Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-05-26
wAIienProperty Suit Deudline Planned
By Nelson M. Shepard

By Nelson M. Shepard
Congress is preparing to ex-
tend to April 80. 1850. the basic
time In which claims may be filed
for the return of millions of dol
lars in enemy property seized by
the alien property custodian on
or after December II. 1871.
At stake, the Justice Depart
ment said. Is approximately $343.-
000. 200 In enemy assets. All but
about $4,000, 900 represents Ger
man property.
While nearly 100 suits had been
filed before the recent April 80 ex-
piration date. mainly by CONNER
cial interests claiming the bulk of
the property, the Once Of Alien
Property realized the time was in
sufilcient for many others. Among
these were victims of persecution.
some Of whose heirs are American
citizens.
The Senate has voted to extend
the deadline for another year.
The same amendment to the
Trading With the Enemy Act is
before the House Interstate and
Foreign Commerce Committee.
For the same reasons the 80th
Congress had extended to last
April 80 the time for bringing
suits.
The deadline. however, excerpts
those cases where less than two
years have elapsed since the seiz-
ing OF the property. Most of the
German and Japanese property
was conf1scated during the war
years. But there are some cases
In which the property was seized
at rather late date. In the latter
event, the expiration date for the
filing Of claims is two years from
the date Of the seizure.
Recent Case Cited.
If a recent case decided In favor
OF the Government by the District
Court here is a. straw in the wind.
indications point to only a small
trickle of the total assets being
recovered by claimants. About
one-half of the suits instituted
under Section 9 (a) of the Trad
ing With the Enemy Act are on file
in the District Of Columbia. &C
cording to Julius Schlezinger,
chief Of the Claims Division.
Two remedies are open to eligi-
BILE claimants who are not enemy
aliens. They are termed judicial
and administrative. Approx
mately $4,000 claims are on file.
This is not quite as formidable as
1t appears.
Only about 10000 Of the claims
involved the recovery Of property.
OF those, 5000 have been disposed
OF, leaving 1000 cases to be acted
on. A large number Of these are
claims Of Italians who have special
consideration under the law.
During the war the term enemy"
or enemy ally was broadened to
include any one residing in an
enemy country or enemy satellite
country. Thus Americans living
in Germany would have been
barred from instituting claim for
recovery. Many hundreds Of other
persons-some the innocent po-
litical victims Of war-also were
barred.
Law Amended.
Congress amended the law to
take care Of such cases. I'm other
words. said Mr.. Schlezinger, "the
statute tries to pick our friends,
not our enemies"
The enemy, countries and the
approximate amounts for each
held ct the end of 1913 are:
Germany. $272.0o0. 0o0:. Japan.
$50, 100000; Italy, $16.000.0o0
Hungary, $1,600,000; Romania.
$500, 900 and Bulgaria. $500. 900.
The great bulk was the property
of commercial concerns and indi-
viduals. rather than of the respec-
tive governments. The German
government, for instance. had as
sets Of no more than $4,000. 900.
The Japanese government itself
owned less than 100000 in the
United States.
In Washington. the furnishings
Of the German Embassy have been
sold but the building itself is vest
ed In the United States. Recently
the ONCE Of Alien Property dis
posed of land In the Northwest
section purchased before the war
for new embassy site. This now
is part of q Washington play
ground. The japanese Embassy,
on Massachusetts, avenue NV,
has never been disturbed.
Restoration Possible.
Perhaps at some future time
these two properties may be re-
stored to Germany and Japan.
To pay the claims Of civilian
American citizens" interned by the
Japanese during the Pacific war.
Congress has established War
Claims Commission. These are
citizens whose property was con-
1iscated, who lost wages that would
have been paid by employers and