Jewish Talks with Germany to Start Next Month, Goldmann Says

Jewish reparations talks with Germany will start in the middle of March, it was announced here today by Dr. Nahum Goldmann, chairman of the Jewish Agency and president of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Speaking to newsmen, Dr. Goldmann denied a report published here today that he had conferred last night with Chancellor Konrad Adenauer at the Claridge Hotel here. He added that in the future he would not answer questions as to whom he had met and where.

Dr. Goldmann said that he could not state where the negotiations with the representatives of Germany would be held. However, he emphasized that they will not be held in Germany. He declared that while Israel’s claims are quite simple, those to be presented by the delegations of Jewish organizations outside of Israel are complicated.

These organizations, Dr. Goldmann said, ask firstly the full protection of all individual claims for restitution and indemnification; they insist that legislation for the payment of such claims should be alike in all provinces of Western Germany; they also advance other demands with regard to heirless Jewish property.

Replying to questions as to why representatives of British Jewry were not included on the praesidium of the Conference on Jewish Materials Claims Against Germany, Dr. Goldmann explained that it was decided that the praesidium be composed of five American members because the work was of a day-to-day nature and it would be impossible for representatives from London to attend meetings called on a day’s notice. He also said that if the Board of Deputies of British Jews were to have a representative on the praesidium, leaders of French and German Jewry would demand similar representation.