A resolution at Stockholm by the Assembly of the World Jewish Congress, calling upon Austria to broaden existing indemnification laws so as to compensate adequately those who suffered persecution in Austria under the Nazi regime, drew reactions here today from the semi-official Austrian News Service as well as from leaders of the Jewish community.
The Austrian News Service pointed out today that, since Parliament has been recessed for the summer, the earliest action that can be taken by the government will come in the Fall, when a $6, 000, 000 fund is to be established to compensate certain losses suffered by political persecutees during the Nazi regime here.
Agreement to establish that fund was reached last Spring between Austria on the one hand, and Britain, France and the United States on the other. That fund, however, Jewish leaders point out, will not take care of adequate compensation for all Jewish victims of Nazism who had suffered losses due to imprisonment in concentration camps, or to losses by Jews whose businesses were taken over by non-Jewish Austrians.
Austrian Jews, and world Jewish organizations concerned with the subject, have been for a long time urging the Austrian Government to broaden its indemnification laws so as to make indemnification much more comprehensive. Jewish circles reject the official government contention that the Nazi persecutions were solely the responsibility of German Nazis.
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