'll
is explained. Is based on the Italian
valuation of the lire. At the pres
ent exchange value with British and
American money 1t would amount.
to only 1886, 900, whereas the Bronte:
estate alone is worth much more.
Italians consider the Ira worth
much more Besides, the tax value
probably was fictitiously low.
No effort has been made as yet,
except for the single province of
Palermo, to find the total OF Sc
questered bank accounts of British
and American citizens which may.
especially in the latter class, run
very high.
Navy Infantry Under Fire.
SICILY.For the first time in the
Sicilian campaign, the new Navy
infantry got Its baptism of fire.
These hiking sailors played ma
jor role In the amphibious warfare
for which they were designed. They
consist of officers and men who land
on beachhead with the landing
troops and accompany them, usually
on foot, in their future attacks on
port towns from the land side. In
this way both Palermo and Messina
were taken.
The Navy men accompany the
first patrols Of such Il force into
the town and Immediately take
charge of the port, sometimes while
the enemy still are vacating it.
Their job is to get it in working
order as soon as possible-to deter
mine the damage done by enemy
sabotage and Allied bombings, the
Instructions in the harbor, to 10
cate and destroy mines and BOBBY
traps, to make intelligence charts
of the harbor, to salvage such craft
rs can be found, and to round up
all such port personnel as pilots,
ship mechanics, and lighthouse
keepers and put them to work, if
they are considered acceptable to
the Allied authorities.
Advance Base Set Up.
Thus an advance base is set up
which the Navy can use Immediately
for landing more supplies, arms and
men. Sometimes the work Is ac-
complished with astonishing speed.
Such was the case at Licata, The