Evening star., 1949-05-16
Foreign Aides Claims
For Items Lost in War
Nearing Settlement
By Chris Methisen

The State Department and
Congress are nearing the end OF
the job of settling accounts with
foreign service employees Of the
United States who lost clothing
furniture and other personal
property in wartime incidents
abroad.
To date. Congress has approved
payment of s2s5.2o6 on a total
of 179 claims. The House Foreign
Affairs Committee has recon-
mended payment of $l6l DOT on
an additional 81 claims. A bill
to authorize this is pending and
may be acted on tomorrow.
The State Department has in
formed Congress only a few
cases await action by q review
board in the department.
The list CT claims recites In d
matter -of-fact way the circum-
stances Of loss. In a few words
apiece, it outlines side dramas OF
war which included embassy
bombings, ship sinkings by enemy
action and hurried abandonment
Of personal effects as the con-
tlict surged around the foreign
diplomatic missions Of the United
States.
Lane Would Get SS,3O5.
The bill before the House would
pay $9,305 to Arthur Bliss Lane
who was United States Minister
to Yugoslavia when a German
bomb struck the American Lega-
ton in Belgrade, April Z, 1941
destroying the dining room
kitchen and three bedrooms. Mr.
Lanes salvageable belongings
were transferred to Budapest
Hungary. for storage, but these
were destroyed in 1914 and l945
Mr. Lane. more recently Am.
bassador to Poland. had asked
$l2,820. but the review board re-
duced the amount on the prin-
ciple that mo allowance may be
made for antique values, but that
allowance must be limited to such
articles as are needed. appropriate
and reasonable in price"
Cavendish w. Cannon, now
United States Ambassador to
Yugoslavia. had bad luck with his
furniture and personal effects
when he was transferred from the
United States Legation in Athens
to Washington in 1s41. Because
of uncertain shipping facilities
he stored the belongings In q
warehouse In Athens. In the
winter of 1944-45. the warehouse
became the scene of fighting In
the Greek civil war.
From the appearance Of the
effects. 1t Is believed that the
packing cases were used as barri-
cades," the review board COM
mented.
Mr.. Cannon would be paid ST.
537-the amount he asked-for
the items lost or damaged.
Japs Took Furniture.
Waldo Ruess. q foreign service
clerk. was on duty in Chungking
China. in 1910. He went to Hong
Kong on a holiday and bought
some furniture. He couldn't ship
1t to Chungking Immediately. so
he stored it in Hong Kong. The
Japanese took over the city and
confiscated the furniture.
Then. In. 1912, he was trans
ferred to Algiers. Some belong
ings he left In storage in Chung
king were destroyed in japanese
bombings. En- route to Algiers,
the ship in which he was . pas
senger struck a reef at Bermuda
Mr.. Ruess went on by air. His
heavy baggage, left aboard the
ship, eventually arrived In Aleiers.
The bags had been slit and rifled
Mr.. Ruess asked sl.dl6, and
the board allowed 1886.
Postwar Claims Included.
Several postwar claims are in
cluded in the bill.
The board reduced by one-third
the $2,l31 claim Of Erich w. A.
Hoffman,, q foreign service Of
ficer assigned to Tirana. Albania
When the Communist dominated
regime took over the country and
made menacing moves toward
foreign diplomatic missions. Mr..
Hoffman, sent some Of his be-
longings to an Army-guarded
warehouse In Italy. The packing
cases were broken open and the
contents stolen.
The board ruled 1t couldn't t
reimburse Mr.. Ruess for loss OF
his stamp collection and decided