The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1949-01-08


ton came too late for House con-
currence
This legislation should be re-
introduced i'll the Eighty-f.rst Con-
eress
J. Amending Laws Governing Re-
i turn of Vested Property to In
! clude Law Abiding Aliens Who
were Parolcd or Released from
Detention.
/ Immediately after Pearl Harbor
the Office of Alien Property then
the Alien Property Custodian
seized all nonresident and some
resident alien owned or controlled
properties in this country. includ-
ng both business and financial
institutions.
Since the termination of hostili-
ties. the government has permitted
only American citizens and res
dent aliens who we're never detained
or interned TO file claims for the
return of their holdings in bested
property. Final deadline for filing
such claims was August 8. 1913.
1t should be remembered that
after the war began. the Depart
ment Of Justice placed In
custody many German, Jap
anese, and Italian nat
ionals for reasons dictated solely
by caution. ard most were later
paroled or released after subse-
quent investigation showed them to
be trustworthy. law-ab. ding resi-
dents of the United States.
Because of language difficulties,
many of these persons had inves-
ted In securities, or deposited life
time savn with foreign finan-
cial institutions which were vested
by the Alien Property Custodian
Now, because the present law
makes no distinction between in
ternees who were held during the
war as suspect individuals and
those who we're paroled or released.
numerous persons against whom
the only crime was one of being
an, intcrnee for a suff cient period
to be investigated are being de-
prived of their property and saw
lngs.
We believe all internees who were
paroled or cleared, should be given
the same right to file for the re-
turn OF their property as aliere who
were never informed or American
citizens who had holdings in these
same vested institutions.
In addition, there are a number
Of persons who, though eligible to
file claims. failed to do so prior
TO the August deadline because
of lack of understand ng concern
ing the law.
We also believe such persons
should be granted an extcntion of
time in which TO file claims.
4. Continue ton Of the Soldier
Brides Act for an Additional
Two Years.
The Scventy-n int h Congress
passed a Soldier Brides Act which
permitted spouses of u. S. service
personnel to enter the United States
without regard TO immigration
quotas. except for spouses inadmis-
sable because of race. In the Eight
] ieth Congress. an amendment to
the Act permitted service person
mel to marry Japanese and other
Asian natives and bring them to
the United States under the same
terms of the Act as applied else
| where
However. American military per-
sonnet were permitted to bring to
he United States only spouse
whom they married prior to August
% 1947. n those spouses we're mem
bers Of races inadmissable to This
country under the Oriental Excul-
| sion Act.
Under the Soldier Brides Act. the
deadline for the admission of all
spouses, irrespective of race. wa
set bv law as December 28 1948
We feel that In view of the ex
tension of occupation duty in both
Europe and Japan. the presen
Soldier Brides Act should be amen