The Bundestag, Lower House of the West German Parliament, today passed by a large majority a compromise version of the bill providing Federal indemnification payments to victims of the Nazis. Only the Communist deputies and a handful of rightists voted against the bill which was pledged by the Bonn Government in its reparations agreement with the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
The Bundesrat, the Upper House of Parliament, must still approve the bill if it is to become law. Should it fail to act favorably this time, the measure will be scuttled at least until next year and possibly longer because Parliament will be dissolved this week-end.
Two weeks ago the Bundesrat rejected another version of the bill, but it is not expected to do so this time. The current version was worked out by a conference committee of both Houses.
Dr. George Josephthal, Jewish Agency treasurer and head of the Israel corporation to handle the German reparations, arrived in Cologne today to inspect the Israel purchasing mission office here. He will also visit Munich and then proceed to Geneva to attend the Third Assembly of the World Jewish Congress, which opens there August 4.
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.
