[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 5, 1996)] [Senate] [Page S5791] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] SWISS BANKS, JEWISH DEPOSITS, AND PLUNDERED JEWISH ASSETS Mr. D'AMATO. Mr. President, I rise today to speak again on the role of Swiss banks during the war in relation to their continued retention of Jewish assets as well as looted Jewish assets. During the course of our ongoing inquiry into these important subjects, we continue to find documents which detail the alleged use of Swiss banks by the Nazis for illicit purposes. One such declassified intelligence document, dated June 12, 1945, from the U.S. Legation in Bern, Switzerland, entitled ``Interim Report on Johann Wehrli & Co., Zurich,'' details the use of a special account set up at what was then called the Wehrli Bank in Zurich under the name of the ``Trustee Account Gustloff Stiftung.'' I want to quote the relevant section of this document to further explain this point. The payments to the Germans of the Hirtenbergerwerke ([Fritz] Mandl's munitions factory in Austria) assets, which were under Mandl's control in 1938, were effected through the Wehrli Bank to an account known as Trustee Account Gustloff Stiftung. The examiner, who has a personal knowledge concerning the background of this trust as a result of his many years residence in Germany before the war, described the Gustloff Stiftung as a ``fund'' in which were placed the assets and titles of property taken by the Nazis from Jewish businessmen in Germany and the occupied countries. Gustloff, the head of the Nazi party in Switzerland, was murdered in 1935 by one Frankfurter. In accordance with the prevailing practice at the time, Gustloff was selected by the Nazis as one of their ``martyrs'' and many statues were erected to perpetuate his name. The name of the trust, therefore, seems to have no further significance. The only record of Gustloff Stiftung on the books of Wehrli is in connection with the sale of the Hirtenbergerwerke properties. This revelation, if true, seems very disturbing, in that a Swiss bank had a specific account set up to hold plundered assets of European Jews. From other documents, we have information that leads us to believe that the Wehrli Bank was also used to transfer assets of Germans to Argentina, near the end of World War II and after. This begs the question, were assets from the Gustloff Stiftung also transferred to South America or other locations. Of particular concern is the further question of whether there were other accounts like the Gustloff Stiftung in other Swiss banks. While we cannot yet verify this, it is entirely possible that if one such account existed, others did also. On the topic of Jewish assets in Swiss banks, I would like to comment that the answers that we are receiving to questions we are asking the Swiss Bankers Association are wholly insufficient. They are evasive and they continue to deny any knowledge of impropriety. They continue to dodge questions as to where these assets might be, or if they even existed. We have very clear information that suggests that Swiss banks have continued to maintain this myth now for over one-half of a century. In this vein, I would like to submit for the record, evidence of this claim. Therefore, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record, at this point, three documents detailing a request for information on their account in the Swiss Bank Corporation, from July 1939, made on behalf of an Austrian Jewish couple by the names of Anny and Kurt Kadisch. One is a letter to the State Department from Congressman Robert L. Rodgers regarding this request, the second is a letter to the Swiss Bank Corporation from the Kadisch's attorney to the bank, and the third is the answer from the Swiss Bank Corporation to the Kadisch's attorney. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 7, 1939. Office of the Adviser on International Economic Affairs, Department of State, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Livesey: On June 27th my office contacted you relative to the proper procedure to be followed to ascertain the status of an account in a bank in Switzerland. The information which was given to me by the constituent making the inquiry was not sufficient to enable the Department of State to give any difinite instructions, and your office suggested we make further inquiry of my correspondent. In today's mail my constituent, Mr. Roberts, advised me further in the matter--as will be noted in the inclosed letters (copies). What Anny and Kurt Kadisch really desire is to effect the transfer of the funds to the credit of Account 61879 to this country. They also want to know the status of the account at the persent time and the best course to follow to have these funds transferred to the United States. Any information your office can furnish, or advice as to procedure for Mr. Roberts or his clients, Anny and Kurt Kadisch, will be personally appreciated. I am well acquainted with Mr. Roberts, who is a capable and reliable attorney. Very respectfully, R.L. Rodgers. ____ Samuel J. Roberts, Attorney at Law, Erie, PA, May 23, 1939. Albert Marti, Director, Schweizer Bankverein, Zuerich, Rudolfspletz, Switzerland. Dear Director Marti: We have been requested by Anny and Kurt Kadisch, formerly of Graz, Austria, to determine the present status of Account No. 61879, which consists of the purchase of Two Thousand (2000) pounds British War Assented Loan 3\1/2\%. Will you please be kind enough to give us whatever information you have concerning this Account and forward to us forms, or documents, which may be necessary to prepare an order to effect a transfer of said Account? You are assured that we shall greatly appreciate any information which you can give us concerning this matter. Very truly yours, Samuel J. Roberts. ____ Swiss Bank Corporation, Zurich, Switzerland. Basle St. Gall Geneva Lausanne, La Chaux-de-Fonds Neuchatel, Schaffhausen London E.C., 2, 99 Gresham St., Bienne Chlasso Herisau Le Locle Nyon, Algle Bischofszell Morges Rorschach Zofingen. Fully paid-up capital and reserves Fr. 194,000,000. Telegrams: Suisbanque. Samuel J. Roberts, Esq., Attorney at Law, Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. ____ Zurich, June 2, 1939. Dear Sir: We are in receipt of your letter of May 23rd and regret being unable to give you the information desired. Yours faithfully Swiss Bank Corporation. Mr. D'AMATO. Mr. President, as one can read, the Kadisch's attorney requested help for them from Congressman Rodgers, who then wrote to the State Department on their behalf. Their attorney also wrote on their behalf to the bank in question. The Kadisch's were checking on the status of their account, of which unlike other claimants, they had the account number. As we have found to be the case after the war, the Swiss bank denied them any information about the account. As of yet, we do not know what was the fate of this account. This is, however, disturbing, especially since the Kadisch's had the bank's name as well as the account number. This document only brings up more questions for the Swiss banks to answer. I hope that we will be able to obtain answers to these and other questions in the coming months. Right now, however, I am very disappointed in the lack of cooperation by the Swiss Bankers Association and their continued denial of knowledge regarding these accounts as well as the fate of plundered Jewish assets. ____________________