Erhard Reassures on Payments, but Bonn Defends Action (Continued from Page 1) was pointed out to them that the Jewish people were led to hope that, on these foundations, a solid structure would now be erected." Deferment of Payments Upheld BONN (JTA)—Legislation em powering the West German gov- I ernment to defer in 1966 and 1967 the indemnification payments to a special group of Nazi victims, in- volving about 150,000 Jews, was approved last weekend by the Bundesrat, the upper house of the Bonn Parliament. It had been pre- viously approved by the Bunde- stag, the lower house. The legislation is now to go into effect after being signed by Presi- dent Luebke and by Chancellor Erhard, and following its publica- tion in the Official Gazette. The measure will give the West Ger- man Government authority to de- fer in those two years scheduled payments of $50,000,000 for each year to victims who were in Iron Curtain countries by October 1, 1953, the deadline for filing claims under the original West German legislation. They were therefore unable to file. To meet the plight of these victims—many of them old and ill—West Geramny set up a hardship fund of about $300,000,- 000, with initial payments sched- uled to start in 1966. Erhard's government move to postpone the payments because of "budgetary difficulties," touched off worldwide criticism by Jewish organizations. The move was op- posed in the Bundestag by the Social Democrat members of the parliament. (In London, Sir Barnett Janner, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the Board of Depu- ties of British Jews, deplored "the unjustifiable action" contemplated by the German government plan to defer 1966 and 1967 reparations payments to hardship cases among Jewish victims of Nazism. (In New York, the West German Parliament and government were assailed on two counts of evading their "moral obligations" to the Jewish people. Dr. Joachim Prinz, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and presi- dent of the American Jewish Con- gress, charged Erhard's govern- ment with "inexplicable and un- justifiable delay" in arranging eco- nomic negotiations with Israel following the conclusion earlier this year of diplomatic relations, and termed the action of the West German Parliament (Bundestag) "shocking" in deferring compensa- tion payments to certain categories of Nazi victims until 1968 "for reasons of economy.") On the eve of the departure of The CARIBE MOTEL PROVIDES YOUR OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS WITH . CONVENIENT LOCATION Woodward near 7 Mlle Rd. Minutes away from everything LUXURIOUS ROOMS • Phones • Air Conditioning • Complete Kitchens • Wall-to-Wall Carpeting COMPLETE ACCOMMODATIONS AT NO EXTRA COST • TV and Radio • Parking • Continental Breakfast PRONE TO 8-2662 Moderate Rates Start at $8.00 19630 Woodward Near 7 Mile Road Chancellor Erhard for Washington to confer with President Johnson on matters concerning West Ger- many, Dr. Rolf Dahlgruen, minis- ter of Finance, issued a declara- tion in Bonn stating that "some misconceptions have arisen re- cently on the implementation of Germany's restitution program." The declaration was a reply to criticisms by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and by other Jewish organizations around the world, against the decision of the West German Government to postpone 1966 and 1967 reparations pay- ments due to victims of Nazism who could not file their claims prior to 1953 because they had still been unable to leave East Euro- pean countries. The Claims Conference has threatened to challenge the con stitutionality of the budget bill, if enacted, on the grounds that it would jeopardize rights of prop- erty or acquired property, con- trary to the provisions of the West German Constitution. The declara- tion of the West German Finance Minister reads: "The Federal Government has often demonstrated the special priority it gives to restitution for injustices corn- mited under National Socialism. The payment of the $250,000,000 increase voted by the Bundestag on May 26, 1965, however, will have to be effected within the framework of our budgetary prob- lems. Nevertheless, I can say with assurance that the largest possible amount of this increase will be paid out in 1966 and 1967. "It is our intention that the special conditions of recipients will be given full consideration. Since a statutory order is necessary for this purpose, we shall draft it with the consultation of the competent associations of perse- cutees. I would also stress that all claims to pensions, irrespective of whether they have been fixed in the past, or whether they will be fixed in 1966 or 1967. will be satisfied to the full in the future. "The same applies to expenses in- curred for medical treatment. It is being asserted that intolerable hard- ships are involved due to the fact that the educational grants. which have been increased by the final amending law from 5,000 to 10,000 Marks without re- quiring proof of lasting injury, are in- cluded in the postponement of payments. Such assertions ignore the fact that the persecutees affected thereby have al- ready received the 5.000 Marks, and will also receive an appropriate share of the second 5.000 Marks without any postponement. As regards misgivings under constitutional law concerning Article 17, we have had this question investigated thoroughly by the minis- tries competent to deal with constitu- tional matters, and it has been definitely established that Article 17 does not contravene the Basic Law. "The Allies, the international Jewish organizations and all the other associa- tions of persecutees expressly conceded to the Federal Republic in 1952 the right to take into consideration the solvency of the Federal Republic in making available the budgetary means required. This concession was given in view of anticipated financial require- ments of 3.000.000,000 to 4.000.000,000 Marks ($750,000.000 to $1.000,000.000) to cover the entire federal indemnification law. Therefore, I do not understand why we should not be conceded the same right today, when we are faced with a gap of more than 7 billions in 1966. We have, in the meantime. met the costs of the federal indemnification and restitution law with an outlay of 19 billion Marks ($4.750.000.000) and will probably pay another 15 billion Marks ($3.750.000.000) up to 1975. "We anticipate that an expenditure of about 1,800.000,000 will be necessary in 1965. as was the case in 1964. If we anPropriate 1.900.000.000 for 1966 and 1967. as has been done in the Budget Stabilization Law, we do not effect reductions vis-a-vis the actual figures of the two previous years as is being constantly asserted. but in reality in- crease the sums being naid out by 100 m illi on Marks ($25.000,000). "During discussions of the final law concerning the Federal Indemnification Law, I was told by the associations of oersecutees that the annual burden im- posed on the Federal Government and the States was not to be increased by the amending law but should merely be maintained at the same level for further years to come. This is just what has been achieved by Article 17 of the Rudget Stabilization Law. It provides that we shall distrihnte about 7,500.- 000.000 Marks ($1.875.000.000) to be anticipated for 1966 and 1969 evenly over four years, and thus keep midway be- tween the estimated and actual sums. "If we take appropriate account of minor claims or very old people in our implementing regulations, we shall come to a reasonable arrangement with the associations, which will do no harm to anyone. but will on the contrary take into consideration the overall situation. For there is ane thing I must say again here: The preservation of the stability and purchasing power of our currency is of importance not only to us, but also to the persecutees, who must be in- terested in this just as much. THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 10—Friday, December 24, 1965 NN Erhard told the National Press Club in Washington Tuesday he hoped that the "modest and in- significant" questions remaining between West Germany and Israel would be solved and that he took personal satisfaction in his role in establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. The Chancellor spoke in re- sponse to a question that recalled the "special German position" to- ward the Jewish people and Israel he voiced during the- establish- ment of diplomatic relations with Israel. He was asked to tell how this "special position" had been reflected in the development of West German-Israeli relations. Erhard stated that one now could say that relations between West Germany and Israel have been consolidated and the problem of Hungary Won't Show - Toerek Data to Israel JERUSALEM (JTA) — Foreign Minister Golda Meir informed the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, that Hungary has not complied with Israel's request to examine the original documents concerning the past of Dr. Alexander Toerek, the counselor at the West German Embassy in Tel Aviv who has been charged with having been a mem- ber of the Arrow Cross, the war- time Hungarian Fascist organiza- tion. The Israel government has been given photocopies of a document which purports to be Dr. Toerek's Arrow Cross, but these are con- sidered to be "inconclusive." Sources close to the government, Israel settled on an inter-Govern- mental level. He stressed he had undertaken "great efforts" to es- tablish diplomatic relations and was "happy" to have been able to take appropriate steps at the decisive hour. The Chancellor ex- and became a member. He was then a Hungarian citizen, later be- coming a naturalized German citi- zen. The foreign office officials said also that since the copied docu- ments may be false, it is necessary to have the original for an investi- gation, a view the foreign office said it shared with the Israel For- eign Ministry. For this reason, the officials said, they were asking the Hungarian government to present the original documents to the West German commerical representa- tive in Budapest. Alternatively, the Bonn officials said, they were asking Hungarian officials to agree to have the docu- ments investigated and checked at the source by experts—Hungarian experts, if Hungary so insisted. The officials added that, at the present stage of their investiga- tion of the charges, there was no reeason why Dr. Toerek should not resume his duties in Tel Aviv. REALTY CO. terest in the matter was- 'respect- fully requested in order to avoid serious hardship for thousands of eligible deserving persons of all faiths". The committee is com- posed of Catholic, Protestant, non- sectarian and Jewish relief and resettlement agencies, including the Joint Distribution Committee and the United Hias Service. West German Ambassador Hein- rich Knappstein said Monday he bed received a petition from the Jewish Nazi Victims Organization of America, asking Chancellor Er- hard not to sign the new Bunde- stag law curtailing payments to victims and that he transmitted the petition to the Chancellor. The petition was given to the Ambassador by the group's presi- dent, Moses I. Socachevsky, and its secretary, Felix Lasky. The petition said West Germany's obligation to honor committments for indemnification of Jews who escaped Iron Curtain countries after October 1, 1953, was an "obligation of honor" and should be fulfilled. It expressed Jewish concern lest the new restrictions are imposed and victims of the pressed hope that remaining ques- tions — which he termed "modest and insigninficant" when compar- ed with past problems — could also be solved on a mutually ag- reeable basis. Erhard was asked why a nuclear non-proliferation treaty that would prevent Israel, India, Sweden, and Japan from developing nuclear weapons was considered discrim- inatory by Bonn. He answered that his country was interested in limiting the number of nuclear powers but thought settlement of the NATO nuclear arms question had priority over the issue of the non-proliferation t r eat y. He thought his position was in line with that of the United States Government. * * * WASHINGTON—The American Council of Voluntary Agencies for Foreign Service asked President Johnson to discuss with Chancel- lor Ludwig Erhard the West Ger- man Government's decision to de- Nazis suffer further hardship fer payments to Nazi victims. through denial of the promised In a wire sent by the Corn- indemnification. Fine Clothes for Over 30 Years WATCH FOR SENSATIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT ! HARRY THOMAS, 15200 W. 7 MILE RD. 3 blocks E. of Greenfield, corner Sussex Mon. & Thurs. to 9. Sunday 11 to 4 p.m. meanwhile, said that if the allega- tions are Proved to be true, Dr. Toerek will be declared persona non grata. Meanwhile, in Bonn, the West German Foreign Office said it had asked its commercial repre- sentative in Budapest to ask the Hungarian government for the documents. The request was made to the commercial representative because West Germany does not have dip- lomatic relations with Hungary. Dr. Toeroek, who has consistently denied the charges since they were aired earlier this year by Commu - nist sources, asked the West Ger- man Foreign Office to make an investigation of the accusation to clear his name. He visited Bonn last weekend in connection with the problem and returned to his post in Tel Aviv Monday. The foreign office has said that there were several ways in which the matter could be cleared up with little difficulty. Foreign of- fice officials said on several oc- casions that the office had re- ceived only copies of the docu- ments allegedly showing that Dr. Toeroek had applied for member- ship in the Arrow Cross in 1943 mittee on Migration and Refugee Problems, President Johnson's in- I Promise YOU the Finest Deal, the Finest Service in the Area ! ! ! EARL ORR'S HODGES DODGE, INC. Oakland County's Largest Dodge Dealer IRV KATZ Sales Manager 23000 WOODWARD AVE., FERNDALE 2 Elks. 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