Mr. BEAMER. I think it was brought out previously in other hearings that in some cases it was the subsistence allowances, whatever they might call it, for the time they were interned in the prison. Mr. FOSTER. That is correct, in violation of the treatment they were supposed to receive under the Geneva Convention. Mr. BEAMER. They did not have the ration allowance? Mr. FOSTER. I believe that is correct. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Foster. We thank you for your appearance. Mr. FOSTER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. A. M. Downer, representative of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. STATEMENT OF ADION M. DOWNER, ON BEHALF OF VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS Mr. DOWNER. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I think this matter has been quite thoroughly discussed. So I shall take only a minute to inform you that the Veterans of Foreign Wars supports this bill and urges this committee to report it favorably. I would like to comment that I believe we paid to captured enemy troops that we held as prisoners of war from the Treasury of the United States monetary benefits approximating $160 million. It seems therefore that we should have no hesitancy in paying from enemy assets to our own men who were captured and held by the enemy an approximately equal sum of money. Mr. O'HARA. I would go further than that. I would say I would recognize that the Government of the United States owed it to them from the Treasury as much as it did from the enemy alien funds. Would you agree with that? Mr. DOWNER. I think it is owed, Mr. O'Hara. I am not so concerned about the source from which it comes. I think it is very proper to pay it from this source. I think the important thing is pay it. Mr. HESELTON. What did we pay any prisoners for? Mr. DOWNER. We paid them an allowance to which they were entitled under the Geneva Convention, I think. How much it amounted to per person per day I am not prepared to say. Then I think in the case of enemy officers that we captured and held prisoner I think we paid their military pay. Mr. HESELTON. Of course, this, as I understand it, is a proposal to try to in some measure make up for ill treatment. So it is even more of a claim by these men on the Government, whatever the source of payment. Mr. DOWNER. I agree. I think this is the highest priority claim it is possible to have under any circumstances at any time. The CHAIRMAN. Any further questions, gentlemen? If not, that will be all, Mr. Downer. We thank you very much for your appearance. Mr. DOWNER. Thank you. The CHAIRMAN. That completes the list of witnesses to be heard. If the committee can now have the room for executive session as quickly as possible, it will be appreciated. (The following material was submitted for the record:) AMERICAN DEFENDERS OF BATAAN AND CORREGIDOR, INC., Hon. CHARLES A. WOLVERTON, Chairman Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House Office Building, Washington, D. C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN WOLVERTON: Would you please read this letter at the hearing on H. R. 4873 on June 10. I sincerely hope a favorable vote will be given H. R. 4873. About 50 percent of our members are affected by this bill, so in their name I ask you to pass on this bill. It would be grossly unfair to those who have not as yet received their check for their forced labor and inhuman treatment. I don't believe one word need be added to the thousands of words of testimony already given in the passage of the original bill. I beg you gentlemen to please help to see this bill in a favorable light. Thank you for your attention and please help us. Sincerely yours, JOSEPH A. VATER, Commander. AMERICAN EX-PRISONERS OF WAR, INC., Hon. CHARLES A. WOLVERTON, Chairman, House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee, House Office Building, Washington, D. C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN WOLVERTON: Attached hereto is a copy of a resolution of this organization, meeting in its national convention in Oklahoma City. It was passed instantly and unanimously as the first resolution of this convention, and as the first act following the organization of the convention. I mention this to show how strongly the American Ex-Prisoners of War feel about H. R. 4873, now pending before your committee. In past years we have appeared before your committee to testify regarding our prisoner-of-war experience, most recently regarding those bills which became Public Law 303, 82d Congress. It is therefore a cruel blow to us to learn of the depletion of the war claims fund, with half of the American prisoners of war yet unpaid for their just and deserved claims; surely they have suffered enough without having to have this happen to them. On behalf of all of them, and as national commander of the American ExPrisoners of War, Inc., with the unanimous support of our membership, I strongly and respectfully urge that the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee report out H. R. 4873 favorably and without delay so that it may speedily be enacted. Sincerely yours, ROBERT W. GEIS, RESOLUTION Whereas the war claims fund is now depleted; and Whereas from this trust fund the just claims of American prisoners of World War II for inhumane treatment and forced labor at the hands of the enemy are paid, and many such prisoners of war are yet to be paid; and Whereas two bills, H. R. 4873 and S. 1765, are now pending before the 83d Congress, which seek to direct the Office of Alien Property in the Department of Justice to cover immediately the sum of $60 million into the Treasury for deposit into the war claims fund, under the provisions of the War Claims Act of 1948, so that these just claims can be paid: Be it Resolved by the American Ex-Prisoners of War assembled at their sixth national convention at Oklahoma City, Okla., That it express its urgent and respectful request to the Congress to speedily enact the provisions of H. R. 4873 and S. 1765, which have the full and unanimous support of this organization; and be it further Resolved, That the President of the United States Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress be immediately Dotified of this resolution. So resolved, this 4th day of June 1953. (Whereupon, at 3: 45 p. m., the committee proceeded into executive session.) X |