Dr. Goldmann Reports on His Reparations Talks in Vienna

Details on his talks with the Austria###ment on Jewish claims against Austria were given today by Dr. Nahum ###G chairman of the Jewish Agency, following his return from Vienna where ### Austrian Chancellor Dr. Julius Raab.

Addressing a press conference, Dr. Goldmann said that four major ###c against Austria for material losses suffered by Jews under Nazi rule are ### studied by the Austrian Cabinet. The claims, presented by the Committee ### Claims on Austria, of which Dr. Goldmann is president and which repre### major Jewish organizations of the Western world, are:

1. Present Austrian legislation to indemnify victims of Nazi persecu### Austria should be extended to embrace thousands of former Austrians ### resettled and acquired citizenship in other countries. There appears to ### ment on this point between the Austrian government and the Committee, ### mann said, and the Raab government has taken some initial steps to me### demand.

2. The Committee for Jewish Claims on Austria is seeking a settle### heirless Jewish property. The funds accruing under such settlement w### used to finance Nazi refugee rehabilitation programs abroad. Some of t### would go into a special fund to assist indigent members of the present J### munity in Austria. Before the Anschluss, Austria had a Jewish population o### survivors found refuge in other lands. The present Austrian-Jewish pop### estimated at between 9,000 and 10,000.

3. The Nazi government sequestered all Jewish bank accounts, and ### tee demands that these be unfrozen and returned to their legitimate own Austrian government maintains that these accounts are no longer availi### been withdrawn by the German Reich. Settlement of this issue may req###tions between the German and Austrian governments.4. The Committee is also demanding the return of, or compensation ###ture and other Jewish household goods sold on the block by the Austrian ### after the Anschluss.

JEWISH LOSSES IN AUSTRIA ESTIMATED AT OVER $1,200,000,000

“Jewish material losses in Austria under Nazi rule exceeded $1,20{SPAN}###{/SPAN} Dr. Goldmann said. “As in the case of Germany, the Jews are a skin {SPAN}###{/SPAN} for only a fraction of these stupendous losses. Our claims are based {SPAN}###{/SPAN} and realistic appraisal of Austria’s financial capacity. It would be mo{SPAN}###ble,{/SPAN} on the other hand, to abandon these losses. Thousands of person{SPAN}###{/SPAN} the world, many of them in destitute condition, have waited for years {SPAN}###tion{/SPAN} for pensions, insurance, bank savings and other assets criminall{SPAN}###{/SPAN} them by the Anschluss government of Austria.”

Dr. Goldmann also reported that the West German government, w### negotiated in 1951 and 1952 on behalf of the Israel Government and the Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, has assumed obligations a### $2,200,000,000 in indemnification, restitution and reparations, to pr###mer German nationals.