The agreement between the German Federal Republic and the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany under which West Germany will pay $107,000,000 in reparations and has agreed to improve its restitution and indemnification legislation, was initialled here last night in a brief ceremony.
The initialling followed the final negotiating session at Wassenaar. Formal signature of the agreement and of the German-Israel agreement under which Germany will pay an additional $715,000,000 to Israel in the form of goods, will take place in Luxemburg tomorrow. Israel Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett will sign the agreement on behalf of Israel. Dr. Nahum Goldmann, chairman of the Jewish claims group, will sign on behalf of that group and Dr. Konrad Adenauer, the West German Chancellor, will sign both pacts for West Germany.
The German-claims conference agreement was initialled here in deference to Moses A. Leavitt, chief conference negotiator, who was unable to proceed to Luxemburg because of illness. Participating in the initialling ceremony beside Mr. Leavitt, were Dr. Nehemiah Robinson of the conference team and Prof. Franz Boehm, head of the German delegation.
CHIEFS OF DELEGATIONS HAIL ACHIEVEMENTS OF TALKS
The chiefs of the three delegations in statements here, lauded the achievements of the negotiations.
“Like every agreement, this one is a compromise,” declared Dr. George Josephthal of the Israel delegation. “We got less than we had hoped for. It will take longer to get than we wish. But for Israel it is an acceptable compromise, and the fulfillment of the agreement made here in Wassenaar will be of great help in the upbuilding of our country.”
Mr. Leavitt said: “Many tens of thousands of the victims of the Nazi regime will receive some measure of compensation for the material losses they have suffered and indemnification for loss of liberty in concentration camps and for injury as a result of our meetings here. Many old and sick people will secure priority in receiving these benefits. We want to say that Prof. Boehm was a valiant fighter for the cause of righteousness and justice, and without him and his colleagues we doubt that we could have come to such a successful conclusion.”
Prof. Boehm, in his statement, said that the “German Government has pledged its word to carry through a very difficult task and has given to the world evidence that it is anxious to make restitution and amends. As a German it does my heart good that this agreement was reached and I am grateful that it has been my fate to have served in these negotiations.”
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.
