An order by the West German Government at Bonn this week stopped payment by the German consulate here of small cash grants to a group of about 50 aged and needy Jews, former German citizens, it was learned today.
The German consulate here had been making the payments for about a year to this group of ex-German nationals who, because of their stateless status, were not covered by French social security laws. The payments began after this group, with many others, had gone to the consulate seeking restitution and indemnification due them under existing laws. Dr. William Hausenstein, the consul general, interested himself in the neediest cases and arranged for grants to be given them against sums they would eventually receive.
Instructions have now come from Bonn ordering the consulate to grant this relief only to German citizens. The order does not affect non-Jewish aid recipients since, with few exceptions, they kept their German nationality. The Jews are entitled to regain German nationality and passports on request but as far as is known here, only one aged Jewish woman has done this.
Speculation as to the reason for the Bonn order has held this to be part of a campaign to get Jews to resume their German citizenship. It is considered likely, however, that the order resulted from a strict interpretation of the France-German agreement releasing blocked funds for the relief of needy German nationals in France.
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