Barring Him ‘an Insult’ to Austrians, Waldheim Says

President Kurt Waldheim said today that Washington’s decision to bar him from the United States was “an insult for a whole generation of Austrians” because execution was the only alternative to service in Hitler’s army.

The Austrian president assailed U.S. Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese III for placing him on a U.S. “watch list” of undesirable aliens without proving allegations that Waldheim helped persecute Jews during World War II when he was a German army officer. Waldheim has repeatedly denied that he was involved in any war crimes.

“What were young men to have done then, since the only alternative was execution?” asked Waldheim, speaking to a group of World War II veterans of the German army.

“Therefore this (U.S.) action is an insult for a whole generation of Austrians,” added Waldheim, 68, his voice shaking with emotion.

U.S. Ambassador Ronald Lauder said today that the Austrian government tried at the last minute to produce evidence refuting the Justice Department charges but that Washington refused to consider it.

Lauder said Austrian officials called the U.S. Embassy on Monday morning, hours before the “watch list” announcement was made, with the new information.

Lawyers Were Told

Lauder said he notified the Justice Department but was told: “Listen, his lawyers have been in here six times in the last six months with a great deal of proposals on showing his innocence. . . . They have been shown what we have.”

The ambassador did not describe the new information.

Waldheim today traveled to Eisenstadt, 40 miles south of Vienna, to meet the group of war invalids and, wearing a skullcap, visited a Jewish museum that houses a small synagogue. He also toured Eisenstadt’s former Jewish neighborhood.

The visit was planned long ago. Sources in the president’s entourage said Waldheim hesitated to go through with it, fearing the trip would look opportunistic in light of the U.S. accusations.

In his speech, Waldheim suggested that the U.S. decision would cause many Austrians to question their strong ties with the United States.

“We regret this all the more because it is a question here of our American friends for whom we have friendly feelings,” the president said.

He made no mention of the Holocaust. Germany annexed Austria in 1938.