The views of the Austrian Government to the effect that its invitation to world Jewish leaders to negotiate over Jewish claims for reparations for damages suffered by Jews in Austria during the Nazi regime does not constitute recognition by Austria of a legal or moral claim on the part of the Jewish world community, were stated here today in a letter to the Herald Tribune by H. Thalberg, Secretary of the Austrian Embassy in Washington.
Asserting that Austria herself was a victim of Hitler, the letter says that the Austrian Government “is doing everything in its power to lighten the burden of Nazi victims.” Denying that Austrian-restitution laws have excluded from payment victims of the Nazis who no longer live in Austria, the letter says that where no property remains or where it was destroyed no restitution could, “as a matter of course, be expected.”It suggests that such claims be lodged against Germany.
“The Austrian Government sincerely desires to see justice done to all Nazi victims. But it has no legal or moral obligation to indemnify or compensate for wrongs that it did not commit and that it could not prevent because it was itself a victim of circumstances,” the Embassy letter declares.
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