Austrian Chancellor Agress to Jewish Representation on Delegation

Chancellor Leopald Figl agreed yesterday to the inclusion of a Jewish representative on the Austrian delegation to the Moscow conference, if the expected invitation permits a large enough group. The promise was made following a request by David Brill, president of the Vienna Jewish Community, who visited Figl.

Figl stated that he was in complete agreement with the Jewish community’s demands for the creation of a Jewish rehabilitation fund devived from the property of Jews who died heirless, to be administered by the Jews under government control. Both the Chancellor and Brill agreed on the principle that the Jewish property shall remain within the country. Figl said that he would recognize the Visrua Jewish Community as the sole spokesman for the Jews, asserting that other organizations which have expressed an interest in the problem are “private” groups.

Brill suggested that the government permit the naturalization of a number of foreign and displaced Jews now in the country, particularly professionals who are badly needed in the Austrian economy. The Chancellor agreed to the request in principle, but insisted that each individual case must be judged on its own merits.

(A report from Vienna, published in New York yesterday, states that the Soviet representative on the Allied Control Council for Austria has balked at approving a law covering restitution of Jewish property recently adopted by the Austrian Parliament on the basis that it would endanger Soviet rights to former German property in eastern Austria. The measure was approved by the U.S., British and French members of the Council over the Russian protest. It is reported from Moscow that the Foreign Minister deputies have agreed that a special clause be written into the Austrian treaty defining German assets.)