Jewish Negotiators Leave Austria Disappointed; Inform Chancellor

The Jewish team of negotiators which spent more than a month here discussing world Jewish claims for heirless property and individual restitution and indemnification for Nazi victims with the Austrian Government, left today after expressing its disappointment over the failure of the negotiations to produce results. These sentiments were contained in a letter, addressed to Chancellor Julius Raab, and signed by Moses Beckelman, head of the Jewish team.

Mr. Beckelman’s letter followed one from the Chancellor in which Mr. Raab said that he could not make a new offer to the Jews other than the 50, 000, 000 schillings as a lump sum settlement of heirless property claims. The Chancellor had told the Jews earlier this week that he would attempt to have a new offer for them before they left the country to attend a meeting of the executive board of the Jewish Claims Committee Against Austria, which opens in Zurich Sunday.

In his letter today, Chancellor Raab said the matter was too complex to be settled now and had to be placed before Parliament, which is currently not in session. He promised the Jewish group every consideration in the Fall, when Parliament is again in session.

Mr. Beckelman’s letter expressed “deep disappointment” that the Austrian Government, which originally came to the negotiations with the attitude that all questions could be ironed out within a month, now takes the position that nothing can be done for several more months.

Observers here believe that Chancellor Raab’s statement is aimed at pushing the Jews into the position of breaking off the negotiations, rather than the Austrian Government. It was noted that his letter carefully stated that the matter had only been postponed, not dropped.