Rabbi Irving Miller, president of the American Jewish Congress, pledged support last night to the ten U.S. Senators who will seek repeal of the McCarran-Wood measure when Congress reconvenes next month. The pledge was endorsed by the national executive committee of the Congress.
The executive committee adopted a resolution warning that rearmament or remilitarization of Germany without rigid safeguards and controls would constitute a most serious threat to world democracy and peace. It also expressed sericus concern over “reports that the Allied Powers are preparing to transfer competence in restitution matters to the West German authorities.” The executive committee called on the U.S. Government to oppose any transfer of powers in restitution matters to the Bonn authorities unless the following binding undertakings are assumed by Germany:
1. No amendment of existing restitution legislation which might be detrimental to the victims of Nazism; 2. The full maintenance of the statue and rights of successor organizations designed to protect the interests of Nazi victims; 3. Decisions and opinions handed down by United States courts in connection with restitution appeals must be considered an integral part of any German legislation; 4. The rights of absentee owners and claimants are not to be inferior to those granted to claimants residing in Germany; 5. Restituted property belonging to absentees should not be subject to levies and taxes for German reconstruction and reparation purposes.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.