Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-03-17
I'M Arthur Aide Denies
Red Charge That U. 5.
Takes Japan 5 Wealth
BY the Assoeioied Press

i TOKYO, Sunday, Mar. IT,
Gen. MacArthur's economic
chief today fatty denied Rus.
sian press reports that thu
United States Army is moving
valuable metals from. Japan tt
America.
THE millions of dollars worth Of
gold, silver, platinum and jewelry
are still under military guard in the
vaults of the Bank of Japan" sale
Maj. Gen. w. F. Marquat, chief Of
the Economic and Scientific Section
Of soap (Supreme Commander
Allied Powers.
A further denial of the Moscow
newspaper Pravda's Vladivostok dis.
patch came from Gen. Marquat's
civilian aide, c. F. Thomas of New
York, who said mot single thing
has been moved"
'Disposition of this wealth is not a
matter for our section and we merely
are guarding it," Mr.. Thomas ex-
planned.
ut is up to the Allied powers to
decide what is to become of it-not
just. the United States"
Value Put at $3.50, O00, 900.
Mr.. Thomas estimated that the
precious metals and jewels in the
vaults are valued at $3.50, 100000.
GAS rapidly as this wealth has
been turned in by the japanese or
located when it was not reported,
we have put it into the vaults for
safekeeping," said Mr.. Thomas. 1T
has not been moved around but
has been left right there"
Asked whether any Russian rep
resentatives participated in the
seizures, he said, They have not
even asked to see it."
Mr.. Thomas added that the
United States Army has been en-
tirely frank about every lot of gold,
silver, platinum, jewels and any,
thing else received, announcing it
to both the Allied and Japanese
press and making it part of official
reports.
ITO sum 1t all up, we have made
no attempt to keep anything secret
about the whole thing. Mr.. Thomas
said.
Radium Returned to Czechs.
Gen. Marquat called attention to
the fact that recently some radium
was shipped out of Japan, but
stressed that 1t was on its way to
Czechoslovakia. Originally seized In
that country by Germany, it event.
ually found its way to Japan. 1t
is on its way to it's original owner
by way of the United States.
Mr.. Thomas mentioned that some
metals have been released to the
Japanese by soap for industrial
purposes. soap Issued a press re-
lease February Is, announcing per-
mission for 10000 grams of gold to
be released for electric and chem
ical use, $3.50 grams of silver foz
photography and electrical manu-
facture and $4,000 grams of plati-
mum for medical instruments. The
total value of the material released
was $113,506.
Pravda quoted japanese news
papers and tn. Army's Tokyo Stars
and Stripes on specific seizures of
gold, silver and jewelry.. These
items were based on releases by
Gen. MacArthurs public relations
office announcing the seizures to
the Allied and Japanese press.
Property Gotten in Two Ways.
Such property has been obtained
in two ways:
/. Through the japanese govern
ment as ordered by Gen. Mac
Arthur; or,
2. BY seizure when a directive has
been ignored and the metals dis
covered by Army search parties.
All items seized have been trans
lSA1 GU w Vic Udllh VAULTS uI1QCT
guard.
The Russian dispatch referred to
Stars and Stripes story of Novem-
Der 7, 1945 that American counter
espionage police discovered and
requisitioned German warehouse
in Tokyo where they appropriated
jewelry and other property. How
ever. this story actually specified
Is large warehouses searched at
Kiryu go miles northwest of Tokyo.
Counter intelligence agents found
bullion, jewelry, silverware, furni-
ture, clothing and food stores ap-
parently belonging to Nazi leaders
in Japan. The story said the agents
counted 299 silver ingots, valued at
about 100000, which the Nazis
had planned to ship to Berlin by
way of Siberia, but were prevented
by outbreak of the war with Rus
STA. The warehouses also contained
eCEn mn IN