State Department sources today indicated that they expect a resumption of the German-Jewish reparations talks at The Hague and progress toward a solution of the question of German compensation to Israel.
The U.S. Government considers Israel’s claims against Germany as separate from general reparations claims against the West German Government. This was emphasized at the State Department today, in connection with a statement this afternoon by the United States and Britain that the two powers do not intend to claim any reparations from West Germany, or from any future German Government, out of current production.
The statement said that the two Western powers “intend to oppose the exaction of such reparations by any other power.” It was later explained that this pledge had no bearing on the reparations claim presented to Germany by Israel and Jewish groups from other countries. It was also revealed that France took note of the Anglo-American pledge but, in effect, reserved the right to claim reparations from a future all-German Government.
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