[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15248-15249]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   THE U.S. MUST SUPPORT PROPERTY RIGHTS FOR POLISH HOLOCAUST VICTIMS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MAJOR R. OWENS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 17, 2000

  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, nearly two hundred of my constituents are the 
victims of a gross injustice which is continually being compounded by 
the evasive actions of the present government of Poland. Instead of 
acting expeditiously to end the cycle of evil set off by the Nazi 
extermination of Polish Jews, the present Democratic government of 
Poland has adopted a set of obviously immoral legal maneuvers which 
deny just compensation to these Polish holocaust victims and their 
heirs. Following the Nazi defeat, the Communist government continued 
the criminal denial of property rights. Now a government which has 
embraced the principles which recognize private property rights is 
behaving in a manner bordering on racketeering.
  In response to a lawsuit filed in Federal Court in Brooklyn on June 
18, 1999, the Polish government, on December 22, 1999 filed a motion to 
dismiss the pending case; however, four weeks later this same 
government began drafting a reprivatization law to submit to its 
parliament. The key provisions of the draft represent a blatant attempt 
to swindle the long

[[Page 15249]]

neglected victims: Only fifty percent of the current value will be 
offered to the original owners; payment in bonds which have no face 
value is proposed; inheritance taxes will be demanded; a one year limit 
on making claims under the statute will be imposed; for each person 
making the claim there will be a five year residency requirement.
  Instead of these evasive actions which prolong the cruel and inhuman 
treatment already suffered by the Polish Jews; justice requires that 
the Polish government institute the following remedies for the 
survivors: Immediately commence the deeding of all government owned 
properties back to their rightful owners; creation of a fund for those 
with ownership rights in properties that have been sold to bona fide 
third parties; no eviction of any Polish citizens is demanded and an 
accounting of profits received by Poland during the last 55 years would 
be ``negotiated away.''
  The obvious violations of human rights is the least issue involved in 
this class action suit. Government grand larceny is a more appropriate 
term to describe this stalemate. The current neutral position of the 
U.S. State Department on this matter is inconsistent with U.S. Human 
Rights Policy and totally unacceptable. In addition to encouraging 
condemnation by national and world public opinion it is vitally 
necessary that our government examine its relationship with the Polish 
government to determine ways to accelerate a just settlement of this 
sordid victimization. It must be noted that in both Switzerland and 
Germany, recent steps have been taken to establish large funds for 
labor and bank deposit claims. Private property claims are not only 
more easily validated; tradition also considers property rights as 
almost sacred. World opinion and all Democratic governments must act 
vigorously to uphold the rights of Polish Jews.

                          ____________________