Office of the Historian

740.00119 EW/12–145: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State

Paris, December 1, 1945.
[Received December 1—3:43 p.m.]

6930. From Angell Number 102. Proposals by the Belgian and Netherlands Delegates, Conference on Reparations.

“The Conference recommends that as regards assets in the territory of Germany or her Allies or in territory which was at one time occupied by Germany or her Allies which are in whole or in part the property of one of several of the United Nations or of their nationals, whether physical or juridical persons, the following principles should be adopted:

1.
The rights of each of the United Nations and of their nationals over this property shall be respected. Assets which are wholly the property of the United Nations or of their nationals shall, therefore, be excluded from the lists of assets available for allocation as reparation.
2.
Assets which are only in part the property of a signatory government or its nationals shall, if they are allocated as reparation, be offered in the first instance to that government. If several signatory governments are interested in the same assets, account shall be taken of their respective shareholdings when allocation is made. Any proportion of such assets over and above that belonging to the United Nations or to their nationals shall be charged the sum to reparation account. If necessary, adjustments shall be made between the United Nations.
3.
If for reasons of security it is necessary for an asset belonging to one or several of the signatory governments to be removed from Germany, the signatory government or governments concerned shall be bound to remove it within a stipulated time.”

[Angell]
Caffery