To the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 91st Congress : Pursuant to the provisions of Public Law 89-348, approved November 8, 1965 [79 Stat. 1312], the requirements of Section 9 of the War Claims Act of 1948 [62 Stat. 1246, 50 U.S.C. App. § 2008] and Section 3(c) of the International Claims Settlement Act of 1949 [64 Stat. 13, 22 U.S.C. 1622 (c)], the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States has the honor to submit the Annual Report of its activities for the period beginning January 1, 1970 and ending December 31, 1970. LYLE S. GARLOCK, Chairman III A. Under the War Claims Act of 1948 B. Under the International Claims Settlement Act C. Under Other Statutory Authority C. Rumanian and Bulgarian Claims Programs E. Prisoner of War and Civilian Claims Programs I. Actual Obligations for Administrative Expenses, January 1, 1970 through December 31, 1970 VI. Selected Decisions-Italian Claims Program. V CREATION AND AUTHORITY The Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States, a quasi-judicial independent Federal agency, was established on July 1, 1954, when Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1954 [68 Stat. 1279, 5 U.S.C. § 133z] became effective. Prior to that date, there had existed two national claims commissions, the War Claims Commission, created to administer the War Claims Act of 1948 [62 Stat. 1240, 50 U.S.C. App. §§ 2001-2016], and the International Claims. Commission, established within the Department of State to administer the International Claims Settlement Act of 1949 [64 Stat. 12, 22 U.S.C. §§ 1621-1627]. Under the reorganization plan the two national claims commissions were abolished and their functions transferred to the new Foreign Claims Settlement Commission. In addition to the adjudication of claims under the War Claims Act of 1948 and the International Claims Settlement Act of 1949, the Commission has been given the responsibility of determining various claims of nationals of the United States by virtue of specific statutes enacted by the Congress. Such programs will be discussed generally elsewhere in this report. ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION The Commission is composed of three members who are appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The President designates one of these members to be Chairman of the Commission. The term of office for each Commissioner is fixed for 3 years, with the term of one Commissioner expiring on October 22 of each year [76 Stat. 1113]. The office of the member whose term expired on October 22, 1970 has not been filled as of the end of this reporting period. As of December 31, 1970, the Commission had a staff of 34 persons. A table is included in this report as Exhibit I which shows actual obligations for administrative expenses for the period commencing January 1, 1970 and ending December 31, 1970. Under the Reorganization Plan of 1954, supra, the Chairman is vested with sole administrative authority, including the appointment of personnel, the direction of employees and the supervision of their official activities, the distribution of business among organizational units in the Commission, the preparation of budget estimates, and |