Austrian reparations
Sir: May I briefly comment on the remarks about Austria contained in Mr Paul John- son's article `Should we try Nazis?' (The media, 31 March) because they need some clarifying corrections. Austrian war criminals did not at all `get off virtually scot-free'. From 1945/46 about 130,000 crime proceedings against Nazis were instituted on the basis of Austrian laws in close co-operation with the four Allied Powers, including Great Britain. Between 1945 and 1955 Austrian courts found 13,600 Austrians guilty of participa- tion in war crimes. Forty-three war crimin- als were sentenced to death and 30 persons were executed. Thirty-four were sentenced to life imprisonment. Mr Johnson's remark that `few Jewish sufferers or their families got anything from the Austrians' does not correspond with the facts. Although Austria after 1945, according to international law, had no legal obligation to pay reparations or compensation, it was aware of its moral obligation resulting from the shameful participation of many individual Austrians in horrible atrocities committed after March 1938. Only a few of the numerous measures may be mentioned (a detailed documentation is sent to Mr Johnson). About 60,000 cases of restitution of prop- erty were settled between 1946 and 1949 on the basis of several Austrian Restitution Laws. Since 1947 a Victim's Welfare Law provides a variety of benefits to thousands of individuals or organisations representing persons who had suffered from persecution during the Nazi years. A number of funds to benefit Nazi victims living abroad were established, and on 19 December 1961 Dr Nahum Goldmann, then Chairman of the Committee for Jewish Claims on Austria, in the name of 23 Jewish organisations stated in a letter to the Austrian govern- ment that due to the payments already effectuated, `the Committee will not take further steps against the Austrian govern- ment asking for additional legislation with regard to Jewish victims persecuted by the Nazi regime'. Austria, however, was and is continuing its efforts to help sufferers of the Nazi regime, and the sums paid up to now on the basis of various laws amount to many billions of Austrian schillings. Walter F. Magrutsch
Austrian Ambassador, 18 Belgrave Mews West, London SW1
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