VICTIMS OF NAZLSM
SIR,--One may sympathise with Mr. Robert Bolt's plea on behalf of the Association of Victims of Nazism. which, he says,' is threatened with pro- scription in West Germany, but his letter caused me some doubts.
For example, what proof has he that proscrip- tion is threatened? The reaction in Germany to the suppression of Der Spiegel (which Mr. Bolt men- tions) has reduced the possibility of future occur- rences of the kind, especially as the powerful Minister chiefly concerned lost his post on account of it.
Mr. Bolt says : 'It would be odd if former Com- munists were not strongly represented in the VVN, since Communists formed such a high proportion of the Nazis' victims.' If this strong representation consists solely of ex-Communists who have genuinely abandoned their former beliefs and ac- tivities, then the VVN is beyond reproach: but, otherwise, experience shows that a 'serving' Com- munist will attempt to use any organisation to serve Communist ends.
The question of what constitutes 'proper com- pensation for victims of the Nazis' is profoundly difficult, but it ought to be known that the people of West Germany have long been paying large sums to this cause. I might add that the survivors among the countless victims of World Communism never had any hope of redress.
Finally, Mr. Bolt appears to accept that there can be 'former' Communists, but that 'Once a Nazi, always a Nazi.'
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