Jewish Claims Conference Warns Bonn Move May Affect Old Claimers

The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany warned here today that the Bonn Government’s plans to reduce the 1966 and 1967 budgets affecting indemnification payments to victims of Nazism would, if finally adopted, “inevitably” affect not only new claimants but also old claims that had not yet been favorably adjudicated by the German authorities.

Those claimants whose claims had been favorably adjudicated would not be affected. However, it was pointed out, there are more than 250,000 “old” claims that petitions have not yet been adjudicated and could be affected by cuts in the Government’s 1966 and 1967 budgets. Therefore, the Claims Conference contended, budget reductions for 1966 and 1967 will, if passed finally, “inevitably cut into the old and the new claims.”

The “old” claims are those filed by victims of Nazism under the Federal Indemnification Law prior to April 1, 1958. The new claims are those filed under the amended Indemnification Law enacted by the Parliament in May of 1965.

“It is little consolation,” the Claims Conference declared, “that they (the claimants) are not to be deprived of their claims but that ‘only’ about 30 percent to 40 percent of their claims may be deferred to future years. Many of the persecutees are old and may not have months, let alone years, to live.”

The proposals for 1966 and 1967 budgetary cuts affect also the imposition of higher taxes on various services and luxury goods such as “champagne and spirits.” Referring to that portion of the recommendations, the Claims Conference stated: “Of all those affected by the budgetary curtailment laws, consumers of champagne and spirits are listed directly after Nazi victims. Those whose lives were willfully impaired by state-organized crime should not be brought within the orbit of budgetary law. Indemnification has always been proclaimed as an honorary debt of the German people and must be taboo.”