763.72113 Au 7/25
The Austrian Minister (Prochnik) to the Secretary of State
Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of Your Excellency’s note of May 9th, 1928, transmitting to me a communication received by your Department concerning certain questions connected with the Settlement of War Claims Act of 1928.
I take due notice of the Alien Property Custodian’s opinion stating that the provisions of Section 25 of the Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended by section 10 d of the Settlement of War Claims Act 1928 has reference to German owned property and does not relate to Austrian property.
The following statement of the Alien Property Custodian viz: “He observes that Austrian owned property may be credited where the citizenship of the persons is not stated or shown” is not perfectly clear to me. As I understand this means, that Austrian owned property, as far as no claim thereto has been filed with the Alien Property Custodian prior to the expiration of one year from the date of the enactment of the Settlement of War Claims Act or if any claim has been filed and if the ownership thereof has not been established by the Alien Property Custodian or by suit in court instituted, this property will be credited to the Austrian special deposit account created by section 7 of the Settlement of War Claims Act of 1928.
I should be very obliged to Your Excellency if you could inform me, if this my interpretation is in accordance with the opinion of the Alien Property Custodian.
Accept [etc.]