Thousands of dollars worth of furnitrue, carpets, valuable paintings and other heirless Jewish property of which the French government is custodian was recently disposed of by corrupt civil servants, it was reported here today. Police investigations this week led to several arrests and many more are expected.
A new law covering the final disposal of heirless Jewish property will soon become effective. A delegation of Jewish leaders recently called on Justice Minister Rene Mayer to plead for a “humane” implementation of the law.
The Jewish leaders want a Jewish, or pro-Jewish individual or organization, appointed as administrator of the heirless property. Under present interpretation, the new law would make the French Government permanent custodian of the property if it want unclaimed for a period of 30 years.
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.
