French Government Promulgates Decree Curbing Administrators of Jewish Property

The French Government acted last night to protect Jewish property seized under Vichy legislation by establishing a service to control the administrators and liquidators and by defining their responsibility and limiting their compensation.

The decree, which appears in the Journal Officials, is signed by Gen. De Gaulle and the Ministers of Finance and Justice. It is restricted to safeguarding several thousand former Jewish businesses and properties which are still in the hands of administrators or liquidators named by Vichy’s Commissariat for Jewish Affairs or confirmed as managers under the ordinance of November 14, which covered the question of confiscated Jewish property. It does not deal with the question of restitution.

This question will be handled in an ordinance presently under study by the Government. It has not yet been decided whether the Government will submit the measure to the Consultative Assembly before its promulgation. It is understood that the final draft of the decree has been completed with some modifications to meet earlier objections. It is considered doubtful, however, whether the modifications have removed the main criticism of the measure, which make recovery of property by Jews and other victims of discriminatory legislation long and difficult.

Prof. Emile Terroine, noted scientist, will be named head of the new service. He is coming to Paris from Lyon in about a week to assume his new duties. For some months immediately after the liberation of France, Terroine was sequestrator and liquidator of the Commissariat for Jewish Affairs in the Rhone-Alpes region. He is one of the leading figures in the National Movement Against Racism, and during the occupation played a leading role in the rescue of Jewish children and other victims of the Nazis.

Liquidation of the Commissariat for Jewish Affairs is presently being handled by a department within the Ministry of Finance, but it is understood that it is likely that this will become part of Terroine’s task. His appointment is hailed here as an assurance that at least this aspect of the Jewish problem will be handled with a vigor and spirit which has been noticeably lacking in the treatment of other phases of the situation.

The new decree declares null and void all arrangements for compensation of administrators and liquidators made prior to August 9, 1944 and specifies that only those who administered the properties carefully and honestly are entitled to compensation indemnity for personal obligations and repayment of useful and necessary expenses. No administrator, no matter how many nor how large the businesses he is supervising can receive more than 10,000 francs monthly.

Administrators are given 15 days to hand over to the national depository, to the account of the owner of the property they are administering, all funds held by them. They will all be held responsible under the common law and are liable to claims against them by owners of the property.