Republican congressman Chris Smith called on US authorities to support Polish efforts to obtain reparations from Germany. According to him, it prompted him to read a report on Polish war losses.
In settlements between Germany and other countries and groups, the US government has not played a direct role in bilateral negotiations since the Potsdam Conference. However, our government has always encouraged Germany to start talks with the plaintiffs. We supported the principle that compensation should be paid and that these issues should be resolved in the spirit of substantive justice
Smith, chairman of the House of Representatives subcommittee on global human rights and co-chair of the Polish-American parliamentary team in the US Congress, wrote in a statement on his website.
I believe that the US government should do the same for Poland, thereby clearly supporting the discussion of Polish claims. It cannot be that Poland – the country that suffered most from Nazi Germany – will be one of the countries that will receive the least compensation
– added.
The sheer magnitude of Polish losses
Smith emphasized the enormity of the losses Germany inflicted on Poland, as stated in the Sejm team’s three-part report on war losses published last year, citing, among other things: to the deaths of more than 5 million Polish citizens , the destruction of 80 percent. Warsaw, or the theft and destruction of the assets of banks and insurance companies.
To this day, Germany has not undertaken the orderly return of these assets, nor the payment of compensation for their theft, nor has it done anything about the looted cultural goods and works of art. (…) Only symbolic amounts were paid to a small group of Poles for being subjected to medical experiments, forced labor or meeting strict criteria that qualified them in other restricted categories. There is not even a forum where Polish victims of Nazism can individually file claims against Germany
said the US congressman.
The German state has not paid reparations directly to the Polish state, nor has it entered into a bilateral compensation agreement with the Polish state, although Germany has concluded bilateral agreements with several countries and international agreements with a number of groups of victims.
he pointed it out.
The inexplicable actions of the Germans
Nevertheless, according to Smith, it is not yet too late to make reparations, because Germany has accepted the provisions of the Potsdam Conference on the obligation to pay reparations and this obligation has not yet expired. In addition, the Republican argues, Berlin is still paying compensation to the victims and negotiating programs to support victims.
The fact that the German government does that and yet refuses even to talk to Poland is inexplicable
says Smith.
As he noted, the United States Congress has repeatedly passed resolutions and bills in support of collective reparations and restitution for the victims of World War II. Smith has personally written many and chaired many hearings on the subject at the Helsinki Commission.
Unfortunately, in Central Europe, many compensation claims, both from the Nazi and Communist era, remain unresolved. Most countries, including Poland, which were behind Russia’s Iron Curtain, still have some work to do. Some of these claims require governments to consider difficult issues, but that should not be an excuse for inaction
writes the politician.
Just solutions can always be found, and a fair resolution of one claim promotes the same steps in similar cases. This is especially true of Polish claims against Germany, because it was Germany that invaded and occupied Poland and other countries in Central Europe, eventually bringing the Soviet Union to the region.
Smith points out.
While the US has historically not directly interfered in state-to-state discussions on reparations or supported specific amounts and claims, he said it openly supported the principle of reparations and should do the same this time.
Chris Smith represents New Jersey’s 4th district and has been a member of the United States House of Representatives since 1980 and one of the longest-serving members of Congress. His main field of activity is the issue of human rights. In the past, he was co-chair of the Congressional Helsinki Commission, and currently co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, a congressional advisory body focused on the advancement of human rights.
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mly/PAP
Source: wPolityce