Am Not, Nor Have Been, Anti-Jewish --Kiesiza4t!ier
"I would never let myself be
of former
and ultra-nation- trination programs in the West
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)
BONN—Dr. Kurt Kiesinger, West
Germany's new chancellor, told
the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Wednesday that he had never in
his life taken an anti-Jewish atti-
tude and had never done anything
against Jews.
He told a JTA correspondent also
that he had given much thought to
the offer to become chancellor be-
cause of his past connection with
the Nazi Party. He added that he
himself had proposed Dr. Eugen
Gerstenmair, the president of the
Bundestag, West Germany's lower
house of parliament, for the post
of chancellor but that his Christian
Democratic Union Party had de-
cided differently.
Concerning his membership in
the Nazi Party, which he has in-
sisted was purely nominal, he
added "I never sympathized with
the Nazis, and I believed that I
would be able to outmaneuver
them."
The chancellor also disclosed
that he wanted to emigrate from
Germany when the Nazis took
power in 1933, but that he did
not have the money to do so. He
said he entered the party in 1933
and had nothing to do with it
after 1934.
He agreed that it was only
"natural" for people outside of
Germany to be disturbed about the
rise of the extremist National
Democratic Party, but he insisted
there was no comparison betWeen
conditions in Germany now and
those in 1933. He contended that
the two major parties in West Ger-
many — the CDU and the Social
Democrats, now joined in a coali-
tion which he heads as chancellor
—both favored direct elections to
replace the present proportional
election system under which the
NDP won parliamentary seats for
the first time in November in
Hesse and Bavaria.
He said that the two major
parties favored such change not
solely because of the NDP—"such
importance is not attached to the
NDP"—but because an incidental
benefit of such a revised electoral
system would he to prevent the
NDP from reaching the federal
parliament. He added that he was
studying "this complex problem."
Dr. Kiesinger was asked about
his attitude toward statements by
Arab spokesmen that they would
attach conditions toward efforts by
West Germany to establish normal
diplomatic relations with the Arab
states. Most of the Arab countries
severed or suspended ties with
West Germany after it recognized
Israel. One such condition indi- !
cated by the Arabs was a chance
in West Germany's attitude toward
Israel.
High Officials Charged
as Ex-Nazi Suspended
BONN (JTA) — Friedrich Karl
Vialon, target of consist en t
charges over his Nazi past, will
give up "for the time being" his
post as state secretary in the Min-
istry of economic aid for underde-
Veloped countries, Gunther von
Hase, the government spokesman,
said here.
It was believed that Hans Wish-
newsky, the new Social Democratic
minister, had asked that Vialon
withdraw. Vialon offered last
September a proposal that he be
temporarily suspended pending out-
come of an investigation as to
whether he was involved in the
wartime Nazi mass murders of
Jews.
In addition to that investiga-
tion, there is still a case pending
in which Vialon was charged sev-
eral years ago with perjury in a
war crimes trial.
-
1
.
influenced in this question by
outside parties," the chancellor
promptly replied. "We have a
very s p e c i a 1 responsibility
toward Israel. This entails a spe-
cially favorable attitude toward
Israel, of course." IIe added that
he said this previously on a visit
to India.
Israel's cu r r e n t agreement
with Euromart ends next June
30, and Israel has applied for
either a much wider agreement
or for an association status. Dr.
Kiesinger said he planned to dis-
cuss the problem soon with
Israeli Ambassador Asher ben
Nathan. He declared it was nec-
essary to remember that he was
not in a position to decide by
himself on Common Market
issues.
Nazis
alists" in West Germany. The state-
ment called the electoral gains of
the NDP "a symptom of the
steady, erosion of a sense of re-
sponsibility for the crimes of the
Hitler era and of Germany's obli-
gation to purge itself completely
of the evils of Nazism."
Germ an army, where the NDP is
reported to he gaining influence.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, December 16, 1966-7
1
A Name worth
Speakers at the council suggest.
Looking Into...
1
Asked whether he intended to
ed a number of steps which Chan-
maintain that position in the fu-
cellor Kiesinger's government and
ture, Dr. Kiesinger said, "I will
V ).
Meanwhile it became known that the West German state govern-
do everything so that our relations
ments might take "to curb the
with Israel, which we have regu- the West German delegation at growth of extremist forces."
larized formally, are further de- the Council of Ministers of the Among them were a ban on re-
0.°
veloped, strengthened and deep- European Economic Community, unions and demonstrations by SS
Murry Koblin
ened." He added, "I am letting the governing body for the Euro- veterans' groups, stricter control
myself into a position of 'either-or' pean Common Market, has sup- of teaching methods and revisions
Advertising
ported Israel's request for asso-
in this question."
18039 Wyoming
of school textbooks which gloss
Dr. Kiesinger was then referred ciate status with Euromart.
over or ignore the Nazi period and
UN. 1-5600
to reports that, at the time diplo- Prinz Says Germany
strengthening of democratic indoc-
matic relations with Israel were Tested on Neo-Nazism
BONN—Dr. Joachim Prinz, who,
under discussion in Bonn, he had
spoken against that slop. Dr. Kies- as president of the Conference of
inger shook his head emphatically Presidents of American Jewish
in denial. He said someone had Organizations, said he speaks for
written something to that effect, the overwhelming majority of
but that actually the opposite had American Jews on international
been true. He said that what he problems, stated on his arrival
had done was to criticize the here that the new government of
"clumsy way" of West German West Germany will be judged by
diplomacy in first telling the Arabs "its ability to neutralize the neo-
that diplomatic relations with Is- Nazi movement."
He called the right-wing Na-
rael would not be established and
then doing just that. He added he tional Democratic Party, which
had always favored diplomatic re- gained strength in the recent elec-
tion, "a Nazi party attuned to 1966
lations with Israel.
He conceded he had not studied instead of 1933."
A spokesman for Interior Min-
the question of Israel's dissatisfac-
ister Paul Luecke said Wednes-
tion over its current pact with the
day that the minister did not
European Common Market, of
intend to take action to ban the
which West Germany is a mem-
National Democratic Party. Such
ber. However, he added he was
action has been demanded by
aware that the predecessor govern-
Jewish organizations in many
ment of Ludwig Erhard had taken
countries
since the NDP won
a positive attitude toward Israel's
parliamentary seats in Hesse
association with Euromart and
and Bavaria.
that he would make an effort to
The spokesman quoted the min-
find a solution in which Israel's
ister as saying that "The demo-
interests would be safeguarded.
cratic forces of our people are
* *
strong enough to deal with these
WHILE SUPPLY LASTS
`Balanced View' Urged
elements," Dr. Luecke previously
had described the NDP as "neo-
in German Situation;
LP 331/2 RPM
Nazi."
BAGEL and LOX DISH
Now Only s295
Bonn Students March
LONDON (JTA)—A British Jew-
ish leader warned against both
complacency about evidence of a
resurgence of neo-Nazism in West
Germany and hysteria over the fact
that "8 percent of the West Ger-
man electorate voted for neo-Nazi
parties." The warning was made
by Harold Sebag-Montefiore, presi-
dent of the Anglo-Jewish Associa-
tion in an address to the AJA
Council.
Meanwhile, an estimated 100
students of Bonn University took
part in a protest demonstration
Dec. 8 against Heinz Jasper, the
deputy chairman of the extrem-
ist National Democratic Party.
The demonstrators marched to
the home of the deputy chair-
man. They carried protest ban-
ners. One read: "Too Many
Nazis Are Still Alive."
About 3,000 university students
marched through the streets of
Tuebingen Dec. 7 in a silent pro-
test against the growth of neo-
Nazism in West Germany. Stu-
dents carried signs protesting re-
cent election gains in Hesse and
Bavaria.
A program to alert world opin-
ion to the threat of neo-Nazism in
West Germany has been drafted
by the World Jewish Congress,
Samuel Bronfman, WJC vice presi-
dent, told a dinner meeting in Chi-
cago. He said the program will
be submitted by WJC affiliates
throughout the world.
In Toronto, a resolution calling
on the executive of the Canadian
Jewish Congress to arouse public
opinion in Canada against the
"resurgence of Nazism" in West
Germany was approved by more
than 400 delegates at a conference
of the organization's central region
here.
ewish N
„
Meanwhile, in London, the gov-
erning council of the World Jewish
Congress ended a meeting Tuesday
night with an appeal to Chancellor
Kurt Kiesinger to avert a "new
threat to the peace of Europe and
the world" stemming from "the
bid for power by extremist right-
wing forces" in West Germany.
The council, representing Jewish
communities and organizations in
64 countries, declared in a state-
ment that it was "gravely dis-
quieted at the growing influence
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