The text of the peace treaties with Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary and Rumania, which contain clauses obligating Hungary and Rumania to restore heirless Jewish property to Jewish communities or organizations in those countries and obligating all four ex-satellites to guarantee human rights and basic freedoms regardless of race or religion, was released by the State Department during the week-end.
The clauses on securing human rights and fundamental freedoms in the treaties read:
“1. Rumania (Hungary, Finland and. Eulgaria) shall take all measures to secure to all persons under Rumanian jurisdiction, without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion, the enjoyment of human rights and of the fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, of press and publication, of religious worship, of political opinion and of public meeting.
“2. Rumania (etc.) further undertakes that the laws in force in Rumania shall not, either in their content or in their application, discriminate or entail any discrimination between persons of Rumanian nationality on the ground of their race, sex, language or religion whether in reference to their persons, property, business, professional or financial interests, status, political or civil rights or any other matter.”
The article on return of property seized by the fascists to their former owners read:
“1. Rumania (and Hungary) undertakes that in all cases where the property, legal rights or interests in Rumania of persons under Rumanian jurisdiction have, since Sept. 1, 1939, been the subject of measures of sequestration, confiscation or control on account of the racial origin or religion of such persons, the said property, legal rights and interests shall be restored together with their accessories or, if restoration is impossible, that fair compensation shall be made therefore.
“2. All property, rights and interests in Rumania of persons, organizations or communities which, individually or as members of groups, were the object of racial, religious or other fascist measures of persecution, and remaining heirless or unclaimed for six months after the coming into force of the present Treaty, shall be transferred by the Rumanian Government to organizations in Rumania representative of such persons, organizations or communities. The property transferred shall be used by such organizations for purposes of relief and rehabilitation of surviving members of such groups, organizations and communities in Rumania. Such transfer shall be effected within twelve months from the coming into force of the Treaty, and shall include property, rights and interests required to be restored under paragraph 1 of this article.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
