JAPANESE REPARATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 26087, 29 April 1947, Page 6

JAPANESE REPARATIONS

AMERICA TO CLAIM 30 PER GENT. PART TO BE TRANSFERRED TO KOREA WASHINGTON, April 27. The United States will claim 30 per cent, of all internal Japanese industrial; equipment and assets available for reparations. -says the United Press. The claim will be considered at a closed session of the Reparations Committee of the Far Eastern Commission in Washington on May, 5. The United States proposed to transfer some of its share of reparations to Korea in reimbursement for some of the losses it suffered during its 40' years under the Japanese. It is expected that the United States will bat'k up its claini with the assertion that it has reparations claims of _ about 150,000,000,000 dollars against the Japanese. It is understood that the United States will suggest that China receive a 45 per, cent.-share of reparations, with the remaining 25 per cent, to be divided among the . other nine claimants, including'.. New Zealand and Australia. All claims at this stage will be submitted on a percentage basis, because the actual dollar value of Japanese equipment for removal as reparations has not been established. Diplomatic sources said that the commission’s,- Audden willingness to approach a v showdown on a final reparations settlement is due mainly to the recent United States ' order to General MacArthur, instructing him to go ahead on an interim basis and distribute 30 iper cent, of the available reparations, of which China will receive 15 per cent., and Britain, the Netherlands, and Philippines each 5 per cent. Fear lias been expressed in some quarters that unless the commission reaches a final decision soon, the United States will proceed with her interim plans untjl nothing , a£„yalue remains); The United 1 States' iiitends-to' insist that liquid assets in Japan, such as the 20,000,000 dollars’ worth of gold, will not be subject to reparations. The United States has staked out the first claim to these assets, as . well as the proceeds of Japanese exports to pay for the cost of oc-, cupations and relief food shipments, to Japan.