PROPERTY DECREE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 206, 28 May 1938, Page 11

PROPERTY DECREE

British Inquiries To

Germany (British Official Wireless.) !* Rugby', 'May 26. The Under-Secretary for Foreign 'Affairs, Mr. R. A. Butler, who was asked in the House of Commons whether he was aware that the United States had protested to Berlin against the application to American citizens of the decree requiring them to register all their property in the German Reich exceeding 4000 marks in value, and whether "he would make a similar protest on behalf of British citizens, replied "Yes” to the first part of the question, and said, as regards the second part, that he was awaiting a reply from the German Government to inquiries addressed to it by the British Government on the subject.

The United States presented a Note to Germany a fortnight ago emphatically protesting against the decree requiring the compulsory registration of property at homo and abroad owned by German Jews and of property in Germany owned by foreign Jews, describing it as a violation of the American-German commercial treaty of 1923, under which nationals were assured the right to hold property in each other’s country irrespective of race or creed. The Note concluded with a request for an early reply giving assurances that the measures would not be applied to American citizens. The decree is believed to be a step toward the expropriation of almost all Jewish-owncd property throughout Germany. No Jew iu future may be a party to the purchase or lease of any property or business without the consent of the German authorities. The official explanation of the measure is that it is to enable the economic reconstruction of Austria, which it is declared has been hindered by Jewish financial control.