Some 250, 000 refugees from Nazi Germany eligible for payments of up to $1, 200 each under a law passed last year by the West German Government have thus far failed to apply for the money due them, it was revealed today by two leaders in the field of refugee aid who offered the assistance of their agencies to the refugees, many of whom may not be aware that they are entitled to receive the payments. Moses A. Leavitt, executive vice chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee, and James P. Rice, executive director of United Hias Service, offered to help the refugees find the necessary documents to support their claims.
The two welfare leaders indicated that, under a law passed in 1956 by the German Federal Republic, reimbursement is to be made for travel and resettlement costs to all refugees who left Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945. The West German Government has agreed to repay up to 5, 000 deutsche marks ($1, 200) per person to applicants on presentation of proper documentary evidence. The funds are to reimburse the refugees for all costs of their emigration and resettlement regardless of whether they themselves paid the costs or whether refugee agencies provided some or all of the funds at that time. The expiration date for the filing of claims is next spring.
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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.
