Austria was criticized severely in the House of Commons today by Barnett Janner who accused the Austrian government of stalling talks to compensate Jewish victims of Nazism while “every facility is given to those who participated in the Nazi barbarities.”
Mr. Janner, a Labor member of Parliament, made his charges against Austria during debate on the third reading of a bill to ratify the Austrian State Treaty. Stressing the importance of providing adequate compensation to victims of Nazism, he complained against the Austrian government’s “long delays,” pointing out that “the latest reports from Vienna still speak of long delays and unpromising negotiations.”
Harold MacMillan, Foreign Minister, replying to Mr. Janner’s criticism, declared that the State Treaty has “provided a good set of principles to deal with these problems.” Admitting the protracted character of the negotiations on compensation for Nazi victims, the Foreign Minister declared that “now a new start is being made.” When the Treaty goes into effect, after all ratifications, Mr. MacMillan said, “I have every desire that the Austrian Government shall carry out the provisions in the Treaty in a fair and honorable manner, and I have every confidence that Austria will do so.”
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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.
