(24 Jun 1997) T/I 10:51:58
A Jewish human rights group on Tuesday (24/6) called a full
account of why the Allies returned tonnes of gold to Austria
after World War Two, despite the country's alliance with Hitler.
Opening a two-day conference in Geneva on the fate of Jewish
property looted by the Nazis, Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Los
Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Centre sought to broaden the
focus beyond Switzerland.
SHOWS:
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND 24/6
Vs GVs of conference;
SOT (in English) Rabbi Marvin Hier, Los Angeles-based Simon
Wiesenthal Centre: "There is no doubt that Holocaust
perpetrators had foreign funds and only looking at the victims'
lost funds would be only half of the story. We have to search
for perpetrators accounts, and I think this will be done."
SOT (in English) Chief of Swiss Government task force, Thomas
Borer: "The president of the special fund some days ago said the
funds should be channelled to all Holocaust victims at the end
of this Summer, and should happen as soon as possible."
Cutaway conference;
SOT Hier on how there was millions of dollars in gold at the end of World War Two - "Four hundred million dollars when gold was 35 dollars an ounce. Gold today is about 380 an ounce, or thereabouts, so make your own calucaltions to see how the figure is easily in the billions. It can't be millions - it was millions then in 1944 - that money
today ... is billions."
SOT Thomas Borer: "One has also to see that the Swiss banks
at the time were not like today one of the largest portfolio
managers in the world, so I would refrain from talking about
billions."
Cutaway: SOT Sociologue, University lecturer and National
deputy, Jean Ziegler: "I would say that refusal of the banks to
come to this conference is an insult to the Jewish communities
of the world, and also to Switzerland, as we are a very old
democratic country and we have the right to know the truth and
the banks are holding the truth. They committed the crimes and
they should take responsibility today, but they refuse to
present themselves to public opinion an insult to Switzerland."
CUTAWAY; SOT Ziegler: "We are the second richest country in
the world. Without any raw materials. Our raw material is the
foreign money from wherever it comes so the Swiss bankers are
very very capable but very cynical, and totally immoral."
RUNS: 2.58
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