Boxin- Ilitight Reconsider Extension

...................................

. .

of Statute of Limitations Next May

BONN (JTA)—A spokesman for I pose to Parliament that the Ger- the memorandum to the
the West German government said man state governments set up a Ernest Feldsberg, president envoy,
of the
Tuesday that the government might central office for investigation of Jewish community, asked that it
reconsider its decision against ex new evidence of Nazi crimes. be forwarded to Bonn.
tending the statute of limitations
A key investigator of Nazi war
A delegation representing three
on prosecution of Nazi war crimes crimes insisted that only lesser major Jewish organizations
in
beyond next May 8.
France
presented to the West Ger-
Nazi criminals were likely to
He said the possibility was con m escape prosecution as a result man ambassador to France a pro-
ditional on Whether documents on
of the West German govern- test against West Germany's de
Nazi crimes were found which had ment's decision to adhere to the cision.
not been studied.
statute of limitations, but a
Representing the. Alliance Israe-
After the cabinet voted not to Hamburg senator disputed that lite Universelle, GRIF, the repre
seek an extension of the statute, contention. sentative council of French Jews
the government issued an appeal
Edwin Schuele, director of th e and the World Jewish Congress,
to all governments to provide West German Center for the In - the delegate asked ambassador
whatever material they had on vestigation of Nazi Crimes at Lud Klaiber to inform the West Ger-

are proud
in humility—

. they

proud in that t4ey

are not proud"

Burton

Nazi war• crimes for possible study wigshurg, emphasized, in a state _ man government of the "grave
and prosecution before the dead- ment at Stuttgart, that the mas s view" taken by French Jewry on
rine.
of Nazi war crimes indictment s the decision.
In Washington, a prediction which legal authorities have been
Before meeting with the West
that "one way or another" the working on for several years was German envoy, the French Jewish
statute of limitations will be still to come before West Ger - leaders called on the French
extended was made by Erik , man courts.
' Foreign Ministry to seek French
Blumenfeld, member of the
He added that by March. the Cen - support for the effort to induce
West German Parliament.
ter hoped to have transmitted to West Germany to change the de-
Blumenfeld said on a visit to public prosecutors about 100 addi ; cision.
Washington that the cut-off date tional cases so that prosecution ' The delegates handed to French
lor the 20-year period prescribed
could begin before the coming Foreign Ministry officials a writ-
may be advanced . for 10 more ; into effect of the statute.
ten request that the government
years, because the commencement
intervene. at the earliest possible
Sen.
A.
Kramer
asserted in time, through its representatives
date, now set at May 8, 1945, would
Hamburg,
however,
that
federal
of-
be advanced under a parliamen-
in Bonn for a change in the de-
tary plan to a beginning date in ficials- were obviously expecting "a cision. A mass meeting of protest
large
and
unknown
figure
of
un-
1955, when the Allies handed over
against the West German decision
greater constitutional rights to the discovered Nazi criminals." He said was held in Paris, Tuesday.
thin
was
evident
from
the
federal
Germans and provided the docu-
In Buenos Aires, at the annual
mentary records on Nazi criminals government's appeal to govern- plenary session of the DAIA, the
ments and organizations in other central body of: Argentine Jewry
too Bonn.
He said there was also a possi- countries for documentary evi- expressed the hope Wednesday
bility that the initial date may be dence so that prosecutions could that West Germany would extend
moved forward from )1945 to Sep- be started in West Germany be- the deadline.'
tember 1949, when the constitu- , fore the deadline.
Meanwhile. back in Bonn, the
tion of the German Federal Re-
Sen. Kramer said that East Eu- Association of Victims of the Nazi
public took effect. He stressed ropean Communist regimes which Regime charged that "unknowni
that Bonn legislators were aware possessed most of the material re- persons" had destroyed evidence
of "anxieties" concerning this lating to Nazi crimes made use of against former Nazi camp guards
tion.
it only when it served their po- which the association had trans-
.Chancellor Ludwig Erhard was litical purposes. He said that the mitted to West German legal au-
The
reported as indicating that he per- response of such governments to thorities.
sonally was in favor of extending the West German appeal was there-
The association said it had sent
City. of Hope
the statute of limitations for an- fore highly doubtful.
photographs of former SS and
other 10 years, bid was bound by
The foreign affairs committee Gestapo guards at the Grossrosen
the decision of his cabinet.
its officers, Board, medical staff and
of Israel's Parliament appealed I concentration camp to the Center
The sentiments of Chancellor Er- Wednesday to the parliaments of for Investigation of Nazi Crimes
patients
wish to thank the people of the
hard were revealed` herefollowing all countries with which Israel has at Ludwigsburg last August.
a meeting with Dr. Nahum Gold- diplomatic relations to do all in
When the photographs were re-
City of Detroit and the Detroit Business-
mann, president of the World Jew- their power to have Nazi criminals turned. the association charged,
men's Group of the City of Hope for their
ish Congress. He was reported as punished. The appeal also asked two of them were found to have
having assured Dr. Goldrnann that governments to assure that such been clearly and deliberately de-
magnificent and continued support.
the matter was not closed.
crimes would not be subject to faced so that the features of the
former guards were unrecogniz-
Dr. Goldmann suggested to him any statute of limitations.
to extend the statute of limitations
The proposal, prepared by a 1 I able-
•
• * •
by 20 or 30 years beyond next . Knesset subcommittee, was adop-
In The Day to Day
May.
ted unanimously.
Belgian
Senate'OKs
Dr. Goldmann also drew the
In
icago, a delegation of
struggle, through the medium of research,
attention of the West German
Jewish leaders were told by a :Law on Prosecution
chancellor to the fact that the
BRUSSELS (JTA)—The Belgian
West German vice consul that
the City of Hope helps to combat catas-
people in Israel are deeply con-
Senate approved the new law which
West Germany would not ex-
trophic diseases, cancer, leukemia, blood
cerned that Germany has thus
extends for 10 years the statute
tend its statute because "my
far taken no legislative step to
of limitations on death sentences
government does not want to
diseases, chest diseases, hereditary diseases
force the recall of the German
imposed for actions against state
amend the constitution to favor
which plague people of all ages.
scientists and research workers
security between May 1940 and
any one group."
employed in Egypt by Nasser.
The delegation, which also May 1945. The target of the law
The World Jewish Congress organized a picket line in front is wartime crimes committed dur-
leader also reiterated previous re- of the consulate in downtown Chi- ing the Nazi occupation of Bel-
quests by the Jewish Claims Con- cago, was sponsored by the Illinois gium.
ference that the compensation laws Conference of Jewish organiza-
Meanwhile. it was reported here
here be broadened so as to in- tions. David S. Bern. president of that the Jewish community of Bel-
elude those Nazi victims wl - o were the Zionist Organization of Chicago. gium is not satisfied with the
unable to file indemnification ap- was acting chairman of the 15 government's coolness to include
you are a businessman seeking a genuine
plications prior to the cut-off date organizational leaders who met Jews forced to wear the Yellow
of Oct. 1, 1953.
Star 'during the Nazi occupation
with' Dr. Karl Lauteritz.
personal fulfillment by developing your
There are said to be 100,000 to
Dr. Lauteritz urged the Jewish among recipients of compensation
abilities with a small but inspiring group of
150,000 such Nazi victims, the vast leaders to look for witnesses who which West Germany is willing to
majority of them Jews, who were could identify war criminals "who pay to Belgium.
men, who are dedicated to a stimulating
unable to file claims prior to 1953 are not among the 5,000 already
The issue arose through a ques-
humanitarian task .
because they were by that time still known to the authorities." The tion in parliament by Sen. Henri
isolated in Communist countries.
war criminals so named could Rohn, a Socialist, who wanted to
Dr. Ewald Bucher, the West eventually be tried if found. no know whether those Jews who were
german justice Minister, reaffirm- Matter when the criminal was not deported during the German
ed Wednesday his opposition to found,
occupation but were forced to
then make a note to call
any extension of the statute of
The delegates represented the wear the Yellow Star would get
limitat ions.
American Jewish Congress. Pioneer part of the 80.000.000 Deutsch-
He contended it would be better Women, Israel Histadrut. the Far- marks ($20,000,000) which Bonn
ea put enough lawyers and public band, the Chicago Board of Rabbis has agreed to pay to Belgium.
prosecutors on the task of check - and the Student Zionist Organiza-
An answer received from the
ing still unprosecuted offenses be- tion.
ministry of public health and er
fore the deadline. He added that
family stated that distribution of
A memorandum asserting that
this was the general view of the
the money is still being studied, .
the whole world would consider
.
cabinet.
as an "incomPrehensible injus- but that the category of Nazi vic-
However, Gunther von Hase, the
tirns
mentioned
by
Sen.
Rolin
had
tice" any limitation on prosecu-
West German press spokesman,
not been discussed with the West
LI. 8-2213
tion of persons responsible for
said earlier that a new situation
the Nazi mass killings during German government.
would develop if too much mate-
Paul
Philippson,
president
of
the
the war was submitted by the
rial on unprosecuted crimes came
Belgian Jewish Consistory, con-
Vienna Jewish comunity to the
in to be processed before the dead
tacted various Belgian officials on
West German ambassador to
line. This was generally interpreted
this issue. The Jewish community
Austria.
gratification gu a ran
as preparing the way for the gov-
The memorandum urged the has pointed out that The Nether-1
ernment to retreat from its stand West German government to lands had recognized the Yellow
that the law could not be changed. c hange its decision. In presenting Star wearers as fit recipients of ,
The dominant Christian Demo-
German compensation, and the
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Belgian government is competent
cratic Party and the opposition
SociaiiSt Party have agreed to pro-
Friday, December 11, 1964-9 to make a similar decision.
.

MORRIS SUKENIC

HARRY GOLDBERG

teed

