OLDSMOBILES
FOR LESS
south-eastern French city of ries us is whether France is tak-
Lyons, as a tribute to the memo- ing account of its history," he said
ry of 44 children who were de- this week. "Or are we putting it
ported to the Nazi death camps between brackets, saying it was
provided Socialist President sad and staging a commemora-
Francois Mitterrand with the op- tion?" Added Alain Jacobowicz, a
portunity to substitute words for lawyer representing the Lyons
deeds and attempt to assuage the Jewish community: "Now that
growing demands for Mr. Papon's Touvier has been convicted, the
time has come to try the Vichy
trial.
"These children are the sym- leadership, the civil servants who
bol of the Jews exterminated by had all the responsibility."
Those who continue seeking
justice, however, are facing an
awkward reality: After Touvier
and Papon, there appears to be
no one left to blame, for the worst
offenders have either died, dis-
appeared or are being carefully
shielded by powerful people who
fear their testimony might de-
stroy the myth of French Resis-
tance — and not a few highly
polished reputations.
After a half-century of glorify-
ing the Resistance and turning a
blind eye to the horrors of the
French lawyer Alain Jacobowicz
past, it might seem natural that
so many French people are now
seeking to establish the truth
about their nation's collabora-
the Vichy regime," he said. 'They tionist role. The trouble is that
are also a symbol of crimes they have started looking for it
too late. ❑
against humanity."
Such words, coming from a
man who had privately laid a
wreath at the tomb of Vichy
leader Marshal Petain every year
until the practice was publicly re-
vealed last year, contained a hol-
Berlin (JTA) — In the wake
low ring.
What raised the temperature of a recent court ruling by
of France's Jewish leaders, how- Germany's highest appeals
ever, was the publication last court, the country's main
week of a book on the collabora- opposition party will propose
tionist Milice movement which a new law that will make it a
quoted Mr. Mitterrand as saying crime to deny that the Holo-
that the time had come to bury caust ever took place.
The Social Democratic
the past.
Emphasizing the need for "na- Party has announced that it
tional unity," the French leader will seek the new legislation
was quoted as calling for an end following a recent ruling by
to war crimes trials: "There are the Federal Court of Justice,
very few witnesses left and it which found that denying
hardly makes an sense," he said. that the Holocaust ever oc-
"We cannot live forever on mem- curred — the so-called
"Auschwitz lie" — was not
ories and bitterness."
Eminent French lawyer Serge in itself a punishable
Klarsfeld, who was responsible offense.
for compelling the French gov-
The Federation of Jewish
ernment to bring both Klaus Bar- Communities in Germany
bie and Paul Touvier to court, has already called for a
could barely conceal his con- change in the law in order to
tempt.
ban Holocaust denial.
Mr. Klarsfeld chided the pres-
In a newspaper interview,
ident for displaying "a certain in-
dulgence" toward the Vichy the vice chairwoman of the
collaborators, an attitude that Social Democrats, Herta
might be the product of Mr. Mit- Daubler-Gmelin, said her
terrand's own somewhat am- party will put forward "as
biguous experiences as a member quickly as possible" an ap-
of the Resistance and also as a ,propriate draft of legislation
minor official in the Vichy gov-
"Someone who denies the
ernment.
Holocaust does not do so out
Marc Aron, president of the of a harmless stupidity, but
French Council of Jewish Insti- knows that Auschwitz is one
tutions, is also deeply concerned of the most horrible parts of
about French reluctance to try German history," she said.
French citizens for atrocities they "It is unbearable that
committed in the service of the through this lie millions of
Nazis.
victims are insulted and
on survivors are mocked." ❑
"The only question that wor-
"Now that Touvier
has been convicted,
the time has come to
try the Vichy
leadership, the civil
servants who had all
the responsibility."
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