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ALIEN PROPERTY CUSTODIAN - BUREAUCRATIC HISTORY
October 22, 1917 Trading with the Enemy Act - ALIEN PROPERTY CUSTODIAN
APPOINTED by President Woodrow Wilson under authority of Section 6
APC was empowered to receive, hold, administer, and account for money and property
in the U.S. belonging to an enemy or an ally of an enemy,
(40 Stat. 415)
December 9,1932 E.O.5968 Recommends TRANSFER of Alien Property Custodian to the
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Special Message to Congress - President Herbert Hoover recommended to Congress
that the Alien Property Custodian be TRANSFERRED to the Justice Department
Message and accompanying E.O 5968 cited the Reorganization Act of Congress of
June 30, 1932 in which Congress stated its policy of grouping executive agencies and
reducing their number through consolidation of those having similar functions
E.O. provided for the TRANSFER of APC's powers, duties, functions, personnel,
and records
The APC's powers would be conferred on the Attorney General
The E.O was to be effective Feb. 10, 1933 unless Congress determined otherwise
(E.O. 59.68, 1932 Compilation; Public Papers ofthe Presidents, Herbert Hoover,
Vol. 1932-33, pp. 882-883,888) ,
January 19, 1933 - House Resolution 334 - House passed Resolution disapproving of all 11
, Executive Orders in President Hoover's 'message
E.0.5968 authorizing transfer was PREVENTED from taking effect
(Public Papers ofthe Presidents, Herbert Hoover, Vol. 1932-33, p.891)
March 1, 1934 - E.O.6694 - Office of Alien Property Custodian was ABOLISHED
by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
AUTHORITY, rights, privileges, POWERS, and DUTIES were TRANSFERRED to
, the JUSTICE Department
Office of Alien Property Custodian was to be administered under the supervision of the
Attorney General
All officers and employees were transferred
Official records and papers on file were trat).sferred to the Justice Department
ALL FUNDS, SECURITIES, REAL ESTATE, PATENTS, TRADE MARKS,
COPYRIGHTS, and ALL OTHER PROPERTY.to which the APC had title,
possession, or control, or were held in trust for the APC, were TRANSFERRED
to the ATTORNEY GENERAL
Attorney General authorized to administer and dispose of property
'ALL EXPENSES incurred by the DOJ in the administration ofthe Trading with the
,
I
Enemy Act "SHALL be PAID OUT of the MONEY or OTHER PROPERTY
TRANSFERRED" to the DOJ or out of INTEREST or OTHER EARNINGS
Transfer was to be effective on July 1, 1934
(E.O. 6694, 1934 Compilation)
�2
June 27, 1934 - Public Resolution 53 - PROHIBITED RETURN OF SEIZED PROPERTY
Congress declared that ALL PROPERTY of Gennany and its nationals which on or since
: April 6, 1917 had been vested or come under the control of the U.S. Government
"shall be retained by the United States of America and no disposition thereof
made"
Ban would be lifted after Gennany made suitable provision for satisfaction of claims of
residents of the United States against Gennany
(48 Stat.1267-1268)
March 2, 1935 - E.O. 6981 - Removing Certain Restrictions of Public Resolution 53
Restrictions were removed on payments and transfers of money and property EXCEPT to
Gennan nationals or corporations
OAP remained responsible for continuing administrative procedures in regard to the
money and property
OAP was exercising these responsibilities in 1939-1941·when the war began
(E.O.6981, 1935 Compilation; Attorney General, Annual Report, 1940, p.l19)·
May 2, 1935 - TRANSFER to Justice Department took place
(Government Manual, 1939, p.8A; Feb. 1940, p.521; NO documentation was found for
the decision to delay the transfer in The Public Papers and Addresses ofFranklin D
Roosevelt, Vols. 1934 and 1935; Presidential Executive Orders, Index, for Executive
Orders dated June 1, 1934 through March 10, 1935, or Congressional Documents)
1935 - ALIEN PROPERTY BUREAU ESTABLISHED in the Justice Department
Placed in the CLAIMS DIVISION
Assistant Attorney General over Claims Division has charge of all civil suits and claims
for and against the federal government that are not specifically assigned
Claims included PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, and cases arising out of WAR
TRANSACTIONS
Bureau assigned functions fonnerly handled by the Alien Property Custodian
Bureau now handled ALIEN PROPERTY CLAIMS and LITIGATION
(Government Manual 1939, pp.37, 39; earlier reference being researched; Feb. 1940,
p.l06; Sept. 1941, p.244)
1935 - Alien Property Trust Fund
Under the Trading with the EnemyAct of 1917 and the Settlement of War Claims Act
of 1928 the Secretary of the Treasury held Government securities for account of the
Attorney General, ALIEN PROPERTY BUREAU
By September 1935 securities amounted to almost $28 million
Total trust fund assets were $68, 560,000
�3
May 15, 1939 - E.O~ 8136 - All powers and authority conferred on the President by the Trading
with the Enemy Act were delegated to the Attorney General or the Assistant Attorney
General in charge of the Claims Division
All securities in which the Secretary of the Treasury had invested money deposited in the
Treasury by the APC or the Attorney General were to be sold by the Secretary of the
Treasury
The proceeds were to be deposited in the Treasury to the account of the Attorney
General, ALIEN PROPERTY BUREAU
(E.O. 8136, Title 3, Code ofFederal Regulations (CFR), 1943-1948 Compilation, p.500)
April 10, 1940 - E.O. 8389 - FOREIGN FUNDS CONTROL ESTABLISHED in the
Treasury Department to FREEZE and block ALL ASSETS of INV ADED
COUNTRIES
Issued under the authority in Section 5(b) of the Trading with the Enemy Act as
amended
Executive Order PROHIBITED ALL FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS'unless
specifically regulated and licensed by the Treasury Department
STOPPED:
ALL transfers of credit
ALL transactions in foreign exchange
ALL exports of gold and silver bullion and coin and currency
ALL withdrawals from safe deposit box~s
Secretary of the Treasury was to determine by regulations and rulings the conditions
under which licenses would be granted
Goal was to prevent the Axis from using the assets of governments and nationals of
occupied countries for its war purposes
(E.O. 8389, Title 3, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 1938-1943 Compilation,
" pp.645-647; Report to Congress by Secretary Henry Morgenthau, as reprinted in
Treasury Department, Annual Report, 1945, Exhibit 51, p.423)
June 4, 1940 - Administrative Order - Office for Management Established .
Finding a threatened national emergency President Franklin Roosevelt established in the
Executive Office of the President the OFFICE FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Last section of Order provided for the Office to perform additional duties as the President
may direct
Two years later the Alien Property Custodian would become part ofthe Office for
Emergency Management under this section
(5 F.R. 2109)
1940-1941 - Alien Property Bureau in 1940 was still handling cases growing out of World War I
Aggregate amount involved in suits was $26.1 million of which $15.2 was claimed by
.the federal government and $10.9 was claimed against the U.S. Government
Ironically one of the biggest suits involving fraud was against the Swiss Bank Corporation
Bureau also made administrative determinations to RETURN PROPERTY
(Annual Report of the Attorney General, 1940, p.117, 119; 1942, pp.140-141)
�4
June 11, 1941 Order of the Attorney General- RESEARCH SECTION ESTABLISHED
in the Alien Property Bureau
.
Dealt with interagency matters
Handled problems arising from the DOJ's participation in the POLICY COMMITTEE
on FOREIGN FUNDS CONTROL
Collaborated with State and Treasury and the Administrator of Export Control on
matters connected with E.O.8389
In the summer of 1941 Research Section was investigating the extent of foreign
ownership, control, or interests IN AMERICAN PROPERTIES or BUSINESSES
(Annual Report of the Attorney General, 1941, p.144)
June 14, 1941- E.O.8785 - Foreign Funds Control is extended to ALL COUNTRIES in
EUROPE
E.O. now includes PROHIBITIONS on transactions in securities
SECRETAR Y of the TREASURY is empowered to issue regulations and rulings to carry
out E.O.8785
Section 4 authorizes the SECRETARY of the TREASURY and the ATTORNEY
GENERAL to require reports on any transaction listed in Section 5(b) of the
Trading with the Enemy Act relative to ANY PROPERTY in which any FOREIGN
COUNTRY or its NATIONALS have any interest of any kind
Attorney General and Treasury Secretary have the authority to call for books of account,
contracts, letters or other documents
ATTORNEY GENERAL or TREASURY SECRETARY may, through any agency,
INVESTIGATE any transaction or any violation of E.O.8785
(E.O. 8785, Title 3, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 1938-1943 Compilation, p.949)
September 1941 - Government Manual has a special National Defense Program section
Claims Division of the Justice Department is described as representing the Department
"in all matters involving enemy property"
Notes the Division performs certain functions assigned to the DOJ by E.O.8785, freezing
foreign assets
(Government Manual, September 1941, p.117)
December 9, 1941 ..,. ALIEN PROPERTY DIVISION ESTABLISHED in the Justice
Department for the SEIZURE and ADMINISTRATION of alien property during
time of war (Supplement No. 11 to Department Order No. 2507)
Created to perform functions of the Alien Property Custodian transferred to Justice by
E.O.6694 of May 1934 and performed by the Alien Property Bureau
(Government Manual, Spring 1942, p.176, 182; Fall 1942, p.601; AG-A.R. 1942, p.231)
�5
March 11, 1942 - E.O.9095 - OFFICE of ALIEN PROPERTY CUSTODIAN was
ESTABLISHED by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
New agency was placed in the Office for Emergency Management ofthe Exe~utive
Office of the President
.
President designated the head of the agency as the ALIEN PROPERTY CUSTODIAN
Alien Property Custodian was APPOINTED by the President
All powers and authority conferred on the President by Sections ~(a) and 5(b) of the
Trading with Enemy Act and by Sections 301 and 302 of the First War Powers Act of
, December 1941 were DELEGATED to the APC
E.O. provided for two exceptions to the transfer:
Powers and authority DELEGATED to the SECRETARY of the TREASURY by
Executive Orders issued prior to Feb. 12, 1942
, Powers and authority DELEGATED to the Federal Reserve System by E.O. 8843 of
Aug. 9, 1941
These powers shall CONTINUE to be VESTED in and EXERCISED by the
, Secretary of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board
,
Any property of any FOREIGN COUNTRY or it NATIONALS shall VEST in the
, ALIEN PROPERTY CUSTODIAN whenever the APC shall direct (Section 3)
In the case where property is subject to the control of the Secretary of the Treasury the
Alien Property Custodian shall inform the Secretary
The Secretary of the Treasury shall RELEASE ALL CONTROL of any such property
TO THE ALIEN PROPERTY CUSTODIAN
(E.O. 9095, Title 3, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 1938-1943 Compilation, p.l121)
April 21, 1942 - E.O.9142 -ALL AUTHORITY, RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES, POWERS,
DUTIES, and FUNCTIONS delegated to Attorney General by E.O.6694 and 8136
were TRANSFERRED to the OFFICE ofthe ALIEN PROPERTY CUSTODIAN
RECORDS, FILES, and equipment of the ALIEN PROPERTY DIVISION, DOJ were
TRANSFERRED TO the Alien Property Custodian (Section 2)
ALL FUNDS, SECURITIES, REAL ESTATE, PATENTS, TRADE MARKS,
COPYRIGHTS, and all other property held by the Attorney General under the
Trading with the Enemy Act were TRANSFERRED TO the Alien Property
Custodian
All litigation in which the APC or the Office of the Alien Property Custodian is
Interested shall be CONDUCTED under the SUPERIVISION of the ATTORNEY
GENERAL
Attorney General was to give legal advice to the APC
Expenses for advice and litigation were to be paid out of the funds or property in the
possession of the APC
Nothing in E.b. 9142 was to require the DOl to surrender any files or records relating to
any litigation it was conducting .
E.O.9142 was to remain in effect for the duration of the war and for six months after the
termination of the war
(E.O. 9142, Title 3, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 1943-1943Compilation, p.1148)
�6
May 19,1942 - WAR DIVISION created in the Justice Department
Established to more expeditiously carry out the Justice Department's work relating to
war planning, alien enemy control, and ALIEN PROPERTY CONTROL
Division consisted of three units:
Special War Policies Unit
, Alien Enemy Control Unit
Alien Property Control Unit
ALIEN PROPERTY CONTROL UNIT was established to SUPERVISE and
CONDUCT LITIGATION growing out of the SEIZURE and ADMINISTRATION
of alien property during the war
(Government Manual, Fall 1942, pp.210, 211-212,org. chart, p.574)
July 6, 1942 - E.O.9193 - Creating the Office of the Alien Property Custodian and
DEFINING the FUNCTIONS of the Alien Property Custodian (Amended E.O.9095)
SECTION 2 OUTLINED the FUNCTIONS of the ALIEN PROPERTY CUSTODIAN
Alien Property Custodian was AUTHORIZED and EMPOWERED to CONTROL or
VEST PROPERTY belonging to an ENEMY
APC could also DIRECT, MANAGE, or SUPERVISE ENEMY PROPERTY
including:
ANY ENEMY-OWNED or CONTROLLED BUSINESS ENTRPRISE WITHIN the
UNITED STATES
Evidence of ownership, control of, or interest in such a business enterprise
ANY OTHER PROPERTY WITHIN the UNITED STATES OWNED or
CONTROLLED by NATIONALS of NEUTRAL or OCCUPIED COUNTRIES
and were under Treasury regulation
Alien Property Custodian was to CERTIFY to the Secretary of the TREASURY that
it was NECESSARY in the national interest for the APC to ASSUME CONTROL
in order to (Section 2(b»
Protect the property
Remove personnel or supervise employment policies
LIQUIDATE, REORGANIZE, or SELL the property
Direct the management
Deal with the property to the BENEFIT of the United States
VEST
ENEMY PROPERTY was NOT to INCLUDE CASH, BULLION, MONEY,
CURRENCIES, DEPOSITS, CREDITS, CREDIT INSTRUMENTS, FOREIGN
EXCHANGE, and SECURITIES (Section 2(c»
[This list of financial instruments was controlled by Foreign Funds Control and the
Treasury Department]
[List in E.O.9193 was meant to alleviate duplication and conflict between the two'
agencies involved in seizing property] ,
UNLESS the dollar balances, bullion, and securities were needed by the Alien
Property Custodian in the protection and management of other property
belonging to the SAME ENEMY COUNTRY or NATIONAL
ANY FOREIGN PATENTS, TRADE MARKS, and COPYRIGHTS, applications for
: same, and royalties and license fees
'
�7
Ships or interest therein
ALL forms of property and claims of enemy nationals involved in ESTATES, TRUSTS,
RECEIVERSHIPS, or were under juridical supervision
Alien Property Custodian had to NOTIFY the SECRETARY of the TREASURY IN
WRITING ifhe VESTED ANY PROPERTY UNDER the control of TREASURY
Secretary of the Treasury SHALL RELEASE ALL CONTROL of SUCH
PROPERTY or do as the APC directs
SECTION 3 OUTLINED the FUNCTIONS of the SERETARY of the TREASURY
ALL powers and authority conferred on the President by Section 3(a) and Section 5(b)
ofthe Trading with the Enemy Act were DELEGATED to the SECRETARY of the
TREASURY or a person designated by him
Proviso clearly stated that when any property NOT BELONGING to a FOREIGN
. GOVERNMENT or CENTRAL BANK was VESTED by the Secretary, such
property shall be VESTED IN and DEALT WITH: BY the ALIEN PROPERTY
. CUSTODIAN upon terms DIRECTED by the SECRETARY of the TREASURY
E.O.9193 did NOT amend E.O.8839
This meant the Secretary of the Treasury continued to handle DOLLAR BALANCES,
BULLION, and SECURITIES of governments and nationals EXCEPT those
belonging to an ENEMY BUSINESS
ALL PROPERTY of OCCUPIED or NEUTRAL COUNTRIES and their
NATIONALS except those particular businesses that the Alien Property
Custodian had determined it is necessary for him to assume control
ALL TRANSACTIONS or business dealings with COUNTRIES FROZEN UNDER
the FREEZING ORDERS
Control of ALL TRADE and COMMUNICATIONS with the ENEMY and ENEMY
CONTROLLED countries
All other phases of the freezing control
Section 4 empowered both the Secretary oftheTreasury and the Alien Property
Custodian to prescribe regulations to carry out the E.O.
Each official was to make his files available to the other
Each was to keep the other informed of currently ongoing ,investigations of enemy
ownership and control of business enterprises
Section 5 authorized the Alien Property Custodian to represent the interest of enemy
nationals' and PERSONS IN OCCUPIED COUNTRIES in juridical and
administrative proceedings in the United States
Section 6 DELEGATED ALL powers conferred on the President by Section 5(b) of the
Trading with the Enemy Act to the Alien Property Custodian
APC was authorized to make investigations and to require reports
BOTH the Alien Property Custodian and the Treasury were given FULL POWERS under
Section 5(b) of the Trading with the Enemy Act as amended by First War Powers Act
Section 8 TRANSFERRED ALL RECORDS, PROPERTY, and PERSONNEL in the
Treasury Department, that were used primarily in the administration of the powers and
duties exercised by the APC, TO the ALIEN PROPERTY CUSTODIAN
In case of any disagreement over the transfer, the Director of the Bureau of the Budget
would make the determination
�8
Section 10 defined enemy country to mean those nations with which the U.S. was at war
Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary; Rumania, and Japan
The term national carried the same definition as that in E.O.8389 of April 10, 1940;
however it carried a proviso:
Persons within designated enemy occupied countries or areas shall NOT be deemed to be
nationals of a designated enemy country unless the APC so made such a determination
that:
such person is controlled by or acting for or on behalf of a designated enemy
this definition included cloaks
such a person is a citizen of a designated enemy country and is within an enemy
occupied country or area'
the national interest of the United States required that such a person be treated as an
enemy national
Alien Property Custodian's determination any property is the property of an enemy
. country was final
Section 11 required that the Secretary of the Treasury and the Alien Property Custodian
CONSUL T with the Secretary of STATE BEFORE VESTING ANY PROEPRTY
Section 11 further required that the SECRETARY of the TREASURY SHALL
CONSULT with the Secretary of STATE before ADDING any more FOREIGN
COUNTRIES to the list in E.O.8389
(E.O.9193, Title 3, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 1938-1943 Compilation,
pp.1174-1177; U.S. Treasury Department, Documents Pertaining to Foreign Funds
Control, September 15, 1946, Press Release No. 37, p.74)
April 7, 1943 - E.O.932S - PAYMENT of EXPENSES of the OFFICE of ALIEN
PROPERTY CUSTODIAN
Alien Property Custodian was authorized and empowered to payout of any funds
. Lawfully in his custody or under his control all necessary expenses incurred by the
Office in carrying out his duties
Alien Property Custodian was authorized to retain, allocate, and recover as a charge
against any specific property expenses attributable to such property
APC was also authorized to retain, allocate, and recover as a CHARGE against
MONEY or PROPERTY IN HIS CUSTODY such amounts as may be necessary
in connection with the general administrative expenses of the agency and which
were not practicably allocated to a specific property
This power shall not be limited by the filing of a claim against such property
(E.O. 9325, Title 3, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 1938-1943 Compilation, p.1285)
July 22,1943 - VESTED PROPERTY CLAIMS COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED in the
Office of the Alien Property Custodian
Committee had JURISDICTION over ALL CLAIMS
The Vested Property Committee was authorized by 'the Alien Property Custodian to
ALLOW or DISALLOW CLAIMS
If a claim was allowed, the Alien Property Custodian issued a DIVESTING ORDER
(Annual Report of the Office of Alien Property Custodian, June 30, 1944, p.14l)
�9
May 30, 1945 - Memorandum to the President on Final Disposition of Vested German Assets
Acting Secretary of State Joseph Grew, Secretary ofthe Treasury Morgenthau, and Alien
Property Custodian James Markham recommended to President Truman that ALL
GERMAN INTERESTS in PROPERTY in the United States be COMPLETELY
ELIMINATED and CONVERTED into CASH
The U.S. Government should retain the property WITHOUT compensation to the former
German owners
(Alien Property Custodian, Annual Report, 1945, pp.I-3; Treasury Department Annual
Report, 1945, p.l06; Martin Domke, The Control of Alien Property, New York: Central
Book Company, 1947, p.l76)
June 8, 1945 - E.O.9567 - Blocked German Assets Go to the Alien Property Custodian
E.O. followed recommendation ofthree officials
Amended Section2(c) ofE.O.9193
Import of E.O. is that it authorized liquid assets, such as bank accounts and securities,
of Germ~ny and German nationals previously blocked by Foreign Funds ContFol in the
Treasury Department to be vested in the Alien Property Custodian
Vesting meant that the U.S. was the owner of the property
The U.S. Government could now retain the proceeds ofthese assets without
compensation to the former owners
E.O. confirmed that in all other cases the APC did NOT control cash, bullion, securities,
. or other liquid financial assets
(Alien Property Custodian, Annual Report, 1945, p.l; Domke, Control of Alien Property
pp.34; 176, 198)
(E.O. 9567, Title 3, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 1943-1948 Compilation, p.391)
March 8,1946 - P.L.322 - RETURN of Vested Property to Friendly Foreign Nationals
Section ~2, a new section ofthe Trading with the Enemy Act, permitted the return of
property to friendly foreign nationals who met certain qualifications
One of the stipulations was that the owner did not hold or use the asset prior to vesting by
the APC in a way that would conceal property of a person ineligible to receive a return
(Section 32(a)(3))
Alien Property Custodian is mentioned several times in Section 32 (60 Stat .. 50-52)
Section DID NOT PROVIDE any time limit on the filing of claims
Section 32(f) specified that the President or designated official shall publish in the Federal
Register 30 days before making a return, a notice of intent to return stating the name of
the person to whom return is to be made and the place where the property or proceeds
are to be returned or located
(P.L.322, 60 Stat. 53)
Section 20 governing a schedule of fees, was part of the original 1917 version of the law
Purpose of the Section 20 was to protect the owner seeking restoration of seized property
from unreasonable or extortionate fees for services
P.L.322 of March 8, 1946 increased the limit on fees from 3 percent ofthe amount
involved to 10 percent
Fees were those charged by agents, attorneys, or others for services in returning vested
property
�'l
10
Ironically increase came at the same time that a fairly large group of property owners were
able to submit a claim for the return oftheir vested assets
(P.L.322, 60 Stat.54)
May 16, 1946 - E.O. 9725 - Designating the Alien Property Custodian to ADMINISTER
Powers Conferred upon the President by SECTION 20 and SECTION 32 ofthe
TRADING with the ENEMY ACT
Alien Property Custodian was designated by President Harry Truman to administer the
: powers and authority under Sections 20 and the amendment, Section 32, ofthe
Trading with the Enemy Act
Alien Property Custodian could delegate to officers and employees the functions as he
deemed necessary
(E.O. 9725, Title 3, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 1943-1948 Compilation, p.529;
Terminal Report, Alien Property Custodian, October 1946, p.12 (323331))
by June 1946 - OAP issued 7,000 Vesting Orders
(Observation of Sebastian Saviano from JRSO Claims Ledger, RG131, Entry 64-0382/98)
August ~, 1946 - P.L.671- RETURN of PROPERTY TO INDIVIDUALS DEPRIVED of
LIFE or LIBERTY
Section 32(a) written to list those to whom return of vested property could NOT be made
Proviso added to Section 32(a)(2)(C) defining as an individual NOT voluntarily resident
in the territory of a nation with which U.S. was at war as an INDIVIDUAL who "was
DEPRIVED of LIFE or SUBSTANTIALLY DEPRIVED of LIBERTY pursuant to
any law, decree or regulation of such nation DISCRIMINATING AGAINST
political, racial or RELIGIOUS groups"
Second proviso covered those who did NOT FULL RIGHTS of CITIZENSHIP
under the laws of the nation discriminating against political, racial or religious groups
(Section 32(a)(2)(D))
The importance of these two provisos was that the VESTED PROPERTY ofthese
individuals could be RETURNED
Provisos allowed the President or a designated official to RETURN PROPERTY vested
in the Alien Property Custodian
Provisos did NOT USE the WORDS VICITMS or PERSECUTEES
TIME LIMIT FOR FILING CLAIMS
Section 33, a new section, SET DOWN a TIME FRAME for FILING CLAIMS
NO return would be made under Section 32 (or Section 9(a)) unless the notice of claim
return of the property met these congressionally mandated time limits
Claims had to be filed WITHIN TWO YEARS from the SEIZURE by or VESTING in
the Alien Property Custodian or
Claims had to be made WITHIN TWO YEARS of the ENACTMENT of Section 33,
whichever was later
Suits could NOT be brought under Section 9(a) AFTER the EXPIRATION of TWO
YEARS from the DATE of SEIZURE or VESTING or ENACTMENT of Section 33,
whichever was later
�11
August 8, 1946. (continued)
CLAIMS FOR DEBTS PERMITTED
, Section 34, a new section, permitted DEBT CLAIMS to be filed against vested
property
Valid debt claims could be filed by resident creditors against the former owners of vested
property
Alien Property Custodian was to equitably apply any vested property to the payment of
debts owed by the person who owned the property immediately prior to its vesting or
transfer to the Alien Property Custodian
No debt claim was to be allowed under Section 34 if it was not due'and owing at the time
of vesting or transfer to the APC
Powers of Alien Property Custodian in the filing of debt claims was outlined in the law
(Sections 34(b )-(f)
Custodian was empowered to examine claims and make a determination with respect to
each claim (Section 34(c»
Custodian was empowered to FIX a DATE or dates AFTER which filing of debt
claims would be BARRED (Section 34(b»
Custodian could EXTEND TIME so fixed
Had to give'at least 60 days notice of extension by publication in Federal Register
Time could NOT BE EXTENDED BEYOND the EXPIRATION of TWO YEARS
from the DATE of the LAST VESTING in or the TRANSFER to the Custodian or
from the DATE of ENACTMENT of Section 33, whichever is later
Payment of debt claims was to be made ONLY out of the net proceeds from the SALE,
USE, or other disposition of property OWNED by the DEBTOR immediately prior to
vesting (Section 34(d»
Section 34(g) listed the order of priority in which the Custodian was to pay debt claims
(P.L.671, 60 Stat.930, 925, 926-928; Terminal Report, Alien Property Custodian, October
1946, p.13 (323332»
.
August 1946 - Meaning of Section 32 to Victims and Persecutees
Congressman Emanuel Celler stated that the 'provisos to Sections 32(a)(2)(C) and (D)
"were to take care of the first victims of Nazi fiendishness; Jews, Catholics,
Protestants, and other minorities in the Nazi regime cannot be classified as alien
enemies." ,
(U.S. Cong., House, 80 th Cong., Administration ofAlien Property, Hearings, May 1946,
p.147)
The law provided that property vested in the Alien Property Custodian that had
belonged to persons persecuted or killed by the Nazis should be returned if they
were alive or to their heirs if they were dead (Law was silent on heirless property)
(Congressional Record, 1954, p.13480, col. 1)
OAP Annual Report SPECIFCIALL Y DESCRIBES LAW as providing for VICITMS:
, "VESTED PROPERTY can be RETURNED to the following...VICITIMS of
ENEMY PERSECUTION who would otherwise have been ineligible because of
enemy citizenship or residence in an enemy country"
(OAP, Annual Report, 1952, p.4 top)
�12
October14, 1946 - E.O. 9788 - TERMINATED the OFFICE of ALIEN PROPERTY
CUSTODIAN
Pursuant to authority granted the President under the Constitution, Trading with the
Enemy Act, and the First War Powers Act, the Office of Alien Property Custodian in
the Office of Emergency Management of the Executive Office of the President was
TERMINATED
ALL authorities, rights, privileges, POWERS, DUTIES, and FUNCTIONS were
TRANSFERRED or delegated to the ATTORNEY GENERAL
ALL POWERS, DUTIES, and FUNCTIONS were to be ADMINISTERED by the
ATTORNEY GENERAL or under his DIRECTION or CONTROL by the
officers and agencies in the Department of Justice that he might designate
ALL personnel, p'roperty, RECORDS, and funds of the Alien Property Custodian were
transferred to the Department of Justice
Transfer was made in accordance with Truman Administration's policy of REDUCING
the number of INDEPENDENT GOVERNMENT agencies in the interest of economy
and efficiency
(E.O. 9788, Title 3, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 1943-1948 Compilation, p.575;
Office of Alien Property [hereinafter referred to as OAP], Annual Report, 1947, p.l)
October 15, 1946 - Attorney General created OFFICE OF ALIEN PROPERTY
Office of Alien Property created to carry out functions transferred from the Alien Property
Custodian
Director of the new office was delegated all the authority over alien property transferred to
the Attorney General by E.O. 9788
Attorney General gave the following reasons for creating the Office of Alien Property:
Tremendous expansion of government activity regarding alien property had occurred
during World War II
Former organizational framework in the Department of Justice - the Alien Property
Unit in the Claims Division -- "would prove hopelessly inadequate to accommodate
[the work] in its expanded state"
"By acquiring the status of an independent Office of the Department the alien property
program has gained the increased scope and autonomy which it requires for
maximum efficiency."
(Attorney Gener';ll, Annual Report 1947, p.13)
December 31,1946 - DATE LIMITING OAP VESTING PROGRAM
The Office of Alien Property initiated a VESTING PROGRAM
OAP's VESTING PROGRAM is LIMITED generally to PROPERTY LOCATED IN
the United States ON or BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 1946
Any accretions in value to vested property also belongs to the OAP
OAP's POLICY was to VEST or TAKE TITLE TO Property OWNED by:
I-the GERMAN GOVERNMENT
2-INDIVIDUALS RESIDENT IN Germany
3-BUSINESS ENTERPRISES ORGANIZED under the LAWS of Germany
4-Property of GERMAN Citizens RESIDING OUTSIDE ENEMY TERRITORY,
who SUPPORTED the ENEMY CAUSE may be vested
�13
December 1946 (continued)
PROPERTY of AMERICAN citizens RESIDING IN Germany was NOT vested unless
they aided the Nazi cause
(Office of Alien Property, Annual Report, 1950, pI (323690))
May 1, 1947 - Message to Congress Submitting Reorganization Plan
Pan was worked out under the organizational authority in the First War Powers Act
Plan provided for orderly transition from war'to peacetime operation; end of wartime laws
Plan provided for the permanent location of the functions of the Alien Property Custodian
Trading with the Enemy Act at the beginning of the war authorized the President to
designate the agency or person to carry out alien property functions
But subsequent legislation had lodged certain functions with the Alien Property Custodian
In order to maintain existing arrangements for the administration of alien property
REORGANIZATION PLAN 1 of 1947 TRANSFERRED the functions assigned
by law to the Alien Property Custodian TO the ATTORNEY GENERAL
(Public Papers a/the Presidents, Harry Truman, Vol. 1947, pp.222-224)
Reorganization Plan No.1 of 1947 - ALIEN PROPERPTY FUNCTIONS
TRANSFERRED TO ATTORNEY GENERAL
First section of plan transferred all functions vested by law in the Alien Property
Custodian and the Office of Alien Property Custodian to the Attorney General
Functions were to be performed by Attorney General or subject to his direction and
control by the offices he might designate
(61 Stat. 951)
September 1947 -FORM APC-IA REVISED
OAp'revised form for claiming return of Vested Property
'Form APC lA had first been issued by APC on March 24, 1942, within days ofthe
agency's establishment
Form asked for claimant's name and address
VALUE ofPROEPRTY claimed
Vesting Order by which government acquired the property
Identification of property claimed
, Characterization of claimant as an individual or a corporation
Information on the owner of the property on the date of vesting
Chain of title to the property
Schedules were attached for corporate claimants
(JRSO papers, Central Archives of the History ofthe Jewish People, University of
Jerusalem, Israel; per Helen Junz copies have been seen by her, but NOT by
alg or s, in the National Archives at College Park, Maryland)
September 15, 1947 - END OF VESTING PROGRAM for ENEMY COUNTRIES
When treaties ofpea<;:e came into force for BULGARIA, HUNGARY, ITALY, and
RUMANIA, the VESTING of property belonging to these four former enemy
countries by OAP ENDED
(Office of Alien Property, Annual Report,1950, p2 (323690))
�14
January 22,1948 - Joint Memorandum on Termination of Residual Blocking under Foreign
Funds Control and TRANSFER of Remaining BLOCKED ASSETS to the OFFICE
of ALIEN PROPERTY
Secretary of the Treasury John Snyder and Attorney General Tom C. Clark outlined a
program to end residual blocking of foreign funds
A certification program was developed to discover enemy assets concealed in blocked
accounts
Three months public notice was soon to be given after which assets REMAINING
, BLOCKED, including assets NOT certified by foreign governments as being free of
, enemy taint, WOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO the OFFICE OF ALIEN PROPERTY
(OAP) in the Justice Department
SMALL AMOUNTS of property, up to $5,000, would be UNBLOCKED WITHOUT
CERTIFICATION or formality except for assets with a known enemy interest
Unblocking small private accounts would eliminate about 50% of blocked accounts but
, less than 5% of blocked assets (Small accounts were unblocked on Feb. 27)
. OAP was to TAKE a CENSUS of the remaining BLOCKED ASSETS as of the
, deadline date
('freasury Department, Annual Report, 1948, Exhibit 21, p.288)
February 2,1948 - Senate Gets Details of Ending Treasury's Blocking Operations .,
Secretary of the Treasury John Snyder wrote Senator Arthur Vandenburg, Chairman of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee, providing details on the program to end
, Treasury's program of blocking assets
Foreign Funds Control was "still controlling a fairly substantial amount of blocked assets"
Summarized certification program to release blocked assets
OAP was to take a census of remaining blocked assets
Assets held indirectly through Switzerland would be VESTED
(Treasury Department, Annual Report, 1948, pp.44, 48-49, Exhibit 22, pp.289-293;
quote on p.290 top)
March 1, 1948 - Joint Announcement on TRANSFER OF BLOCKED FUNDS TO OAP
Secretary ofthe Treasury and Attorney General jointly announced that EFFECTIVE
JUNE 1, 1948 the TREASURY will CEASE to have JURISDICTION OVER
BLOCKED FOREIGN FUNDS
ALL remaining BLOCKED ASSETS will be TRANSFERRED TO the OFFICE of
ALIEN PROPERTY (OAP) in the Justice Department
Assets being investigated for proof of claim of no enemy interest would remain blocked
and NOT be vested during the investigation process
Attorney General would take a census of blocked assets immediately upon transfer, that is
the as of date was to be June 1, 1948
IMMEDIATELY AFTER RECEIPT of the CENSUS INFORMATION, OAP would
begin to VEST BLOCKED ASSETS HELD IN SWISS AND LIECHTENSTEIN
ACCOUNTS
" ... any vested assets which are proved to be non-enemy may be returned under
existing law ...."
(Treasury Department, Annual Report, 1948, Exhibit 23, p.293; quote on p.292)
�15
July 3,1948 War Claims Act of 1948 created a War Claims Fund in the Treasury Dept
War Claims Act did four things:
'
Created a War Claims Commission (Sections 2 and 3, and 8, 9, and 10)
Determined the groups of persons entitled to claims (Sections 4, 4, 6, and 7)
Provided that NO VESTED GERMAN PROPERTY was to be returned (Section 12)
Established a War Claims Fund to pay claimants (Section 13)
I~War Claims Commission of three persons appointed by the President and confirmed
by the Senate to receive, adjudicate, and provide for the PAYMENT of CLAIMS
'
· arising out of World War II
No remuneration for services provided any claimant was to exceed 10% of the amount
allowed by the CommissiQn
War Claims Commission was to report by March 31, 1949 to the President and Congress
, a-on war claims arising out of World War II that were not compensable under the Act
to estimate the number and amount of such claims
to classify the claims by category and by type
b-the extent to which such claims could be satisfied by international agreements,
foreign laws, or domestic laws
, c-the administrative methods for considering such claims
, d-the limitations to be applied to the payment of fees in connection with such claims
War Claims Commission had power to approve or deny claims
If claims were approved Commission notified claimants of the amounts they were to
receive
: If claims were denied claimants were allowed a hearing before the Commission
(62 Stat.1240-1241, 1245-1246; U.S. Government Organization Manual, 1951-52)
• pp.S02-S03)
2.;.Congress directed that claims could be filed by employees of contractors through the
Federal Security Administration, internees of the Japanese, POWS of ANY NATION
with which the U.S. was at WAR, and certain religious organizations in Philippines
Each and all four categories of CLAIMANTS were to have allowed claims PAID
OUT of the WAR CLAIMS FUND in the Treasury
If a claimant was deceased the award was paid to a spouse, child, or parent
(62 Stat.1241-124S)
3-Act in Section 12 amended the Trading with the Enemy Act by adding Section 39
Law provided that NO VESTED PROPERTY of Germany or Japan or any national of
, either country WAS TO BE RETURNED
.
ALL property vested or transferred to ANY officer or agency of the U.S ..
Government AFTER December 7, 1941 was NOT TO BE RETURNED TO
: GERMANY or Japan
NO compensation was to be paid to the owners or their successors in interest
Net proceeds remaining after completion of administration, LIQUIDATION, and
DISPOSITION of the property was to be COVERED [i.e. placed] INTO the
TREASURY
Section 12 explicitly stated that NOTHING in the new Section 39 of the Trading with
• the Enemy Act was to repeal or EFFECT the OPERATION of SECTION 32
[Section 32 PERMITTED the RETURN of property to the victims of Nazi aggression]
(62 Stat.1246)
�16
War Claims Act of 1948 (continued)
4:-WAR CLAIMS FUND was created on the books of the Treasury as a TRUST
FUND under Section 13
Fund was to consist of ALL SUMS COVERED into the TREASURY UNDER
SECTION 39 of the TRADING WITH THE ENEMY ACT
Moneys in the War Claims Fund were to be available for EXPENDITURE ONLY as
provided in the War Claims Act (as the categories of claimants) or by Congress
(62 Stat. 1247)
Fear of depleting the War Claims Fund before all claims were paid meant that the War
Claims Commission testified against use of money in the Fund to pay successor
organizations
(For example see U.S. Congress, House, Subcommittee of the Committee on Interstate
and Foreign Commerce, 81 st Congo 2nd Sess., Amendments to War Claims Act of1948,
. Trading with the Enemy Act, Hearings, May 15, 1950, p.153)
(War Claims Commission issued their report to the President for submission to Congress
on March 31,1950. 81 st Cong, 2nd Sess., House Document No. 580,95 pages,
Serial Set 11425)
August 20, 1948 - E.O.9989 - TRANSFERRED JURISDICTION OVER BLOCKED
ASSETS TO the ATTORNEY GENERAL
Noted a gradual release from control by the Treasury Department of foreign property
blocked to prevent their looting by the Axis and their use in ways harmful to the war
effort of the United States
President Truman found it necessary and desirable to place remaining blocked assets
in the same agency administering alien property control
ATTORNEY GENERAL was authorized to TAKE SUCH ACTION AS HE MAY
, DEEM NECESSARY WITH RESPECT to ANY PROPERTY in which any
. FOREIGN COUNTRY DESIGNATED in E.O.8389 and its amendments HAS
ANY INTEREST, INCLUDING SCHEDULED SECURITIES
Attorney General was further authorized to exercise all power and authority conferred on
the President by Sections 3(a) and 5(b) of the Trading with the Enemy Act, powers
formerly delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury
ALL orders, regulations, rulings, and licenses, and instructions issued by the
Secretary of the Treasury SHALL CONTINUE IN FULL FORCE
E.O. was to become effective on September 30, 1948
(E.O. 9989, Title 3, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 1943-1948 Compilation,
, pp.748-749)
September 30, 1948- TRANSFER of BLOCKED ASSETS TO JUSTICE DEPARTENT
Transfer ofjurisdiction over blocked assets delayed from June 1 to September 30
Delay meant that FOREIGN FUNDS CONTROL in the Treasury Department
CONDUCTED the CENSUS of ASSETS REMAINING BLOCKED as of
June 1, 1948
Census revealed about $1 BILLION of blocked assets remained
(Treasury Department, Annual Report, 1948, p. 49; Annual Report, 1949, p.99;
Attorney General, Annual Report, 1949, p.17)
�17
June 1949 - Many Assets Unblocked by OAP
Many blocked assets were unblocked under the certification program that ran for three
months between October 1948 and January 1, 1949
By June 30, 1949 an estimated 70% of the property reported as blocked was unblocked
(Attorney General, Annual Report, 1949, p.17)
Early 1950s - Claims Division at the Department of Justice is ended and functions are transferred
Became a SECTION of the CIVIL DIVISION
(Attorney General, Annual Report, 1952, Index; Annual Report, 1953, Index)
March 10, 1950 - International Claims Settlement Act of 1949
Established International Claims Settlement Commission in the State Department
Concerned with U.S. claims on foreign government arising out of the nationalization or
taking of property
This law was amended to provide for the vesting of property under the Satellite Assets
program in 1955
September 28,1950- President Authorized to SETTLE INTERCUSTODIAL CONFLICTS
INVOLVING ENEMY PROPERTY
Joint Resolution of Congress - H.J. 516
Resolution called for President or his designed officer or agency to conclude and give
effect to agreements to amicably and expeditiously settle intercustodial conflicts
Authority extended only to agreements between the United States and governments with
which the U.S. was NOT at war during World War II
Agreements were to be in accord with POLICY of:
I-Protecting and making available for use the American and non-enemy interests in
such property
2-Further the elimination of enemy interests in such property
3-Futher the efficient administration and liquidation of enemy property in the U.S.
The Joint Resolution went on to provide for EQUAL TREATMENT for VICTIMS
, though word is NOT used in law
For intergovernmental agreements negotiated hereafter, the United States was to seek
"TREATMENT EQUAL to that accorded U.S. nationals for PERSONS who,
ALTHOUGH CITIZENS or RESIDENTS of an ENEMY COUNTRY before or
during World War II, were DEPRIVED OF FULL RIGHTS OF CITIZENSHIP or
SUBSTANTIALLY DEPRIVED of LIBERTY by LAWS, DECREES, or
REGULATIONS of such enemy country DISCRIMINATING AGAINST RACIAL,
, RELIGIOUS, or POLITICAL GROUPS" [Emphasis added]
A proviso further limited those covered by the equal treatment clause
On the EFFECTIVE DATE of any INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT
persons had to be:
I-Permanent residents of the United States
2-Declared their intention to become citizens of the United States
3-Shall have acquired citizenship prior to the effective date of the agreement
�18
Reimbursement by other governments was to be treated as vested property
(64 Stat 1079)
1950 - Meaning of Intercustodial Conflict Provisions
hltercustodial conflicts arose as a result of allied countries' programs to seize enemy
assets within their borders
Resolution of intercustodial conflicts over German external assets undertaken by
Inter-Allied Reparation Agency (lARA) beginning in June 1946
_Proposed agreement sent to countries in December 1947
Agreement signed by six countries by June 1950 - Belgium, Canada, Denmark,
· Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United States
U.S. signing was approved by Congress in Joint Resolution H.J.516
Agreement provided for four arrangements:
I-SECURITIES, CURRENCY, BONDS, etc. shall be VESTED by the COUNTRY of
ISSUE or in which the OBLIGOR is LOCATED and ALL PHYSICAL PAPER
evidencing such property SHALL BE RELEASED TO ~uch COUNTRY BY the.
· COUNTRY IN WHICH the PAPER IS LOCATED
2-Country of PRIMARY ADMINISTRATION of an ESTATE or TRUST shall, with the
exception of real estate, ADMINISTER ALL PROPERTY in the estate or trust
3,Where assets of one signatory country are OWNED by formerly German- controlled
company in which there are non-enemy interests andwhich is LOCATED IN
ANOTHER SIGNATORY COUNTRY, the COUNTRY IN WHICH THE ASSETS
are LOCATED is ENtITLED ONLY to the ENEMY SHARE of the ASSETS, or
the corresponding value of those assets, LEAVING UDISTURBED the
NON-ENEMY INTEREST in the company and its assets
4-NON-ENEMIES HOLDING INDIRECTLY SUBSTANTIAL INTERESTS IN
PROPERTY LOCATED IN SIGNATORY COUNTRIES through corporations
· organized under the laws of Germany shall be entitled to RELEASE of SUCH
PROPERTY to the EXTENT of THEIR INTERESTS
'
(Office of Alien Property Annual Report, 1950, p.6)
September 29,1950 - Returns to U.S. Citizens and former U.S. Citizens
Amended Section 32(a)(2)(D) of the Trading with the Enemy Act to permit returns
Of vested property to
.
Person who was a citizen of the United States at all times since December 7, 1941
Person who lost U.S. citizenship solely because of marriage to a citizen of a foreign
Country but reacquiried U.S. citizenship prior to the date of the enactment of the
· proviso [September 29, 1950]
AGGREGATE VALUE of RETURNS made under this new proviso was NOT to
EXCEED $5,000,000
Alien Property Custodian was instructed in law to return property in the order that claims
were received
Law further directed Alien Property Custodian to include in Annual Report the following
l+NAMES and NATIONALITIES of U.S. citizens filing claims
2':'Date claim filed
3"ESTIMATED VALUE of property
4- NAMES and NATIONALITIES of persons RECEIVING RETURNS of PROPERTY
�19
5-VALUE of RETURNED PROPERTY
(64 Stat. 1080-1081; United States Code Annotated, Title 50 Appendix, 1990, p.95)
December 14, 1950 - Treasury Order No. 128 - Established DIVISION of FOREIGN
ASSETS CONTROL
Secretary John Snyder established the Division of Foreign Assets Control in the Office of
. International Finance
Order stated Secretary was REESTABLISHING the Division of FOREIGN FUNDS
CONTROL
"In order to avoid the confusion which might arise from the coexistence of former
foreign funds regulations and the new regulations in Chapter V of Title 31 ofthe
. Code of Federal Regulations, the organization shall henceforth be known as the
Division of Foreign Assets Control."
,
Head of the Division was the Director of Foreign Assets Control
(Treasury Department, Annual Report, 1950, p.650)
December 16, 1950 - Proclamation 2914 - National Emergency Proclaimed
President Truman proclaimed a national emergency existed
Importance of Proclamation was that it enabled the President to invoke powers
, under the Trading with the Enemy Act
(Proclamation 2914, Title 3, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 1948-1953 Compilation,
pp.99-100)
Treasury Department announced controls over the UNITED STATES ASSETS of
Communist China and North Korea
Specifically stated at the end of the Press Release that the measures taken by the
Treasury do NOT affect the controls exercised by the Office of Alien Property in
the Justice Department over World War II enemy property and property blocked
. during the war which was as yet unfrozen
(Treasury Department, Annual Report, 1950, pp.57 footnote, 603-604)
December 17,1950 - Treasury Department issues Foreign Assets Control Regulations
Treasury Department, pursuant to a National Security Council decision,
issued foreign assets control regulations
Blocked all assets IN the United States belonging to China and North Korea
Regulations PREVENTED FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS between persons subject to
the JURISDICTION of the UNITED STATES and Chins and North Korea
Enforcement section investigated transactions suspected of violating the regulations
(Treasury Department, Annual Report, 1951, pp.56-57)
,
May 17,1951- E.O. 10244 - Secretary of State and ATTORNEY GENERAL assigned duties in
the Settlement of Intercustodial Disputes
Secretary of State and ATTORNEY GENERAL were jointly designated as the officers
authorized to CONCLUDE and GIVE EFFECT to AGREEMENTS reached on the
SETTLEMENT of INTERCUSTODIAL CONFLICTS involving ENEMY
'PROPERTY
Attorney General was to treat any money or property received as VESTED property
�20
(E.O. 10244, Title 3, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 1949-1953 Compilation,
pp.752-753)
October'19, 1951 - END of STATE of WAR Between United States and Germany
War between United States and Germany was formally ended by Joint Resolution of
Congress - H.J .289
Proviso dealt with VESTED PROPERTY
Proviso directed that any property or interest which prior to January 1, 1947 was subject to
VESTING or SEIZURE under the Trading with the Enemy Act or which had
, ALREADY been VESTED or SEIZED should CONTINUE to be SUBJECT to
that ACT
(65 Stat. 451)
April 26, 1952 E.O. 10348 - Rulings, Regulations on BLOCKED PROPERTY Continued
in Force
E.O. 8389 and April 10, 1940 and E.O. 9989 of August 20,1948 were to continue in force
during period of national emergency
ALL regulations, rulings, instructions, and licenses issued under these two Executive
Orders were also continued in force during the national emergency declared in
Proclamation 2914 of December 1950
(E.O. 10348, Title3~ Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 1949-1953 Compilation,
p.821)
June 6, 1952 Returns to U.S. Citizens and Former U.S. Citizens
Amendment to Trading with the Enemy Act passed in September 1950 allowed for returns
of vested property to U.S. citizens and U.S. citizens who had reacquired citizenship
Ceiling on amount of returns changed from aggregate value to aggregate BOOK value
Ceiling increased to $9,000,000
Limit was to INCLUDE BOOK VLAUE of returns of property already made
Book value was defined as VALUE AT TIME of VESTING that was ENTERED on the
BOOKS of the Alien Property Custodian
(66 Stat. 129)
July 1952-January 1953 - Senate Committee holds hearings during 82 nd Congress to
Investigate activities and operations under the Trading with the Enemy Act
Senate Resolution 245 of 82 nd Congress listed purposes of investigation including:
To DETERMINE the EFFICIENCY of PROCEDURES for the PROMPT and
EQUITABLE ADJUDICATION of CLAIMS under the Act
Senator Everett Dirksen stated that the Judiciary Committee which held extensive hearings
over the six months produced "a very formidable and very substantial report"
which "alludes at considerable length to this question of handling and adjudication
of claims"
Senate Report No. 1125 and Senate Report No. 1294
(U.S. Congress, Senate, 83 rd Cong., 1st Sess., Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee
to Investigate the Administration of the Trading with the Enemy Act, Hearings,
February-April 1953, pI; The Alien Property Custodian: A Legislative Chronological
History and Bibliography ofthe Tradir:g with the Enemy Act... and the Operations of
�21
the Office ofAlien Property, 1917-1952, prepared by Freeman Sharp, Library of
Congress, Legislative Reference Service, 1952, ,p.vii)
February - April 1953 - Senate Committee holds hearings during 83 rd Congress to
Investigate activities of Office of Alien Property
Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the
Trading with the Enemy Act, continued for three months in early 1953 and
concluded in November 1953; hearing record is 800 pages long
Hearings further explored the activities of the Claims Section particularly
Deputy Director ofOAP, Paul Myron, briefly explained the vesting authority in the law
and OAP's activities
When OAP was advised in 1950 that the war would soon be officially ended, "EVERY
EFFORT was MADE to COMPLETE VESTING ACTION BEFORE that TIME"
Power to vest property after the was was terminated was used to vest CONCEALED or
,UNREPROTED German assets
NOTHING was said about the investigation and the hearings either in the OAP Annual
, Reports for 1952, 1953 and 1954 or in the Attorney General Annual Reports for
1953 and 1954
(U.S. Congress, Senate, 83rd Cong., 1st Sess., Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee
to Investigate the Administration of the Trading with the Enemy Act, Hearings, .
February-April' 1953, pp.2-3)
April 17, 1953 - END of VESTING PROGRAM
Vesting of German-property IN the United States continued after end of state of war
by order of Resolution ending war
OAP TERMINATED the VESTING of German property IN the United States
owned by the German government and German nationa~s
Vesting program ended with issue oflast Vesting Order, Number 19,312
(Office of the Alien Property Annual Report, 1953, pp.l-2; (323930); Attorney General
Annual Report, 1953, pp.61-62, 64-65 (333621))
June 27, 1953 - BLOCKING CONTROLS REMOVED from BLOCKED PROPERTY of
INVADED and OCCUPIEDCOUNTRIES
Final step taken to remove remaining BLOCKING CONTROLS on the BLOCKED
PROPERTY IN the United States belonging to GOVERNMENTS and NATIONALS
of countries participating in the Marshall Plan - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France,
Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and Norway
Blocking also REMOVED from neutral countries Liechtenstein, Sweden and
SWITZERLAND
Blocking also REMOVED from former ENEMIES Japan and WEST GERMANY
Action taken by issue of General License 1091 and Revoking of General Rulings
, Nos. 6 and 17 issued by Foreign Funds Control in the Treasury
OAP took action to unfreeze assets because:
I-Substnatial completion of Snyder-Vandenburg program outlined in 1948
2-Ratification of peace Treaty with Japan in April 1952
3-TERMINATION of the VESTING PROGRAM of the OFFICE of ALIEN
PROPERTY in April 1953
�22
June 27, 1953 (continued)
OAP issued General License No 102 to ease an administrative burden
UNBLOCKED ALL BLOCKED SMALL ACCOUNTS which did NOT exceed
$100 in value on June 1, 1953
Approximately $15 MILLION was UNFROZEN by UNBLOCKING the remaining
accounts of occupied countries and the small accounts
(Office of the Alien Property Annual Report, 1953, pp.l0-ll; (323930); Attorney General
Annual Report, 1953, pp.61-62, 65 (333621))
June 30,,1953 - ONLY IRON CURTAIN COUNTRY ASSETS and LOOTED
, SECURITIES REMAINED BLOCKED
As of June 30 the ONLY TWO TYPES of assets from World War II remained FROZEN
I-Property under the control of the Iron Curtain countries
, Property of enemy countries EAST GERMANY, BULGARIA, HUNGARY, and
RUMANIA
, Property of invaded countries CZECHOSLOVAKIA, POLAND, ESTONIA,
LATVIA, and LITHUANIA
: Property of persons:
in East Germany on December 31, 1946
. in the Balkan enemy countries on January 1, 1945
. in the invaded countries on December 7, 1945
2-Looted Securities remained blocked in a program designed begun after the end of
hostilities in Europe TO RESTORE TO THE ORIGINAL OWNERS
SECURITIES LOOTED BY the GERMANS
(Office of the Alien Property Annual Report, 1953, pp.l 0-11; (323930); Attorney General
Annual Report, 1953, p.65 (333621))
as of June 30,1953 - TOTAL VALUE OF VESTED PROPERTY - $555MILLION
Office of Alien Property estimated that as of June 30, 1953 the TOTAL VALUE of
ALL VESTED PROPERTY Amounted to $554,708,000
Figure includes Japanese AND European vested property
Total includes the following amounts as of June 30, 1953:
NET VALUE of property at DATES of VESTING - $391,858,000
Appreciation of vested property - $108,000,000
INCOME from VESTED PROEPRTY - $54,850,000
(Attorney General Annual Report, 1953, pp. 61-62)
TOTAL VALUE OF BLOCKED PROPERTY - $50 MILLION
Office of Alien Property estimated that approximately $50,000,000 in ASSETS IN
the United,States were blocked
'
Total was ALL remaining blocked property under control of Iron Curtain countries
T~tal was distributed as follows for the property of the governments and persons of:
Bulgaria, Hungary, and Rumania-$31,900,000
Czechoslovakia, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania - $17,900,000
�23
East Gennany - $200,000
(Attorney General Annual Report, 1953, p. 65)
as of June 30, 1954 - TOTAL TRANSFERRED to WAR CLAIMS FUND - $210 MILLION
S~ctiori 13 of the War Claims Act of 1948 set up a War Claims Fund
ALL proceeds of liquidated vested enemy property was to be placed in this fund by the
Attorney General
As of June 30,1954 a TOTAL of $210,000,000 had been TRANSFERRED BY the
OFFICE of ALIEN PROPERTY to the War Claims Fund
(Attorney General Annual Report, 1954, p. 63 (333635))
July 1, 1954 - FOREIGN CLAIMS SETTLEMENT COlVIMISSION ESTABLISHED
President Dwight Eisenhower established the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission as
Part of Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1954
Commission was to be composed of three members appointed by the President
the War Claims Commission and the International Claims Settlement Commission were
ABOLISHED and their FUNCTIONS TRANSFERRED to the new agency
Personnel, funds and RECORDS of the two abolished agencies were to be
TRANSFERRED TO the new agency
Reorganization Plan was to be effective on July 1, 1954
August 23, 1954 - Section 32(h) is added to the Trading with the Enemy Act
hnportance is that it allows a SUCCESSOR ORGANIZATION to use HEIRLESS
PROPERTY as a source of funds to assist survivors
President was empowered to select one or more organizations eligible to RECEIVE
RETURNS from HEIRLESS PROPERTY
Law provided that the President was to designate one or more organizations as
"SUCCESSORS in INTEREST to DECEASED PERSONS who, if alive, would
be eligible to receive returns under the provisos of subdivision (C) or (D)of
subsection (a)(2) .... An organization so designated shall be deemed a "SUCCESSOR
in INTEREST BY OPERATION OF LAW"
Section 32(h) was connected to the March 1946 amendment to the Trading with the
Enemy Act, Section 32(a), "which specifically provided that the ALIEN PROPERTY
CUSTODIAN could RETURN PROPERTY to a claimant, when he has detennined that
"the person who has filed 'a notice of claim for return ...was the owner of such
property... prior to its vesting ... or successor in interest by ...OPERATION OF
LAW...." [Emphasis added]
Organization was defined as a nonprofit charitable corporation incorporated before
. January 1, 1950
Payments were to be used to REHABILITATE and SETTLE persons IN the UNITED
STATES who suffered SUBSTANTIAL DEPRIVATION OF LIBERTY and
FULL RIGHTS of CITIZENSHIP, i.e. who were persecuted by the Nazis
CLAIMS had to be filed WITHIN ONE YEAR of PASSAGE of the ACT
Filing of claims by the ~uccessor organization did NOT bar the payment of debt claims
Section 33 was amended to account for the year the successor organization was
granted in which to file claims
Annual reports had to be submitted to the President and Congress by the organization
�24
August 23, 1954 (continued)
RETURN of the VESTED PROPERTY could be made within TWO YEARS of
, VESTING if:
1- President or designated officer or agency DETERMINED FROM ALL
RELEVANT FACTS that there was NO BASIS for REASONABLE DOUBT that
the FORMER OWNER was DEAD and was SURVIVED BY NO PERSON
ELIGIBLE to make a claim under Section 32
2-After the end of two years NO claim for that property was pending
TOTAL RETURNS for property claimed under Section 32(h) was NOT to EXCEED
$3 MILLION
Amount suggested by former Secretary of War Robert Patterson at Congressional hearings
in May 1950:
[I]n my opinion, BASED on the ADVICE of COMPETENT OBERVERS, the amount
of property affected will range between $500,000 and $2,000,000. At my request, a
further study of vesting orders was made this year by the American Jewish Committee
and the Joint Distribution Committee. This study indicated that about $2,000,000 is
involved. I do not believe it is possible to obtain a more accurate estimate ... .1 have
suggested ... that a ceiling of $3,000,000 be written into the bili."
(68 Stat. 767-768; U.S. Congress, House, Subcommittee of the Committee on Interstate
and Foreign Commerce, 81 5t Congo 2nd Sess., Amendments to War Claims Act of1948,
Trading with the Enemy Act, Hearings, May 15, 1950, p.168)
OAP Annual Report for FY 1955 explicitly describes Section 32 as containing
PERSECUTEE PROVISOS
Law essentially provided that successor organizations could claim the property of
"deceased persons who if alive would be eligible under the PERSECUTEE
PROVISIO of Section 32(a)(2) (C) or (D)"
(OAP, Annual Report, 1955, p.4; see also 1956, p.59 top))
January 13, 1955 - E.O. 10587 - Jewish Restitution Successor Organization (JRSO) is
designated as the successor in interest to deceased persons in accordance with
SeCtion 32(h) of the Trading with the Enemy Act
President Dwight Eisenhower designated the Jewish Restitution Successor Organization
(JRSO) as the SUCCESSOR ORGANIZATION provided for in Section 32(h)
Attorney General was designated to perform the functions conferred on the President
such as making the payments authorized from the War Claims Fund anddetermining
all relevant facts
Attorney General was authorized to delegate his responsibilities to any officer or agency
, in the Department of Justice
Attorney General delegated his duties to the Office of Alien Property
OAP's 1955 Annual Report does NOT mention the delegation of functions and does NOT
mention any claims activity under the bar for filing claims which would end within two
, rmonths of the report's fiscal year date
(E.O. 10587, Title 3, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 1954-1958 Compilation,
pp.235-236; OAP, Annual Report, 1955, pp.3-4 )
�25
March 15 1955 - Order No. 100-55 - Attorney General's ~owers Given to OAP
By Justice Department Order the Attorney General placed ALL POWERS
and AUTHORITY conferred upon him by the President in all Executive Orders
relating to Alien Property matters promulgated between March 1942 and
January 1955 in the OFFICE of ALIEN PROPERTY.
(Office of Alien Property, Annual Report, 1956, p.126)
{'
August 9, 1955 - Satellite Assets Law
Amended the International Claims Settlement Act of 1949
Added a whole new title, Title II - "Vesting and Liquidation of Bulgarian, Hungarian,
and Rumanian Property"
Title provided for TWO DIFFERENT DISPOSITIONS of enemy property:
1- VESTING of government and corporate enemy property
2- BLOCKING of property of enemy individuals
The President, or his designee [would be OAP] is authorized, under the peace treaties
with each of the three countries, to VEST ALL BLOCKED PROPERTY owned
directly or indirectly by the GOVERNMENT or CORPORATE NATIONALS of
BULGARIA, HUNGARY, or RUMANIA (Section 202(a))·
Vested property was to be SOLD or expeditiously liquidated AFTER VESTING
. (Section 202(a))
Net proceeds after administration, liquidation, and disposition of vested property shall be
covered into the Treasury (Section 202(a))
CLAIMS and SUITS could be filed for RETURN of vested property WITHIN ONE
YEAR FROM DATE of VESTING of the particular property that is claimed
, (Section 210)
PROPERTY would be RETURNED ONLY if claimant was NOT from Bulgaria,
, Hungary, or Rumania (Section 207(a) and(b))
Law listed strict provisions on allowing debt claims
Debt claims were NOT allowed if the claim is against
I-any level of government or agency of one of the three enemy nations
2-ifthe obligation was payable in any currency than the U.S. dollar
3- if obligations were not due on certain 1940-1941 wartime dates
(Section 208(a)(1 ),(2),(3))
Law specifically EXCLUDES the property of natural persons FROM VESTING
(Section 202(a))
Property of natural persons was to be divested and kept in blocked accounts
bearing no interest in the name of the owner subject to release
Account was to be released on terms President or designee [would be OAP] was to
may prescribe (Section 202(b))
.
(69 Stat.562-568, Public Law 285; Attorney General, Annual Report, 1957, p.291)
1955 - V:esting Orders generally involved blocked bank accounts of Rumanians, Hungarians,
and a few Bulgarians
Satellite Assets Vesting Orders carried their own S.A. numbers
�26
(RG 131, Accession 131-65-1-1063, Boxes 482-483)
August 24, 1955 - BAR DATE ENDS ALL FURTHER CLAIMS for HEIRLESS ASSETS
Public Law 626, approved August 23, 1954 enacted the amendment to the Trading with
the Enemy Act that authorized successor organizations to receive returns of vested
property that had become heirless assets
Bar date for the filing of heirless asset claims was set for ONE YEAR from the
EFFECTIVE DATE of the Act, or ONE YEAR FROM AUGUST 24,1954
(68 Stat. 768; OAP, Annual Report, 1955, p.4)(324215)
November 7, 1955 E.O. 10644 - ATTORNEY GENERAL assigned SATELLITE ASSETS
PROGRAM
Attorney General and any Assistant Attorney General designated and empowered to
, perform the functions conferred on the President under Title II of the International
Claims Settlement Act of 1949
Title II outlined the program for VESTING the blocked property of enemy countries
Bulgaria, Hungary, and Rumania
Title II directed the President to BLOCK the property of individuals
I
August 10, 1956 - OAP Policy on Return of Vested Assets to Persecutees
"After the enactment of the amendment to the Trading with the Enemy Act in
1946 authorizing the return of vested assets to persecutees of the Nazi regime
despite their technical enemy status, this Office took great pains to avoid vesting
the property of such persons. As a result, it has always been apparent to this Office
that the amount of property subject to the provisions of heirless assets legislation
would be quite small."
(Paul Myron to Arthur Klein, House of Representatives, in reply to a letter from the
Congressman, August 10, 1956, p.l. World Jewish Congress Mss. collection, American
Jewish Committee, Cincinnati, Ohio, File - C 294 [Emphasis added])
as of June 30,1957 Vested Satellite Assets Total $225 MILLION
Major part, .86% ,of Satellite Asset vesting program completed
First vesting order included $13 MILLION in gold bullion
(Attorney General, Annual Report, 1957,p.297 (333673); Annual Report 1956, p.l3
(333673))
11,000 CLAIMS FILED by JRSO
Jewish Restitution Successor Organization (JRSO) filed approximately 11,000 claims
under the successor organization claims program
During the two fiscal years, 1955-1956 and 1956-1957, about 8,700 were WITHDRAWN
As of June 30, 1957 there was a balance of approximately 2,300 claims
OAP "continues to conduct a considerable amount of preliminary investigation and
analysis with respect to these claims"
(Attorney General, Annual Report, 1957, p.295 (333673))
�27
as of June 30,1958 - Last publication of Vesting Order Numbers
OAP Annual Report for 1958 is the last report to publish a list of vesting order information
September 1, 1961 - OAP became part of the Civil Division at the Department of Justice
The five sections of the OAP are made part the Civil Division
qAP organization became a separate section of the Civil Division
Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Civil Division was made Director of the
. Office of Alien Property
(Attorney General, Annual Report, 1961, p.l05 (333750))
October 22, 1962 - JRSO awarded one-half million dollars after 8 years of
pleading with Congress
President, or the officer he designated was to pay $500,000 out ofthe War Claims Fund
8-years of wrangling with Congress to get original limit of $3 million, ended with a law
that:
I-Awarded the JRSO $500,000 out of the War Claims Fund
2:'Acceptance of payment was to constitute a full and complete discharge of ALL
CLAIMS FILED under Section 32(h) as passed in August 1954
(76 Stat. 1114)
Other sections held that money paid into the War Claims Fund by the Attorney General
could be used first by the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission and the Treasury to
cover expenses in administering the War Claims Act of 1948
2-Property in a suit could be sold and the proceeds placed in the Treasury
Award to successful claimants would be paid from the Fund
3-Section 39 of Trading with the Enemy Act was to be amended to authorize the Attorney
. General to 1MMEDIATEL Y cover into the Treasury, for deposit into the War Claims
Fund,$500,000 from vested property
(76 Stat. 1114-1115)
February 26, 1963 - E.O. 11086 - JRSO remains SUCESSOR to HEIRLESS ASSETS
. Amends E.O. 10587
Foreign Claims Settlement Commission was to carry out the payment of $500,00 out of to
the War Claims Fund, select any other successor organizations, and carry out other
duties conferred by the law on'the President
Jurisdiction over claims filed by JRSO remained with the Attorn.ey General
(E.O. 11086, Title 3, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 1959-1963 Compilation,
pp.721-722)
�28
May 11, 1966 - E.O. 11281 - TRANSFERRED JURISDICTION OVER BLOCKED
ASSETS from JUSTICE to TREASURY
President Lyndon Johnson TRANSFERRED the POWERS and DUTIES exercised by
· the ATTORNEY GENERAL over World War II blocked assets to the
SECRETARY of the TREASURY
Attorney General's powers under E.O.9989 were TERMINATED
Attorney General's powers under E.O. 8839 were SUPERCEDED
Secretary of the Treasury was hereinafter "responsible for the administration of
, Controls exercisable under Executive Order No.8839"
Reason for transfer was:
I-Office of Alien Property was to be abolished by June 30, 1966
2- the limited application of the blocking controls:
ALL blocked asset·s consisted of property in Iron Curtain countries
Scheduled or looted securities program was also limited
World War II Foreign Funds Control returned to the agency where it began
(E.O. 11281, Title 3, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 1966-1970 Compilation,
~ pp.547-548)
June 30,1966 - Office of Alien Property Ceases to Exist
Office of Alien Property as ceased to exist as a separate organizational entity in the
Civil Division of the Department of Justice
Attorneys in Civil Division continue to handle claims and to discharge all responsibilities
· involved in the ADMINISTRATION and LIQUIDATION ofYESTD ASSETS
(Attorney General, Annual Report, 1967, p.163)
,
'
BLOCKED ASSETS PROGRAM RETURNED to TREASURY DEPARTMENT
ONL Y the administration of assets remaining blocked since World War II was returned to
the Treasury Department
Office of Foreign Assets Control was made responsible for administering the Treasury
Department's freezing controls issued under SeCtion 5(b) of the Trading with the
Enemy Act
Office of Foreign Assets Control administered the freezing regulations over BLOCKED
property from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
: and Lithuania
Justice MAINTAINED ALL ISSUES relating to VESTED PROPERTY
(Treasury Department, Annual Report, 1966, pp.l18-119; Annual Report, 1967, p.99;
· conversation with Loren Dohm, Deputy Director of the Office of Foreign Assets
• Control, June 19, 2000)
�29
February 27,1967 - Treasury Order No. 128, Revision No.2 - ESTABLISHED OFFICE of
FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL
Secretary of the Treasury Joe Barr issued a revision of the Order of Se'cretary Snyder and
, re-reestablished the Office of Foreign Assets Control
Reasons for second Treasury Order are not given
Assume new duties transferred from Justice and different organizational structure through
which office reported may have been part of the reason
Secretary Barr's order stated that Foreign Assets Control was a "successor to Foreign
, Funds Control"
Director' of office was to be appointed by Assistant Secretary for International Affairs
Director of FAC was to report to'the Assistant Secretary for International Affairs through
the Assistant to the Secretary for National Security Affairs
Director of Foreign A~sets Control was to exercise ALL authority and duties required of
the Secretary of the Treasury under Sections 3 and 5(b) of the Trading with the Enemy
Act and any proclamations, orders, regulations, and rulings that were issued under the
, Act
(treasury Department, Annual Report, 1967, p.40 1)
June 30, 1967 - Low Number of Cases on Alien Property Matters
Though not stated explicitly, OAP ceases to exist as an independent office due to the low
number of cases relating to World War II alien property matters
40 title claims filed under TWEA Section 9(a) and Section 32 remained
9 debt claims cases filed under Section 34
7 cases filed against the Attorney General's interest in alien property
(Attorney General, Annual Report, 1967, p.163)
August 9,1968 - Expenses Permitted to be drawn out of Vested Property
Attorney General or officer designated by him is AUTHORIZED to PAY OUT of
FUNDS VESTED in him or transferred to him under the Trading with the Enemy Ac
, and the International Claims Settlement Act NECESSARY EXPENSES in carrying out
the powers and duties conferred on the Attorney General under the two laws
(82 Stat 673)
1970-1974 - Remaining Alien Property Matters
Attorney General Annual Report only mentions fact that "a few major alien property
claims and matters in terminal stages" remain
(Attorney General, Annual Report, 1970, p.64; same Annual Reports, 1971-1974,
pages vary)
1975 -1978 - Attorney General Annual Report ceases to mention alien [property matters in text
of report
Alien Property Unit box remains in organization chart of Civil Division
(Attorney General, Annual Reports, 1975-1978, pages vary)
�30
1978 - Alien Property Unit ceases to exist
Last Attorney General's Annual Report to print Alien Property Unit in organization chart
No discussion in text
Assumption is that Alien Property Unit which LITIGATED alien property cases was
ended as an organizational entity in Civil Division
(Attorney Ge?eral, Annual Report, 1978, entire report read)
1979 - Civil Division of Department of Justice is restructured
No mention of former alien property functions in Annual Report
(Attorney General, Annual Report, 197,9 entire report read)
Feb. 5, 1980 - Attorney General DELETED Title 8, Chapter 2, Office of Alien Property,
Parts 501-510, from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) because:
"The vesting program conducted by the Alien Property Custodian under the
authority of the Trading with the Enemy Act. .. and all administrative claims under
Sections 32 and 34 of the Act, which were governed by the Rules of the Office of
Alien Property, have now been determined"
Remaining functions of Department of Justice relate to managing and disposing of
, records and correspondence relating to World War II vesting program. These
functions are not governed by OAP Rules and therefore republication of the
Rules was DISCONTINUED
(45 FR 7778)
June 1980 - ADMINISTRATION of BLOCKED ASSETS by TREASURY DEPARTMENT
Last Annual Report of Treasury Department, 1980, discusses Treasury's administration of
World waf II assets that remained blocked
Office of Foreign Assets Control administers controls on assets remaining blocked under
Foreign Funds Control Regulations
C,ontrols continue to apply to blocked assets of the governments of Czechoslovakia,
. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and East Germany
Nationals of Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania who were in those countries on
December 7, 1945
Nationals of East Germany who were in t hat country on December 31, 1946
(Treasury Department, Annual Report, 1980, p.165)
September 8,1980 -Emergency Authority of Section 5(b) Continued
President Ronald Regan determined that it was in the national interest of the United States
to continue for another year, until September 14, 1981, the EMERGENCY
, AUTHORITIES of Section 5(b) of the Trading with the Enemy Act as a basis for the
. Foreign Funds Control Regulations
(Treasury Department, Annual Report, 1980, pp,165-166)
�31
March 19, 1982 - BLOCKED Assets of Czechoslovakia RELEASED
U.S.-Czechoslovak Agreement on settlement of outstanding claims and financial issue
led to unfreezing of remaining World War II assets
Agreement obligated United States to take a CENSUS of formerly-blocked Czechoslovak
assets to assist the Government of Czechoslovakia in locating the property
Census re~ealed a total of assets of $283,000 held by private persons
Assets were BANK DEPOSITS, CHECKS INTEREST in ESTATES, and
: 'INSURANCE POLICIES
OWNERS of assets were BANKS, CORORATIONS, and INDIVIDUALS
Types of survey reporters were banks, US. Government and State agencies, and trustees
(Office of Foreign Assets Control,Blocked Foreign Assets in the United States, Summary
, Report of 1983-84 Census ofBlocked Property, 1985, pp.26-27)
1983 - Census of Remaining Blocked Assets from World War II by Foreign Assets Control
Foreign Assets Control, Treasury Department conducted a census of Blocked Foreign
, Assets in the United'States
Census was for property BLOCKED by CONTROLS as of June 30, 1983
Census included the remaining BLOCKED funds from World War II
Census of accounts of governments, corporations, and some few small accounts of
individuals from Iron Curtain countries of EastGermany, Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania
Blocked assets of two Baltic States, Lithuania and Estonia, consisted manly of gold in
the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Total of BLOCKED ASSETS as of June 30,1983 was about $72 MILLION
Lion's share of blocked assets consisted of gold bullion belonging to the Governments of
: Estonia - $34,233,253
.
, Latvia - $27,288,686
Securities held by Government of Lithuania - $16,150
Individual BANK deposits amounted to:
East Germany - $ 52,351
Estonia
$128,785
Latvia $333,409
Lithuania $ 62,538
Most of the bank deposits were small accounts of individuals and private associations,
(Office of Foreign Assets Control, Blocked Foreign Assets in the United States, Summary
Report of 1983-84 Census ofBlocked Property, 1985, pp.5, 18-25; Conversation with
. Loren Dohm, Deputy Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control, June 19, 2000)
1985 - DISPOSITION of REMAINING ASSETS
Following census Foreign Assets Control UNBLOCKED all remaining funds
FUNDS were in DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS in VARIOUS CITIES around the
,COUNTRY
Accounts then fell under each state's law for unclaimed moneys
(Conversation with Loren Dohm, Deputy Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control,
�32
June 19,2000)
February 25, 1986 - E.O.12553 - REVOKED EXECUTIVE ORDERS Relating to the
ALIEN PROPERTY CUSTODIAN
President Ronald Regan eliminated many Executive Orders that were no longer necessary
Revoked three orders creating and amending the powers of the Alien Property Custodian
E.O. 9095, E.O. 9193, and E.O. 9567
Revoked the first Executive Order designating the Jewish Restitution Successor
Organization (JRSO) as the successor authorized to receive heirless assets
E.0.10587
.
Revoked the order governing the administration of the Satellite Assets program which
Vested and liquidated Bulgarian, Hungarian, and Rumanian property
E.0.10644
Revoked the second Executive Order which governed the payment of $500,000 to
the JRSO out of the War Claims Fund
E.0.11086
Aug. 28,1988 - P.L.I00-418 - OFFICE of ALIEN PROPERTY was TERMINATED by
an ACT of CONGRESS
Section 39(a) through (e) were struck from the Trading with the Enemy Act
Essentially ABOLISHED ALL REMAINING FUNCTIONS of the Office of Alien
.Property
A new section 39(b) provided that the Attorney General was to cover into the Treasury
ALL SUMS FROM PROPERTY VESTED in the Attorney General and not placed in
the deposit account through the Treasury into the War Claims Fund
Sums which the Attorney General determines are the subject of judicial action do not
have to be so deposited
(102 Stat.ll07, 1370-1371)
1988 End of Alien Property Matters
Attorney General Annual Report makes no mention of Act of August 23, 1988
ABOLISHING the REMAINING FUNCTONS of the Office of Alien Property
(Attorney General, Annual.Report, 1988, entire report read)
Early 1990s - Iron Curtain Country BLOCKED ASSETS RELEASED by TREASURY
With fall of communist regimes Office of Foreign Assets Control issued licenses to
release remaining blocked assets
(Conversations with Dan York, Office of Foreign Assets Control, June 20-21, 2000)
�33
June 29,1995 - FINAL FOREIGN FUNDS CONTROL REGULATIONS REVOKED,
Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control, made a decision to REVOKE the regulations
governing any remaining listed, i.e., looted securities
Rule published in Federal Register REMVONG 31 CFR Part 520 - Foreign Funds
Control Regulations
Part 520 contains residual sanctions measures imposed during World War II including
procedural requirements that have no further practical purpose relating to securities
looted from their rightful owners by the Nazis
Reason for ending controls was that ALL other assets had been UNBLOCKED EXCEPT
for the restrictions on listed securities
NO claim to any of the listed securities had been made since 1968
Another reason was to comply with Clinton Administration's policy of cutting back on
Regulations
(60 F.R. 33725; conversation with Loren Dohm, Deputy Director, Office of Foreign
Assets Control, June 19, 2000)
1989 -'2000'- Attorney in OFFICE of FOREIGN LITIGATION Replies to Claims Letters
An attorney in the OFFICE of FOREIGN LITIGATION, Civil Division, Department
, of Justice replies to letters inquiring about claims to property vested by the Alien
, Property Custodian and the Office of Alien Property during World War II
Claimants receive a form letter stating that the time for filing claims has passed
(Helen Junz, Director of Research, Financial Assets Tearn, May 2000)
Bureaucratic History prepared by Abby Gilbert
May-June 2000
�34
OFFICE of ALIEN PROPERTY and VICTIMS
OAP and Victims
The Alie,n Property Custodian did NOT deal with victims or persecutees
The independent agency existed between Mach 1942 and October 1946
The law to aid victims was passed in August 1946
The Alien Property Custodian in its Terminal Report dated October 1946 used the word
VICTIMS and PERSECUTION in the following context:
'
In summarizing its VESTING POLICY, the APC stated:
"In general, all property of German...citizens r~siding in Germany is vested unless A V AILABLE
EVIDENCE INDICATES THEY WERE VICTIMS OF PESECUTION BY THEIR
GOVERNMENTS."
(Alien Ptoperty Custodian, Terminal Report, 1946, processed, p.5 [Emphasis added])'
The Office of Alien Property, an office in the Department of Justice did deal with victims,
'persecutees, heirless assets, and returning to he JRSO heirless assets to help other Holocaust
survivors
Under TWEA as it stood throughout World War II, German Jews were considered the enemy
because Germany was the enemy of the United States
Therefore their property could be vested
Paul Myron, an attorney and Deputy Director of the OAP, wrote in August 1956 -- almost ten
years'after the passage of Section 32 ofthe Trading with the Enemy Act, and about two years
after the law permitting the use of heirless assets to help survivors - one of the rare policy
statements found so far on OAP vesting policy:
'
After the enactment of the amendment to the Trading with the Enemy Act in
1946 authorizing the return of vested assets to persecutees of the Nazi regime
despite their technical enemy status, this Office took great pains to avoid vesting
the property of such persons. As a result, it has always been apparent to this Office that
the amount of property subject to the provisions of heirless assets legislation would be
quite smalL
(Paul Myron to Arthur Klein, House of Representatives, in reply to a letter from the
Congressman, August 10, 1956, p.l. World Jewish Congress Mss. collection; American
Jewish Committee, Cincinnati, Ohio, File c-294. Emphasis added.)
The OAP also testified at hearings to pass laws to use heirless assets to help survivors
�w,\~~"\
"
...;;
DEFROSTING OF FOREIGN FUNDS CONTROL
The program to end the freezing control program was called "defrosting."
.. B¥ June of 1941, $8.5 BILLION of foreign assets in the United States from 36 nations were
blocked. Of that amount $3.6 BILLION was held in the name of persons in occupied countries;
about $400 MILLION was held in the names of nationals of Germany, Italy, and Japan.
(Treasury Department, Annual Report 1942, p.159)
Property was BLOCKED because until the United States was a belligerent in the war it
could not take over or seize or vest the assets of foreign nationals. Despite this, most foreign
financial assets were never vested but remained BLOCKED for the duration of the war. (Isadore
Alk and Irving Moskowitz, "Removal of United States Controls over Foreign-Owned Property,"
Federal Bar Journal, X (October 1948), p.4; Record Group 265 - Foreign Assets Control, Entry
68-A-1253 Foreign Funds Control, Box 25 [hereinafter FBJ) In blocking, title to the property
remains 'with the private owner; in vesting title passes to the United States Government.
The purposes of freezing assets changed over the course of the war and with the countries
whose assets were frozen. Blocking was intended to achieve diverse objectives.
Occupied areas - Protective
.
Neutral Nations - Defense
Enemy Economic Warfare
(Report to Congress by Secretary Morgenthau;, reprinted in Treasury Department, Annual
Report, 1945, Exhibit 51, p.4 23)
Despite the varying objectives of the controls, ONE OVER-ALL PATTERN was
adopted for UNBLOCKING which was applied to most of the liberated and neutral
countries. The pattern adopted for defrosting was the CERTIFICATION PROCEDURE.
(FBJ, p,.5)
There were two main parts to ending wartime controls: releasing blocked property and
returning or liquidating vested property. Release of blocked property was managed by Foreign
Funds Control; the end of vesting by the Alien Property Custodian.
DEVE,LOPMENT OF DEFROSTING POLICIES
It was never the intention of Treasury officials to keep the controls beyond the
. period when they were absolutely essential for achieving the objectives for which they were
established. (History, Chapter VI-p.l)
As with the establishment of freezing controls, the U.S. Government began to formulate a
program for terminating its controls over blocked assets long before the defeat of Germany.
(FBJ-li5) Foreign funds Control began to focus on the development of a program for releasing
blocked assets almost a year and a half before the end of hostilities - about January of 1944.
I
�.,
-2
In the latter part of 1945 a working group was established to develop an appropriate defrosting
procedure which would be available for application as soon as the war situation permitted.
(Hi~tory ~ Chapter VI-p.l),
Several considerations were of primary concern in the defrosting operation to be adopted.
1. Protection of American creditors deprived during the war of their normal recourse against
foreign debtors
2. Protection of American financial institutions against adverse claims resulting from:
(a) conflicts over ownership or control of foreign companies
(b) doubtful validity of transfers of property under enemy occupation .
(c) payment orders executed under duress
(d) other consequences of the confused commercial and financial situation emerging
.
from the war
3. Insuring against concealment or release of enemy assets held through non-enemy financial
institutions
4. Prevention of the completion of transactions effected under duress or for the benefit of the
enemy.
(History, Chapter VI-p.l)
It was recognized that the stages at which funds of countries could be unblocked varied in
accordance with both the original objectives for freezing the areas and steps the governments
were prepared to take for implementing Foreign Funds program for terminating the freezing
controls. (History, Chapter VI -pp. 1-2)
REOPENING COMMUNICATIONS
The first step in ending wartime controls and restoring normal business relations was to
remove each liberated area from the category of "enemy territory." (FBJ, p.6) After the United
States entered the war as a belligerent in December 1941, the areas occupied by the enemy were
designated as "ENEMY TERRITORY" and the persons within that area were treated as
"ENEMY NATIONALS." (FBJ, p.5) These terms were first defined in General Ruling No. 11.
(Documents Pertaining toForeign Funds Control, August 1941; March 1942, pp. 18-19. See
General/Ruling No.4 which only defines the term ''''generally licensed national." Documents,
August 1941, p.13)
.
General Ruling No. 11, issued March 18, 1942, substituted the term "enemy national" for
the old 'I'enemy" and "ally of enemy" in the Trading with the Enemy Act. The term "enemy
national" was defined in the Ruling as belonging to anyone of four groups:
1. The Government of any country with which the U ,So was at war
The Government of any other blocked country
3. An individual, partnership, corporation, or other organization within enemy territory
4. Any person whose name appears on the Proclaimed List of Certain Blocked Nationals
2.
�,
.
-3
The use of the concept of "national" to displace the concept of "enemy alien," the
classification used in the Trading with the Enemy Act of World War I, in the draft regulations
preparedby Treasury's General Counsel in December 1937. (History, Chapter II-p.3)
The Press Release issued on March 18 th with the ruling opened with the sentence:
"Regulations adapting the old 1917 Trading with the enemy Act restrictions against trade and
communications under war~time conditions to the requirements of the present war were issued
today ...." (emphasis added) (Documents Pertaining to Foreign Funds Control, March 1942,
p.76)
The Press Release goes on'to explain the change in terms.
One of the principal effects of today's regulations is embodied in these definitions.
They modify the old 1917 restrictions against trade and communications under war-time
conditions by substituting the new concept "enemy national" for the old "enemy" and
"ally of enemy" terminology ofthe hist war. This change was made so that the public
might be afforded a more precise understanding of the restrictions on trade and
communications under war-time conditions. At the same time this change also permitted
an effective adaptation of these restrictions on the pattern of the present war.
(Documents Pertaining to Foreign Funds Control, March 1942, p.77)
,
I
"
.'
,
General Ruling No. 11 was also more specific as to the groups with which trade and
communication was unlawful than were the old statutory terms of "enemy" and '~ally of enemy".
(Documents Pertaining to Foreign Funds Control, March 1942, p.77)
General Rulings defined the types oftransactions prohibited or permitted under freezing
regulations. General Ruling No: 11, the third ruling promulgated after the declaration of war in,
December 1941, PROHIBITED TRADE AND COMMUNICATION WITH THE ENEMY,
UNLESS AUTHORIZED BY LICENSE. (Documents Pertaining to Foreign Funds Control,
March 1942, p.76) The Ruling was amended as American armies marched across Europe to .
remove liberated countries from the term "enemy territory."
In adjusting wartime controls over the assets of liberated areas, General Ruling No. 11
was repeatedly modified as responsible governments assumed control. (Annual Report, 1945,
p.l06) Countries were deleted in the following order:
France November 4, 1944
Belgium - February 2, 1945
Finland, Poland, other Baltic areas - February 16, 1945
Greece":' March 6, 1945
Luxem~ourg April 10, 1945
Other li~erated areas - May 29, 1945
(Documents Pertaining to Foreign Funds Control, Septemberl946, p.22)
1946, p.59)
�·.
-4
Removal from the category enemy territory automatically permitted resumption of
business 'and commercial communications between the liberated countries and the United States.
By May 1945 commercial and business communications with all of the formerly occupied
European countries and Italy had been fully restored. Similar action soon followed with the
three Eastern European enemies Bulgaria, Rumania, and Hungary. (FBJ, p.6)
The ban ()n commercial, financial, and business communications was removed by Public
Circular No. 25.
allied Italy - October17, 1944
Bulgaria; Hungary, Rumania and the rest ofltaly - October 2, 1945
(Documents Pertaining to Foreign Funds Control, June 1945, p.81; September 1946, p.59)
Living expense remittances to liberated areas and to former some former enemies were
authorized under amended General Licenses 32 and 33 (Annual Report, 1945, p.107; Documents
Pertaining to Foreign Funds Control, September 1946,pp.35-37)
RESUMPTION OF CURRENT BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS
REMOVAL OF FREEZING RESTRICTIONS ON CURRENT BUSINESS
The second step was to begin to do something about the $8.5 billion of blocked property
in the U~ited States. The reopening of business and financial communications with Europe did
NOT ALTER the STATUS OF BLOCKED PROPERTY IN the United States. LICENSES.
WERE STILL REQUIRED to effect any financial or property transactions for persons in
blocked. countries. And any new dollars accruing to blocked nationals from these transactions
were frozen. Procedures had to be established so that trade and other CURRENT financial
transactions could be freed from the blocking restrictions to a maximum extent. (FBJ, p.6)
By the fall of 1945 the second major step was completed. The FREEZING
RESTRICTONS were removed and ALL NEW DOLLARS were FREE DOLLARS on the.
following:
Trade
Current business transactions
Commercial transactions
Release of all dollars accruing from such transactions.
PAYMENT OF AMERICAN CLAIMS
American creditors and financial institutions were publicly informed that they should
take steps as hey considered necessary to assert and enforce their claims against the blocked
assets of debtors. Prior to that time payment had beenprevented under the freezing. Foreign
Funds Control was prepared to grant licenses for payment from blocked accounts in the United
States t6 creditors of businesses and individuals in liberated areas. (History, Chapter VI-p.5)
�- 5
EXPERIENCE WITH CONDUIT CLAUSES
Almost every country took action against enemy collaborators and established internal
controls to prevent carrying on of transactions for the benefit of the enemy. The liberated
countries used some part of these controls to screen current transactions: One the other hand, the
United States traditionally was opposed to supporting and to giving extraterritorial effect to
exchange controls. However, given the immediate postwar situation the United States felt
impelled to cooperate with the former occupied countries by instituting interlocking controls so
as to channel new business through the governmental controls until such time as the liberated
countries had had a reasonable opportunity to effectively establish independent controls. So
arose a unique form of international cooperation called the conduit clauses. (FBJ, p.7)
The first licenses to the liberated countries contained so-called "conduit" clauses which
authorized transactions only after they had been screened and approved by designated agencies.
General License 90, issued April 14, 1945 authorizing trade with France and General License 91,
issued May 15, 1945 authorizing trade with Belgium, contained conduit clauses. The licenses
provided that dollars accruing form trade were to be placed in blocked accounts that could be
debited only for payments for trade. or transfer to the Central Bank or ~pproved banks in each
country.: The foreign governments were able to obtain control over the dollars accruing from
trade and other authorized current transactions. By their control over dollar proceeds the French
and Belgian Governments ostensibly screened and prevented undesirable transactions.
(Documents Pertaining to Foreign Funds Control, June 1945, pp.6S-70, 117; FBJ, p.7 and
footnote.S)
The conduit clause thus allowed private trade to take place without a specific license.
General Licenses 90 and 91 appear to be the first time that Treasury gave public support to the
foreign exchange controls of blocked countries over the dollar resources of their citizens.
Treasury deemed this public support as a trade off for the main purpose of the General Licenses
which were a way of allowing transactions which the Treasury did not have to examine because
they were screened and approved by the French or Belgian Government. (FBJ, p.S)
Negotiations were carried on with post-liberation governments looking toward their
assuming primary responsibility for making certain that the economic warfare objectives
of the freezing control were carried to completion with respect to the funds of their
nationals in the United States and that no transactions effected under duress were
permitted to be consummated contrary to the wishes of the rightful owners of the funds.
(Annual Report, i 945,p.l 07) By the fall of 1945 the U.S. Government felt that the liberated
governments had had suffiCient time to establish their own internal controls making the
possibility of any benefit accruing to the enemy from current transactions remote. The United
States felt that the treatment of collaboration with the enemy was essentially the problem of the
liberated countries and not that of the United States. Treasury reverted to its original pre-war
policy not to assist foreign governments to control the foreign exchange assets of their
nationals. (FBJ, p.S)
�- 6
DEFRO,STING OF CURRENT TRANSACTIONS
In the fall .of 1945, F.oreign Funds C.ontr.ol began t.o give s.ome th.ought t.o lifting its
c.ontr.ol .over ALL CURRENT TRANSACTIONS between the United States and liberated
Eur.ope. 'The f.oll.owing fact.ors m.otivated the C.ontrol's thinking ab.out issuing a GeneralLicense.
1. Treas,ury w.ould be rem.oved fr.om having t.o pass .on many transacti.ons with specified bl.ocked
c.ountries.
2. A General License w.ould av.oid the delay whichw.ould .otherwise be inv.olved if Treasury tied
the lifting .of restricti.ons .on current transacti.ons with the c.onclusi.on .of defr.osting neg.otiations
with all the vari.ous c.ountries.
3. The interest .of the United States G.overnment in enemy assets n.ow held in the. United States '
directly .or thr.ough cl.oaks in third c.ountries was pr.otected, since debits t.o existing
bl.ocked acc.ounts were n.ot t.o be permitted under the General License.
General License N.o. 94, issued December 7, 1945, c.overed ALL bl.ocked c.ountries
except Germany, Japan, P.ortugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland. Liechtenstein, and Tangier.
Written in highly' legalistic language with reference t.o .other licenses, General License 94 is best
underst.o.od thr.ough its acc.ompanying press release. It provided that:
,
1. Chec~s, drafts, SECURITIES, CURRENCY, bills .of lading, and .other financial and
c.ommercial d.ocuments, and pr.oxies and .other instructi.ons relating t.o pr.operty l.ocated in
speci~c bl.ocked c.ountries c.ould be FREELY sent t.o any .of the generally licensed c.ountries.
I
2. TRADE between the United States and the specified bl.ocked c.ountr'ies .or between these
c.ouQtries c.ould be freely financed thr.ough U.S. banks except f.or debts t.o existing bl.ocked
acc.ounts.
3. N.o bl.ocking restricti.ons were t.o be applied t.o currently accruing d.ollar exchanges. Central
banks in the bl.ocked c.ountries c.ould FREELY BUY and SELL DOLLARS and their.
nationals could FREELY USE DOLLARS f.or purchases and .other payments. New
dollar assets were COMPLETELY FREE OF U.S. CONTROLS.
4. PROPERTY bel.onging t.o individuals wh.o were nati.onals .of specified bl.ocked c.ountries,
but were n.ot in bl.ocked c.ountries, w.ould be immedia,tely UNBLOCKED.
5. N.o contr.ols in the United States required the rep.orting .of free f.oreign-.owned assets.
6. ALL controls were REMOVED over CURRENT TRANSACTONS between the United
States and m.ost .of the c.ountries in liberated Eur.ope.
(Hist.ory, Chapter VJ- p.12; Press Release, printed in D.ocuments Pertaining t.o F.oreign Funds
C.ontr.ol, September 1946, p.82)
�-7
The accompanying press release called General License 94 a "sweeping relaxation of the
freezing control." The Secretary of the Treasury
Emphasized that the general license ... permits the immediate resumption of normal
financial and commercial relations with the licensed countries so far as the freezing
regulations are concerned. United States banking facilities may be used to finance
all transactions between the licensed countries and between these countries and any
nonblocked countries .... Securities are no longer subject to freezing controls merely
because they bear the stamp of any of the licensed countries.
(Press Release, printed in Documents Pertaining to Foreign Funds Control,
September 1946, p.82)
.
General License No. 94 did NOT free any dollar assets which were blocked. (FBJ, p.9)
Blocking was continued in order not to lose control over property ostensibly owned by nationals
of friendly countries, but in fact belonging" to enemies. (Annual Report, 1946, p.88) The press
released stated that the official reason was "to insure that camouflaged enemy assets are not
released." The neutral nations were excluded from the privileges of General License No. 94
"until they have taken effective action to search out, immobilize, and control all enemy assets
within their jurisdiction, and until a satisfactory solution has been reached concerning the
disposition of these enemy assets." (Press Release, printed in Documents Pertaining to Foreign
Funds Control, September 1946, p.82)
.
General License No. 94 largely defrosted the restrictions over securities. Securities that
bore a European tax stamp no longer needed to attach form TFEL-2 to the securities. Securities
accounts of financial institutions located in the licensed countries were no longer subject to
General Ruling No. 17. Transactions could be effected under the blanketlicense without
identification or certification by the foreign banks. However, such securities were to remain
blocked until certified pursuant to defrosting licenses. (History, Chapter VI -p.16) And,
securities imported from most foreign countries remained subject to and had to be surrendered
under the guidelines in General Ruling No.5. (History, Chapter VI-p.13; Press Release, printed
in Documents Pertaining to Foreign Funds Control, September 1946, p.83)
. The defrosting licenses made no provision for General Ruling No.6 accounts. The
Federal Reserve Banks were instructed to authorize the transfer of all funds or .securities held in
these accounts to the account to which such assets normally would b credited. Such assets were
regarded as still blocked under General License No. 94 (History, Chapter VI-pp.13-14)
Subsequent to the issue of General License No. 94, Foreign Funds Control advised banks
that balances which accrued to the countries and nationals covered by that license could be
regarded as property in which no blocked country or national had an interest. (History, Chapter
VI-p.14)
�-8
General License No. 94 covered most of the liberated countries as of its issue on
December 7, 1945; France was covered on October 5, 1945 and Belgium on November 20, 1945
when their defrosting licenses were issued, thus ending the use of conduit clauses. (Press
Release, printed in Documents Pertaining to Foreign Funds Control, September 1946, p.83; FBJ,
p.8) After Switzerland agreed to seek out German assets in Switzerland it to was covered by
General License No. 94. The extensions are:
Switzerland and Liechtenstein - November 30, 1946
Germany and Japan - March 4, 1947
Sweden - March 12, 1947
Tangier June 25, 1947
Spain.:.. May 29, 1948
Portugall - September 2, 1948
(FBJ, p.8, footnote 11)
General License No. 94, which signaled an end to wartime restrictions in Europe, was
ironically issued on the 5th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1945 and extended to the
last country on the 3rd anniversary of the end of the war with Japan, September 2, 1948.
DEFROSTING GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTS
Very soon after liberation the various GOVERNMENTS were AUTHORIZED to USE
with RE~ATIVE FEEDOM THEIR PUBLIC ASSETS IN the UNITED STATES, INCLUDING
the FUNDS of their CENTRAL BANKS, for OFFICIAL PURPOSES and for the PURCHASE
of MERCHANDISE for SHIPMENT to the LIBERATED COUNTRY. (History, Chapter VI
p.l8) Withdrawals were made under Section 25(b) of the Federal Reserve Act which sets up the
procedure by which a foreign government uses its public funds in this country that are held with
a Fedenil Reserve Bank. Section 25(b) has its own certification procedure. (History, Chapter
VI-p.18) In addition, Foreign Funds Control issued licenses permitting governments to use the
official funds. With large governments having many agencies with their own bank accounts, a
procedure was worked out where the Embassy would certify to the U.S. banks the accounts of
the agency in the U.S. and the bank ,would make any payments. (History, Chapter VI-pp.20-21)
In the case of France, Foreign Funds Control had to be notified of any transfer over
$25,000.' (History, Chapter VI-p.21)
DEFROSITNG - THE CERTIFICATION PROCEDURE
The United States and its allies were greatly concerned over the necessity of dealing with
forced wartime transfers of property. While the freezing controls had prevented German access
to dollar assets in the United States, there was growing evidence that dollar assets. located
abroad, particularly bearer bonds, had been looted or transferred under duress. The liberated
countries would be required to trace ownership and control and to restore looted property to the
�- 9
lawful owners. The United States was committed to supporting an international program for
preventing the liquidation of property looted by the enemy. (FBJ, p.l 0)
Treasury Policy
Treasury POLICY was that the blanket and complete unblocking of assets which
might have been looted, woul~ not be consistent.with the international program. The extent
of enemy ownership through other countries was unknown. It had already been
ascertained that there were enemy assets in the United States camouflaged under non-enemy
names. It was believed that the TOTAL AMOUNT OF CONCEALED ENEMY ASSETS
WAS SUBSTANTIAL. (FBJ. p.ll; NO dollar amount is given) It was desired that a SYSTEM
of UNBLOCKING be devised under which AS YET UNREVEALED ENEMY INTERESTS
would be UNCOVERED and VESTED. (FBJ, p.ll)
Treasury was persuaded that there should NOT be a general program of blanket
unfreezing of blocked assets. Treasury decided to maintain an UNBLOCKING
PROCEDURE that would provide for the SEPARATE EXAMINATION OF EACH
CASE. Treasury also decided on the POLICY that the PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY for
. INVESTIGATING and ASCERTAINING the TRUE OWNERSHIP of BLOCKED PROPERTY
and for determining the effect to be given to wartime transfers should REST upon the FOREIGN
GOVERNMENTS involved and NOT upon the United States. (FBJ, p.12)
.
In reaching this decision, the Treasury Department concluded that it was not in a position
to pass upon 'the real ownership of property held by residents of foreign countries. (FBJ, p.12)
CERTIFICATIONPROCEDURE
Early in 1945, Foreign Funds Control was able to begin working out defrosting
machinery with liberated governments. The procedure envisioned issuing a General License
under which blocked property in the United States could be released upon certification by an
OFFICIAL AGENCY of the FOREIGN GOVERNMENT that such property WAS OWNED BY
ITS NATIONALS on the date when the freezing controls were applied to it. Under this plan,
responsibility was placed on the FOREIGN GOVERNMENT for INVESTIGATING the REAL
OWNERSHIP of the blocked property.
See attached pages from
th~
Federal Bar Journal, October 1948, pp,12-15.
GENERAL LICENSE NO. 95
, General License No. 95 became the basic defrosting license for all liberated
countries that were entitled to use the certification procedure. General License No. 95 was
issued on December 29, 1945 and covered France, Belgium, Norway, and Finland. Written in
technical language that refers to earlier licenses, General License No. 95 basically said that when
I·
�·.
~
10 ~
"government ...has certified in writing that no foreign country designated in [Executive Order
8389] or' national thereof, has at any time between the effective date of the Order and the date of
certification had any interest in any property subject to ... General License No. 94, the property ...
is hereby licensed ... as property in which no blocked country ...has ... any interest." (Documents,
Pertaining to Foreign Funds Control, September 1946, p.51)
,
The accompanying press release succinctly stated that 44(oJnce property has been
, certified it will no longer be regarded as blocked." (Press Release, printed in Documents
PertainiQ,g to Foreign Funds Control, September 1946, p.83)
General License No. 95 was extended to the following countries at the conclusion of
negotiations and an exchange of letters:
Netherlapds - February 13, 1946
Czechoslovakia and Luxembourg April 26, 194(5
Denmark - June 14, 1946
Greece October 15, 1946,
Switzerland and Liechtenstein - November 20, 1946
Poland -: January 7, 1947
Austria -:- January 16, 1947
Sweden - March 28, 1947
(History, Chapter VI~p.24)
,It was important that no blocked assets in the United States be freed if there was an
outstandjng tax liability to the United States. To avoid this consequence, the Bureau of'Internal
Revenue prepared a LIST OF FOREIGN NATIONALS WHO were TAX DELINQUENTS.
Prepared by country, the Bureau ofInternal Revenue listed the name and an amount which
represented approximately twice the tax liability. The list was then referred to each country with
an indication that he amounts in their blocked accounts were not to be certified until the U.S. tax
claim was satisfied. (History, Chapter VI~pp.24~25)
General License No.95 was revoked at midnight on December31, 1948. (U.S Treasury
Department, Foreign Assets Control.. "Chronology oflmportant Regulatory Documents, 1940-:
1946," Vol. 6, document 48.xx)
DEFROSTING OF SECURITIES
One of the most difficult problems arising from enemy occupation was the wartime
transfers of United States securities located abroad. Under General Ruling No.5, Foreign Funds
maintain~d import controls over securities. But these controls could not be maintained
indefinitely.
�- 11
Registered securities did not present any substantial problem since they were BLOCKED
on the BOOKS of the ISSUING COMPANY. The "immense amount of dollar bearer
securities outstanding" militated against any registration program and it seemed to be generally
agreed that the problem of bearer securities would have to be handled by the FOREIGN
GOVERNMENTS of the countries in which the SECURITIES were LOCATED. (FBJ. p.15) .
Under General License No. 95, foreign governments were authorized to issue
certifications of dollar securities located within their boundaries. After a certification was
attached to a SECURITY, the security and any attached coupons, were FREE of all UNITED
STATES RESTRICTIONS on IMPORTS and could be dealt with a~ a FREE ASSET.
Interest and dividends could be freely paid to owners and the proceeds of any sale were free of
any restrictions. (FBJ. p.15)
Written assurances about securities were separate from the basic letters of agreement.
The letters stated that the government would undertake prompt investigations of the ownership
of all American securities located in that country. (FBJ, p.16) In order to assist the foreign
governments to find the true owners of the securities in their countries, Treasury continued its
import controls on securities until July 25, 1947. By that time governments, which were able
to do so, had prepared lists of securities which were believed to be looted. The Treasury
Department compiled and published a comprehensive list of "scheduled securities" and
simultaneously removed its import controls over ALL securities, EXCEPT THOSE on the
LIST of 'SCHEDULED SECURITIES.' It was understood that the list in major part was
compiled from information furnished by the Netherlands Government on the basis of
records maintained during the German control of the Lippman -Rosenthal Bank, a private
Dutch bank. The list is amended to ADD additional securities and to DELETE those securities
the title to which had been CLEARED. (See three lists published in the Federal Register on July
25.1947, pp.I-28; December 30,1947, pp.1-7; and August 10, 1948, pp.1-11; bound in U.S.
Treasury Department, foreign Assets Control, "Chronology of Important Regulatory
Documents, 1940-1946, Vol. 6, documents 47.22, 47.30, 48.15)
,
General Ruling No.5 was still in effect in 1948. Persons who brought scheduled
securities into the United.States from abroad or who received them from a foreign country, were
REQUIRED to deposit them with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
By the fall of 1948, all securities not on the list of Scheduled Securities were not under
any controls. The freezing or import restrictions on dollar bearer securities which were not
physically deposited in blocked accounts in the United States were ended. Certification was not
required for bearer securities. Registered securities could be freely imported into the United
States, but if registered in the name of a blocked natio.nal, a license was still required to transfer
or otherWise deal in the security. (FBJ, p.16)
.
�. - 12
WARTIME TRANSFERS
Certifying countries established their own laws and policies as to the great majority of
transfers. If a certification were issued, the transfers were valid insofar as the freezing
regulations were concerned. (FBJ, p.17) A simple test was applied what was the ownership of
the property on the effective date of the Freezing Order [Executive Order 8389 and its
amendments] .
wartim~
EXCEPTIONS
The certification program has several exceptions - organizations and groups who did
NOT need to obtain certification. These included: (FBJ, pp.19-20)
American Citizens residing in blocked countries
Victims of Nazi Persecution were able to secure the clarification of their status as non-enemies
. and the unblocking of their assets by.applying directly to the Treasury Department. However, if
Holocaust victims lived in an eligible country, they had to obtain certification of their assets.
Religious Organizations
Emigrants from Blocked Countries included those who had emigrated permanently
Trusts and Estates where interests of deceased persons were unblocked
(FBJ, pp.18-20)
General License No. 97 was issued on February 27, 1948. The License UNBLOCKED·
ALL ACCOUNTS which on February 1, 1948 were $5,000 or less.
END OF CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
It was announced on April 27, 1948 that the date of June 1,1948 was fixed as the final
date for'filing applications for certification in the eligible countries and that the respective
certifying agencies had until September 1, 1948 to complete action on these applications. (FBJ,
p.24) On September 1, 1948 the certification program under General License was ended and
General License No. 95 was revoked. (Press Release, December 24, 1948; see also Press Release
of the Department of Justice, December 25, 1948, compiled in U;S. Treasury Department,
Foreign Assets Control, "Chronology ofImportant Regulatory Documents, 1940-1946," Vol. 6,
after 48.20, unnumbered, reverse of first page of Title 8, December 24, 1948)
�- 13
DEFROSTING AND THE EUROPEAN RECOVERY PROGRAM
Changes in licensing policy were instituted by the Treasury Department to conform with
the program of rendering active aid to the recipient countries under the European Recovery
program: Commitments were ohtainedfrom the various governments which were issuing
certification under General License No. 95 that they would not consider as eligible a person who
had immigrated from a recipient country after June 1, 1947, unless a sub-certification was
obtained. from the country of prior residence. Treasury followed a similar· policy with respect to
persons who had recently emigrated to the United States, (FBJ, p.24)
Up to this time the Treasury Department held that the U/.S. Government should not give
foreign governments any information in its files concerning the identity and location of blocked
.
assets,. The foreign national should be given the choice of declaring his property to his
government or of running the risk of having I vested and either forfeited or disclosed in any
proceeding for its return. (FBJ, 21) Treasury's views were reexamined iIi. the light of the
European Recovery Program (ERP). The National Advisory Council (NAC), of which the
Secretary of the Treasury is Chairman, made the decision that the United States should
affirmatively assist the recipient countries under the ERP to LOCATE AND CONTROL
BLOCKED ASSETS. (Annual Report, 1948, Exhibit 22, p.291)FBJ, p.21
The Snyder-Vandenburg letter of February 2, 1948 provided for the issuance of a public
notice that three months afterwards the certification procedure would terminate and ASSETS
STILL BLOCKED WOULD BE TRANSFERRED to the OFFFICE OF ALIEN
PROPERTY, DEPARTMENT of JUSTICE. Prior to the deadline date, accounts of non
enemies which were not over $5,.000 would be unblocked without certification. (Annual Report,
1948, Exhibit 22, p.291; FBJ, pp.21-22)
.,
CENSUS OF BLOCKED ASSETS
I
When the transfer was delayed until October 1st, the Treasury Departinent connected the
. Census of blocked assets. Public Circular 37 was amended on August 31, 1948 to describe the.
manner in which the Form TFR-600 shoulq be prepared (in quadruplicate) If property is
unblocked, the survey respondent is to give a brief description of it and a statement of the
authority under which it was unblocked. (U.S. Treasury Department, Foreign Assets Control,
"Chronology of Important Regulatory Documents, 1940-1946," Vol. 6, document 48.17)
The Census revealed that $1 BILLION was still BLOCKED and approximately half of
this amount was held by NATIONALS of COUNTRIES RECEIVING AID under the European
Recovery Program. (Annual Report, 1949, p.99)
�- 14
TERMINATION OF CONTROLS
When the certification procedure was established Treasury planned that its controls
program could be terminated on June 30, 1947. But many residents of the certifying countries
did not apply for certification. (FBJ. p.20) Treasury considered various alternatives to help
terminate the controls.
On March 1, 1948, public notice was given in" the form of a U.S. Treasury Department
press release. JurisdictioQ over assets remaining blocked on June 1, 1948 would be
.
TRANSFERRED to the Office of ALIEN PROPERTY in the Justice Department. (FBJ.
p.23)
Abby L. Gilbert
SeptemQer 28-30, 1999
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CONGRESS OF 'rHE1 UNITED STATES
. House of Representatives
Washington, D. C.
August 15, 1956
Seymour J. Rubin, .. Eequtre
1832 Jeffer.on Place., N. W.
Washington 6, :I)•. C.
Dear Mr. Rubin;
....1 eneloseherewith copy of a lette,.. received from
. Pa\1l V~ Myron, Deputy Director ·0£ the ()fftce of Allen Property
In reply to mylettilllr of July 11 addre, sed to Dallas S. Town.end.·
.1 would. appreciate your comments, if any.
With kind regards,
r am
stneel"e1y yours,
.,'"
..., . .
AQK:em
}Uncl.
I sf Arthur Q. Klein
Arthur Q. 1O.eln
Memoeref Congre••
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C6PY
Honorab.le Arthur Q. Klein
House 'of'Rep:r.e$entatives
Was.hington, D. C.
.......
August 10, 1956
Dear Congressman Klein:
In the absence of Col. Townsend, I am replylttgtP your letter
of1uly 11, 1956, wlthregard to the heirless property cla..lr,n. flied with
, this .Office 'by the Jewlah1\e.titlltlon Succe,s,orOrgallizatlon (1.B.SQ) .. I
very much regret the delay in respondinS to your letter. Itna.8 be.n
occaalonedby our attempt to obtain datao. whi.ch to bale an~s~i:rnate
of the atriOun.tof fuads which .11\80 will obtain undertheprOYlSlons of
P\1bJicUw6~6J8)d Gongre•• ;
'.
".
,The legislative history of Pubitc14.w 6Z6begm..withabUl
~g~.nerI4lY embodylng itsprovisioDS (S. 2764) whiehpaiued the'Senat~, ,
'bi:t1\e' 80th, Congress..
That bill contained, no
llmltationontheJul'l,o\l'b.t
of t.turns of helrle•• ' aie.tI wIdell covlcibe made:undet it. p:i,.vi~lon.~, .
. '. Asl~tl.i' bUl (8. "6(3)passedthe Senate in th~ 81stCong~es'.1'he:
.,
co~ftt.e r~portwhic.h recommend.ed iis pas sage<8tat"d tha,t thCl"eWltB
,no de/blUe inlormat.ton asio theamo,unt of vested property wht¢hwc,uld
bea.1fect4iclbutestlmated that it. would raDge betwt'et;ln $500,000 atid
$2,OOQj.QOCt . the .\1:88 CommitteeQnIntcn:s1;ate ad J"orelp Commerce' .
repe:rt,a;S{:603 iavora~lywtthan a:mendmen~ It:miUa, the. amcnmto! ,.'
retul'1l!J,t~$3, '000,000. In the 8ZdCQngres,sa bill (S~ 1748) conta\ntng
, the')', 000, 000 limitation was reported' to the Senate but was ~otacted
upon.$.Z4Z0, SSt! Congress (whichhecame p~ L~ 6Z6Lwai pa"ed'
by the 8ellat,e without the $3, 000, 000 limlt.· That t~glt~eWa8 aga,inadded.
. by the ~use Committee on lnterstate and Foreign COr1\metce and. WaS
aecepte~byboth houeesofCongress.
At no time Qut-big the con,aideration of the various measurea
',' de.cribed above diel there appear any defbdte informaUoniri regard to
the amount of ves.ted pro.perty which might prove to 1)e heiriess. Further...
. more •. there appears to be no basis for the use of a $3JOOO~ 000 figure
other'tha,n the (act that it waf deemed beyond queeUon to beln exeetls of
the amount. of heirleas vested pl'opertY~ .
.
After the enactment of an amendment to the Trading with the
Enemy., Act In 1946 authorizing the return of vested aseets to persecutees
of the Nazi regime despite their technical enemy statuS. thil·Office
took great pains to avoid vesting the property of such persons. Asa
result, it has always been apparent to this Office that the amount of
pro.perty subject to the provisions of heirless assets legislation would
be. quite small. This Office has so informed representatives of JRSO
�,..
..
..
r y
'"
-2
from tim.e to time beginning with the earliest discussions looking to the
designation of JRSeD a8 a successor organh:.ation after the enaCtmento{
Publlc Law 6Z6.
.
.\"
....,.
.
,:1&»
'.
. '
Originally J.R~O fned a. total of app/8xbnately 1,000 claims with
this Office. Subsequently that or,anlzation flled a list of those of the. .
cda1ms which itasserte<l to be within the nOil:~aQvt'!r8e or non·confltcting ..
· categ~ry. This llst,almodified ,ell.htly, cQl'lt.a,lned. <l!nly 4,.137 names.
Thi- Qi,flpenasm.ad.eacarefulaurvey of its fUeswithr.spe'qt to tlie8e':f~\
· partic~u'1 .. rc1aims.:A8 a result of thls survey it wa' determined that \n.'
on~y 15' cases did it aJfirma,tlvely·.appear thatiaso'sclauns mlghthe·.
'allowable .• In anothet 793. cases there was no information concerning the
" . per.on who:se .property was vested orhlsheb's.ln aU but the.stl two" ",,'
~at~go,:tie'8of 80$ Cases, favorable action on.tRSQ's c1aim.sl:Lppe~:rs to be
contpletely ruled ollt ..... '.fhe808 cases inVOlve a8sets~rthappr0xim.ately .
$~".OOO.·
' ..
.,.
.
. 'Thls Qfflcehas referred the Ust of ·808 cases to it. ()yerseas$ectlon
·ii1.~erfuany with instructions ioattempt U?determlne whe~.rtht:pl'e~>
..
vo.this owner s are alive a:r\d If.notwhethe.i' (1) they we repersecute t., .
al\d. (21'they left. hebs.. In 407 of theca.os the last known add.~e$e()n
oUrl'.eeorcls is in WestOerman territory.' The Overseas Sect'ipnttanjmitted
~en~e. o!·these 407 ·.case.s to the .lnternationalTr..clng Se.rW;o tnG~l'many'
whlcb has ....
iairlyeomplete record. . . . .'.
on potIons who. . . . . . tn'conceJ1tl'atioD
were
I'
... .
. . ' ..
.
..
" . . ..
.
· camps.:.That orgaaif;a.tiOnwas able to make tentativt! identificatiCriSln
o~\r',~5dfth,l;ia8e8 ... lJl two' of,these .35 cases the IdentificaUon!ila~efatrly
positlve,in:'liveotheri!l, possible, and in the remaining 26 even leas certain•
. . ,ht~other 33 of.the cases thela,t known ..dc1~ess is in .13erUn.,An .
lnvetliltigatc>r'O{ the QvetseasSectlonin that city has ldentified.i2 of the 33
ve.lllte~UI .• speint1 alive.l.'le 'has, located the heirs ofnblti deceasedvesteelJ~'
Rehas·found iNazi pal'ty rmilmbershlp record for another of the vesteee
and has learned tut still another left Ger'many ft)1' Guatemala befOre World
War 11. }Us,inve.stigation In. anothel' case has developed no information. He
is continuing ht~ lnve,tigatlons in ~he remaining nine cases. · I might add
that st,mllar investigation$ will be macieas:rapidly aepossible by theOversealll .
Section in the abovementioned 401 cases with WesfGernum addresses.
'. It is obvious from the data already obtamed in Germany that only
a handlul of the J~SO claims under. Public Law 6.Z6 will ultimately prove
ailowable and that only a :relatively insignlficant amount of money will be
payable to that organization. .Accordingly. you wtll appreciate the fact
that this ;Office cannot. by any administrative determination which is based
�"
." ..
.'
.
,
-3
on avaUableevldence, make a II substantial payment'l olthe nature indicated
in the first of the two questions set fC)rth in your letter.
In response to your lJecond question, please be advised .thata
trl1l1sferto' JRSOof$T50~ 000 would seem to be a. matter of pollcy for the .
Congress tocoDsider. Tbit OHlce would ilaveno ;objectionto leghlation
provicUng for ihe papnent ofthi8Sum II it were not r~lated to section 32
of the 'I'radlngwith:the~emy""'ct and tied to the.assete of specific vestee8 •.
a$ is the case with p»ublic Law 626. In thi8eonnection .you may wlsh to
consider the WarC~atms· Fund as a source for the funds to liJianee such
a J>ayment.
,., ..
Slncerely yours',
Paul V. MyrQrl
Deputy Director ),
.
Office of Allen P·roperty.
�1 Z MAY
20i1f9
\
�.a .----~~~--------. .--------..............----~·"=--='~~~
.
RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF FOREIGN .ASSETS CONTROL-
265)
1941~6{BULK 1943-45)
(RECORD GROUP
508 cu. Fr.
265.1
ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY
Established: ,In the Department of the Treasury by Treasury
Department order, October 15, 1962.
Predecessor Agencies:
In the Department of the Treasury:,
Foreign Funds Control (1940-47) .
Office of international Finance (1947"50)
Division of foreign Assets Control, Office of International Fi
nance (1950-62)
FQnctions: Administers foreiJSn assets and fupds control pro
gr;ln1~.
Finding Aids:, Lyle J Holve;stott and Fred L Miller, comps.,
"Preliminary Inventory of .the Re<;.ords"_()[ the Fo'reign Funds
. I
,",:"
Conrrol." NC 8 (1962).
!
Related Records:
/'
Hecords of the Office of"Aiien Pr9P~ity/"RG~13L
,.
265.2
.~
"
"
RECORDS OF FORElGN"~SCONiROL
1941-46 (bulk 1943-45) . .:.. :..,.-.
579 lin: ft.
,
\
'
.
History: Established as a unit of the Office of, the Secretary of'
the Treasury pursuant to EO 8389, A,p.riL~O, 1940;',under a\:;thqr
ity of the Trading with the Enemy Ac[ (45)" Stat..41l)";:Octobe; 6,
1';)17, as amended. Given separate bureau status, Septeq1ber 11;
1';)42, Administered wartime import controls over enemy assets ' ..-"
and restrictions on trade with the enem{'p'articip~ted in admin
i,teri:1g the Proclaimed List of Certain Blocked Nationals
("Black List"), and took censuses of foreign-owned assets in the
United States and American-owned assets abroad. Abolished by
Treasury Department Order No. 86, July 10, 1947,' with func-./
lions transferred to newly established Office of.Il1lernational Fi
n:lI1ce (OLF). OLF activities relating to blocked foreign funds \,
RECORD
TYPF.s
Textual Records
were transferred to the Office of Alien Property, DeRart~entRf;, .. ,
Justice, 1948. Diyision of Foreign Assets Control, esubiished:in" ',.'
the Office of International Finance: by Treas\l~.Departrrient
order, December 17, 1950, admini~teretlcohtrbls~';;ver:the::.i.i
sets of China and North Korea that' had been frozen after ,Chi
nese intervention in Korea (October 1950), a~dcertai~'regul;
tions and orders issued under the .amended Tradil1g' witll.the •
Enemy Act. Superseded by Office of F~reign·AsSetS..C()ntro!~
1962. SEE 265.1.
' "
;.
265.2.1 General records
Textual Records: Form TFR-500 census schedule~ :of 'prop~ . ,
.'
,
.
erty in foreign countrie? o:vned on May 31, 1943, by perspns
and organizations subject to the jurisdiction ,ofihe·.;lJnited ,
,States or its territories and possessions,includi~g su~ary·'i~:'·
ports, detailed property reports, and reports of il}terests'inp'~i:.'
mary allied organizations, submitteci byindividuals;.by;c~rP6~,'
rations or other organizations; by executors, administrators,'gf
trustees; and by .custodians or nominees who held 'prop'eit)'::
for persons not subject to' U.S. jurisdiction, 1943-45. Indexe~ ,
(Statistical Control Sheets) to the names ()f U.S. corp~rations
filing such schedules that had subsidiaries in foreign coun
tries, November 1945.
'",
'Related'R~cords: Record copies of publications of Foreign
Funds Control in RG 287, Publications of the U.S. Government.
265.2.2 Records of the Honolulu, HI, office
Textual Reco~ds On San Francisco): .Internee reports '(Form' ""/
TFR-30), 1942-45, with Indexes. Reports by foreign nationals in
the United States orreal and personal property, incluoing bank
accounts'(Form TFR-30Q series), i942-45,with indexes. Speciai
licenses to engage in foreign exchanges transactions, 1941-46,
with indexes. Indexes to currency and security licenses, 1941
46 .Index to census~chedules of . property owned in, foreign
countries (Form TFR-500), 1941-46.
.
,
RECORD LocATIONS
QuANTi11F5
Washington Area
San Francisco
461 cu. ft.
47 cu. ft.
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,
Rep
,;,
. \,
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.' 0/,1
?
,.cI
. rJ 7- 7
(C,7·
,
. ./,
.45"
KGUIDE to FEDERAL RECORDS
,
{
in the
~v
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
o/the
UNITED STATES
VOLUME!I
Record Groups 171-515
'.
"
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"
. ". compiled by
.,-'
. -"
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LANCE J FISCHER
\
.
, 'BRENDA B: KEPLEY
JUDITH i\.KOUCKY
.
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NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORI)S-AOl'>IINISTRATION
WASHINGT9N;' DC
; 1995
�REcQ,l3Ds
......
OF THE OFFICE OF ALIENPROPER1Y':\'~
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(RECORD GROUP
131)
1878-1965 (BUI.K1917~57)
3,:t52 cu. Fr.
131.1
131.2
ADMINISTRATIVE mSTORY
CUSTODIAN AND ITS SUCCESSO,RS
Established: In the Department of Justice, October 15, 1946,
by EO 9788, October 14, 1946,
ACTIVlTIES ARISING
Predecessor Ag~ncies: ,./
1898-1946 .
1,578 Un. ft.
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Office of Alien Property Custodian 0917-34)
Alien Property B~reau, Claims Division, Department of Justice
(1934-41) . !
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Alien Pr~.cry,_Division, Department of Justice (1941-42)
Offic-e-of Alien Prorerty Custodian, Office for Emergency Man
agemerit'0942-46)
Transfers: To
Ci~;l Pi~ision! Department
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of Justice, by Au'or
~e:rG~;neral Order'249~61, S~ptember 1, 1961.
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Functions: ,- Administered\\ all suits in federal co"urts and all
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claims relative to seizure', ~lnd v~sting'of enen-iy,;pwned ,or
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enelIiy::corytfolled.property duri!1g :World ~ar IL Managaj'and'
~.Ii(i'llidated 'all such!.vestecl $SSet~:'i;:-+':::--"'"
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Abolislied: BY,E,O 112i31 , May.~J\1966, effectiveJllne,~O,
1966,
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History: Office of Alien Property Custodian established .bY EO.:<~: .
2729-A, October 12, 1917, u~der authority oftl)e Tra~.lingw;Ji ,.
the Enemy Act (40 Stat. 411), October 6, 1917,to.assume~on. "
trol and dispose of enemy-owned property in the Unitfd Sta~e~
and its possessions. Abolished by ]':q 6694,MayY;iQ34,\~A~h'
functions a!1d r~cordstransferred to Alien 'Prop~ity 'Bl!rl7,a~:
CAPB), newly established in Claims Division ofJl;lsdcc: Depi,~t, ',.
ment. APB superseded, December 9, 19~1, biAlie~ ~p~9BeuY.:: )::;~:;'
Division CAPO), established in Justice Department to ,adrnuiis~:: >: :1~,
teL enemy property seized upon U,S. c:ntry lnto\V9f1dw.adli·:/-·
APD abolished by EO Q142, April 21, 1942,·
personnel, and property'transferred to Office of:A1ieln~'F'rcil;:,ert\c
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Custodian, Office for Emergency Managementi SEEl13I.1:1:,
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131.2.1 General records
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S'uccessot A~ncies: FQreign fun.di~coriiioJ ':'to th~ 'Offke of
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FQreign Assets Control,~Treasllry Dep.~rtm~Dt; ..other alien prop
<;:rty f~i'nctions to :A:ssist?nt Attorney'General, Givi! Division, De·
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, partment of Justice, 'with the'tjtle of Director of, the' Office of
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Alien Property.
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.Textual Records: Records of the Alien Property Custod,ian,', ' "
1917-40.R~cords of the Department 'of Justice pertaining to the
,. Office of Alien Property' Cus~odian, 1925-27. Records of the. . .:.'
War Claims Arbiter, 1928-32,Rec6rds. 1898-1917, seized by the
Specific Restrictions: As· ~pecified· by .the Departm~nt: of Jus~ -, ".
Alien j'roperty Custodi~n,
rice, seized corporate records:dated after the tim~ of seizure'by ....
131.2.2 Records of the Washington headquarters of.the
the Office of Alien Property, :mcl al(oth;;r records that are'less
Office of Alien Property Custodian
than 50 years old, may be used only by authorized employees
of the Department of Justice and by other persons ~ho have
Textual Records: Records of the managing director; 1918-29:
obtained the permission of the Office of Alien.Property,
Records of the Bureau of Administration, .1917-40;.Bure~ucif
Law, 1909-43; B~reau of Trusts, 1908·41; and Bureau of:A~a!ts~:
Related RecordS: Record copies of publications of the_<2.qice of /
1917-40,
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RECORD
Textual Records
Washington Area
San Francisco
College Park
College Park
College Park ,
Colleg~ P~rk .
Maps and Charts'
Motion Pictures
Sound Recordings
Still Pictures
QuAM:rms
LocAnoNs
RECORD TYPES
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2;::n9 cu. ft.
292
27
73
192
44,813
cu. ft
items.._
reels
items
images
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�131-2
Natiollul Arcbiues
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131.2.3 Records of field branches of the Offi~e O'iAllen
Property Custodian ,
Line and for the NOlth German Lloyd C'I-bmbll"g-American
Line/North German Lloyd"), 1937-41.
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,Textual Records: Records of the New York Branch, including
records of th~ Bureau of Investigation, 1913-36; Bureau of
;Sales, 1917-30; and Office of Enemy Insurance Companies,
1?H-41. Records of the Philippine Branch,.J917-20,
J
131.2.4 Records of the Alien PropertY Bureau
Textual Records: General records, 1918-45, Records of the
, FederalTax Section, i918-39; Claims Secti()l1, 1926-41; Legal
Section, 1917-46; Securities Section, 1916-40; and Real Estate
and Decedent's Estate Division, 1938-40,
131.3 HEAPQUARTERS RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF
ALlEN PROPERTY AND ITS PREDECESSORS
RELATING TO ACTIVITIES ARISING FRO~
WORIDWARII
1878-1965 (bulk 1930-49)
1,580 lin. ft.
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History: Office of Alien Property Custodian established in Of
,.. fice for
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Management (OEM).by EO 9095, March 11,
19~i, u'ndef'authoriry of the Trading with the Enemy Act of
1917 and the First War Powers Act (55 Stat. 838), December
':18, 1941, with responsibility for administering enemy-owned
,', property,~ByEO 9142, April 21, 1942, acquired functions, per
" sonnei/, and 'property of Alien Property Division, justice De
partinent (SEE '131.2). Abolished by EO 9788, October 14,
"1946, with functions (except those relating to property in the
: ,'Philippi,ne Islands) transferred to Office of Alien Property, .Jus
:tice l!epartmenL SEE 131.1.
Philipl?0e M(en Property Division established in OEM by EO
':·9789,,0c.tqber 14, 1946, to administer the Philippine Property
0[:,1946 (60 Stat. 418)', July 3, 1946, Abolished, effeCtive june
, ;,29, 1951,
EO W254, June 15, 1951, with functions transferred
'to 0ffice of Alien Property, Justice DepartmenLSEE 13LL
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Motion Pictures (64 reels): Travel in Germany and either
countries, from the "Hamburg~American Line/North German
Lloyd" files, 1930's (27 reels), German-American Bund :ldivi
ties, including a recreation center in 'Riverdale, N); a youth
ca;np n~~:"\X'inclh:lI11, Nl';a vacation home in St. Louis, MO:
~nd Camp B:rgwalcL NY, 1930's-40'1i (37 reels), SEE ALSO
13{6.
Sound Recordings (192 items): Bund raJlies,helc1 in Madison
Square"Garden .and the ,Hihpoclrome ill New York City, Feb
,ruary-October 19'39 (8 items), ,G,erman-American Bi.tncl
'recordings of Gel:n~an riationalist songs, symphonies, ancl op
erati0'selediolls used'at ,entertainments and rallies, n,d, (182
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item.s):' Speeches by Ad,olf Hitlet <lJ1cl ot/ler Nazi leaders, n,eI,
(2 items). . '
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Photograph~"(42,200 images)': German works of ,in, cities, in
dustrIes;' festivals;';-'c;r~f6il1s~ Neild officials, and-;;;iliwry opera
tions in Europe' ancif:rri€a;: fl:ollnhe Ger,i;~ul_Railrdacls Infor
mati~ri Office in
'.i~~F 1930-41,..(QR, 30,2?O ,Lmages),
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Seized f,rom,' the "H~~i~)u'rk:1!;)eri~:ln"'Linf/Nortl< Gern,lan
Uoy~~.jiles, including'inter.!~rs a~(1 ext~'.iors~of ships, '1908:39
(SS, 2,000 i'nlilges):"cjries, natives; af;lcl buildings at its
of
call, 1920-39:(WP, 4,500 images); 'faD1ous pe~ple 6n board its
ships, 1920-39 (P, 500 images); :lOcl"aibul11s relating':ici activities
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of the steamship line; including an albllrn 'of photograpbs of
an "emigrant village" for transie'nt passengers in Hamburg,
19107 30 (MA, 400 images), Nazi personalities and activities in
Germany and other countries, including personnel and activi
ties 'of the German~American Bund, 1933-41
1,]00 im
ages). Loaned to the Office of StrategiC Sef\iices from series
WV and GR, 1942-43 (OSS, OSS-A, OSS-G, OSS-M; 2,700 im
ages), Performers 'ancl scenes from Ufa-Films, Inc" Q!: 1939-40
CUt-ft, 750, images),
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, ,,' ,Yexf:uatRec(jrds:Records of the Division of Investigation and,
',: Res~arch:'r!,!iating' to: resident enem'y aliens, 1942-44; and the
:~~sting of a~~ets, 1942-47, Correspondence, memorandums,
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':' ", ,,": and',reports relating to the liquidation of vested enemy prop
\;,
erty, 1942~65: '
Lantern slides (2,613 images): World tourist attractions, prob
ably used by the German Railroads Information Office, 1930
39 (LSe),
131.3.3 Seized records ofJapanese-controlled trailing
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':~31~3.2' SeiiciJ.'recQrds of enemy-controlled
, .organizations
,Tex'tri'~1. Re~ords: Administrative and pr:prietary records,
,,' 1878-1946, seized from the German Railroads Information Of
(New York, NY), German-American Build, Deutsches
',. Haus, Deutscher Klub of Dallas, German American Athletic
, :Unio~' of, N'~rth America, Federation of Italian World War Veter
ans in t\1e, United States, and the Dante Alighieri Society of
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York: 'Gorrespondence of the office of the Norrh Ameri
'can ag~nt 'f~r the parent c~rporation of the Hamburg-America
companies
Textual Records: Organizational, administrative, and propri
et,uy records, 1897-1949:' seized from Asahi Corporation; Ataka
and Conipany: Godo Match Company; Haruta and Company;
Z, Horikoshi and Company; Mitsllbishi Shoji Kaisha, Ltd, (315
ft.); Mitsui and Company (585 ft.); Mogi, Momonoi ancl Com
pany; Nippon Trading Company; ,Okura and Company (196
ft,); Orange PetrolelimCorporation; Shiny~i Corporation:
SOllthern Cotton Company; Toyo Machine Company; ancl Ya
manaka and Company,
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Motio ll Pictures (9 reels): japanese film dramas from the
, records of Harura and Co" Inc., 1930's, SEE ALSO 131.6,
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Record
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Finding Aids: Preliminary' inventory of seized Japanese com
pany records in National Archives microfiche edition of pre
liminary inventories.
131.3.4 Seized records ofJapanese banks
Textual Records: Organizational, administrative, and propri
etary records, 1880-1942, seized from Bank of Chosen, Ltd.;
Mitsubishi Bank, Ltd.;. Mitsui Bank, Ltd.; Sumimoto Bank, Ltcl.;
Bank of Taiwan, Ltd.; and Yokohama Specie Bank, Ltd. (70 ft.).
131.4.2 . Records of the Office of Alien Property
Custodian, San Francisco, CA
Textual Records. (in San Francisco): Japan.ese bank corre
spondence, 1935-43.
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131.5 CARTOGRAPHIC RECORDS (GENERAL)
1927-39
27 items·
Maps and Charts: U.S. harbors, annotated
131.4
FIELD ~CORDS OF TIlE OFFICE OF AllEN
PROPERlY AND ITS PREDECESSORS RELATING
TO ACTIVITIES ARISING. FROM WORLD WAR n
1935-55
292 lin. ft.
[0 show,facilities
used by sales agents for the Franco-German potash cartel,
it
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1927-39.
131.6 MOTION PIC11JRES (GENERAL~
SEE UNDER 131.3.2 and 131.3.3.
131.4.1 Records of the Office of Alien Property,
Honolulu, .m
Textual RecoI:ds (in San Francisco): Administrative files and
corresponden<:<;, 1953-55. Orders and authOrizations, 1942-45.
()perm'ii1g'fii~s, 1943-55. Indexes to individual property hold
ings, 1942-55;' to decisions by the examiner; 1942-55, to litiga
tion cases, 1942-55; and to internees, 1942-46.
131.7 SOUND RECORDINGS (GENERAL)
SEE UNDER 131.3.2.
·131.8
STll.L PIC11JRES (GENERAL)
SEE Photographs UNDER 131.3.2.
SEE Lantern Slides UNDER 131.3.2.
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�RECORDS OF .THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT
CORPORATION [FDIC]
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(RECORD GROUP 34)
1920-88
116 cu. FT.
34.1
ulations, and Forms; Committee on' Bank AB:ses;Srrl~lllts
ADMINISTRATIVE mSTORY
Established: As an independent agency·!Jy the Federal Re
serve Act (48 Stat. 162), June 16, 1933.
Functions: Insures bank deposits, pays depositors of insol
vent banks, and ~ctSlas receiver. Regulates banking industry.
Finding Alds:' i)r~li!ninary'inventory in National
crofiche-edition ()f preliminary inventories.
Ar~hives
mi
. Related Reeords:Record copies of publications of the Federal
Deposit Ins~!f",mce.Corp9ration in RG ~~7, Publications of·
: tiie U.S. G6vernment.
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Union Committee; Liquidation Comm~:i~t:.t.::e~e.;,,;.~~~~):'.'.
and special committees, 1936-66 ..
34.2.3 Miscellaneous records
Textual Records: Lists of national lYJ.nks,
ing to cha~ges among oPi::raiing banks and·.IDIC ....,_.. ~ ...~.,
bank cases, 1936-67. Records relating to' tl,Je
.
the FDIC building, 1939~62"
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34.3
1920·88
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120 lin. ft.
Records qf:,the Office of \,he--Comptroller of the Currency, RG
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Fund.
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'1933:"67'"
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Terms;:;~e:~nstr:lcti6'h_Fin;n:'~- Corporation;
Comp'~DY'
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34.2.2 Records' of the Office of the Executive
Secretary
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Textual Re<;ords: Case files of banksbrought;befqi~,ili,e .........,.. ..
of Directors pursuant to Section 8 of.theFeder;.!I·
.
ance Act of 1950 ("Section Eight Files"),
records concerning federal legislation, 1925-76;'Recor&
to
legi~lation on absorption of exchange; 1943·49 .
. ---planning
,.
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Textual Records:' Letters andmemorahdums "of Leo 1'. ·Crow
ley, Chairm~n oft.hejBoard· ~f DireCi~~,1934-45.::Records""i~.
'lating t.o Mr. Cro~ley's ~ervice as Mien Property <sustodian
_
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Standard Gas and ElectriC
34.3.1 Records of the LegalD~vision
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Textual Records: Minutes of the meetings of'the Board of D'i"
rectors, September 11, 1933-December 22, 1964. Minutes or"',
meetings of the Committee o~'ft:aministrative Procedures, Reg
,
,
.
Textual I,tecords: qsts of banks by amount of dt~posits, 1920- !
58: l!~cords of the B~nking and Business Section: 1934-65; in:' I,
dueling reference m~x~rials of Clark Warbuf\ori, a. division
economist and ,later chief of the section, and historical studies
'an<;Lrepons. Records ;e1ating to banking legislation, 1937-76 ..
Records pt:!.naininj(to the st~ctural analysis of detefior~ting
banks, '1943-64: Records concerning assets and liabilities of all'
operating banks and t~st companies, 1947-65. Offic·e.files of
Caner Golembe, a divisio~ financial ec<?nomi~t"V;)51~62. 'Ba~k'
management s,imul~n game and related materi~ls,: 1~9;~6, ..
Subject Access Ter~: State banking laws; s~sp~n~ed banks;
bank failures; guaranty funds; receiverships; banking practices;
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34.3.2 Records 'of the Division of Researchafid: Strategic
34.2.1 Records:ofthe Office of the Chairman .
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RECORD'LocATIONS
QuA.NTfl1FS
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets
Description
An account of the resource
<p>The Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States, formed in 1998, was charged with investigating what happened to the assets of victims of the Holocaust that ended up in the possession of the United States Federal government. The final report of the Commission, <a href="http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/pcha/PlunderRestitution.html/html/Home_Contents.html"> “Plunder and Restitution: Findings and Recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States and Staff Report"</a> was submitted to President Clinton in December 2000.</p>
<p>Chairman - Edgar Bronfman<br /> Executive Director - Kenneth Klothen</p>
<p>The collection consists of 19 series. The first fifteen series of the collection are composed mostly of photocopied federal records. These records were reproduced at the National Archives and Records Administration by commission members for their research. The records relate to Holocaust assets created between the mid 1930’s and early 1950’s by a variety of U. S. Government agencies and foreign sources.</p>
<p>Subseries:<br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Art+and+Cultural+Property+">Art and Cultural Property</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Gold+">Gold</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Gold+Team+Review+Form+Binders+">Gold Team Review Form Binders</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Art+and+Cultural+Property+and+%E2%80%9COthers%E2%80%9D+Review+Form+Binders">Art and Cultural Property and “Others” Review Form Binders</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Non-Gold+Financial+Assets+Review+Form+Binders">Non-Gold Financial Assets Review Form Binders</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=History+Associates+Binder+">History Associates Binder</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Non-Gold+Financial+Assets+Review+Form+Binders+%282%29">Non-Gold Financial Assets Review Form Binders (2)</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Financial+Assets+Documents">Financial Assets Documents</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=RG+84%2C+Foreign+Service+Posts+of+the+State+Department%E2%80%94Turkey">RG 84, Foreign Service Posts of the State Department—Turkey</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Financial+Assets+Documents">Financial Assets Documents</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?search=&advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=%5BJewish+Restitution+Successor+Organization+%28JRSO%29%2C+Oral+Histories%5D&range=&collection=20&type=&user=&tags=&public=&featured=&exhibit=&submit_search=Search+for+items">[Jewish Restitution Successor Organization (JRSO), Oral Histories]</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=PCHA+Secondary+Sources">PCHA Secondary Sources</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Researcher+Notes">Researcher Notes</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Unnumbered+Documents+from+Archives+II+and+Various+Notes">Unnumbered Documents from Archives II and Various Notes</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=RG+260%2C+Finance+Inventory+Forms">RG 260, Finance Inventory Forms</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Reparations">Reparations</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Chase+National+Bank">Chase National Bank</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Administrative+Files">Administrative Files</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Art+%26+Cultural+Property+Theft">Art & Cultural Property Theft</a></p>
<p>Topics covered by these records include the recovery of confiscated art and cultural property; the reparation of gold and other financial assets; and the investigation of events surrounding capture of the Hungarian Gold Train at the close of World War II. These files contain memoranda, correspondence, inventories, reports, and secondary source material related to the final disposition of art and cultural property, gold, and other financial assets confiscated during the Holocaust.</p>
<p>For more information concerning this collection consult the<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/35992"> finding aid</a>.</p>
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/35992" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1040718" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2954 folders
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Paper
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
[Alien Property] [1]
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States
Art & Cultural Property Theft
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Box 224
<a href="http://clintonlibrary.gov/assets/Documents/Finding-Aids/Systematic/Holocaust-Assets.pdf" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="http://catalog.archives.gov/description/6997222" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Adobe Acrobat Document
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Medium
The material or physical carrier of the resource.
Reproduction-Reference
Date Created
Date of creation of the resource.
6/24/2013
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
6997223-alien-property-1
6997222