U.S. Asked to Act on Germany’s Deferment of Payments to Nazi Victims

Secretary of State Dean Rusk was asked today to intercede with West Germany against the deferment of indemnification for Nazi victims and to note that the Bonn action could affect the climate of the forthcoming visit to the United States of Chancellor Erhard.

The request was made by Sen. Jacob K. Javits, New York Republican, who pointed out that “this is a metter of the gravest importance, affecting large numbers of former persecutees who are now American citizens.” In a letter to Mr. Rusk, Sen. Javits noted that West Germany had proposed new legislation to defer budgetary appropriations scheduled to be made under the indemnification program applied to 1966 and 1967, totaling 400,000,000 German marks ($100,000,000) for the two years.

This is the first time in the history of the indemnification program that such deferment of payment was proposed. The effect would be to deprive thousands of Nazi victims who have awaited new legislative authority of the possibility of receiving any payments under that authority until 1968 at the earliest. Even then there is no guarantee that payment will be made since it is possible that the deferment now proposed could be extended.

“Although the proposal would under any circumstances be undesirable, its lack of merit is accentuated by the fact that it is being put through the Bundestag, apparently by-passing normal legislative procedures,” Sen. Javits said. “I am told the purpose is to have it enacted prior to Chancellor Erhard’s forthcoming visit to the United States. But if this action is taken, it could seriously affect the good climate which might otherwise surround this visit.”

Sen. Javits asked the Department to instruct the American Ambassador in Bonn to convey the “deep disappointment which would be felt in the United States if this step were to be taken, as well as pointing out the prejudice to the rights of United States citizens.” He noted that “many of these citizens are aged and ill, often as a result of persecution suffered years ago, and that deferment in many cases may well mean that the benefit of payment will never in fact be enjoyed by the persecutees.”