Austria Seeks Documents Behind Waldheim Barring

Austria today requested U.S. Justice Department papers that led to the U.S. order barring President Kurt Waldheim, while Chancellor Franz Vranitzky said he will visit Washington in May as planned.

Foreign Minister Alois Mock told a news conference that he had summoned U.S. Ambassador Ronald Lauder to his office today to reiterate Austria’s rejection of the accusations of war crimes against Waldheim.

“I asked the ambassador to put at our disposal the American documents which served to underpin the (Justice Department) decision,” Mock said. “After that, we will be ready to accept the offer of a constructive dialogue” with Washington.

Wants Relations Maintained

At a separate news conference, Chancellor Vranitzky announced he will go ahead with a visit to the United States on May 17-24, “because relations between two states that have maintained such friendly ties for decades should not be allowed to waste away.”

Mock also said the Austrian ambassador to Washington, Thomas Klestil, is heading a task force investigating whether legal action should be taken by Waldheim against individuals, groups or the media in the United States. Klestil was recalled for consultations after the U.S. announcement Monday. Mock set no date for Klestil’s return to Washington.

Waldheim, 68, has denied allegations he helped in the Nazi deportation and extermination of Greek and Yugoslav Jews and partisans in World War II.

Mock today spoke out strongly against U.S. statements insisting that no insult was intended to Austria and that the action against Waldheim was solely one against an individual.

“It is unthinkable to differentiate between an individual and a head of state,” he said.

Mock said Austrian officials had called Lauder before the U.S. decision about Waldheim became public to offer material exonerating Waldheim. The material, contained in a “white book” Waldheim has had compiled by historians, details the president’s war years and will be published in May, Mock said.

Lauder told the Associated Press on Wednesday that Austrian officials tried at the last minute to present material through the U.S. Embassy but that he was told by the Justice Department: “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.”

Envoy Hasn’t Seen Material

Lauder said it “would help greatly” if the Austrians were shown the Justice Department material. He added, “I have to believe that the U.S. Justice Department would not make a move like this without sufficient evidence.” Lauder said he had not seen the U.S. material.

Waldheim today received a group of 50 World War II veterans. Nazi Germany annexed Austria in 1938 and some Austrians served in the German army.

According to a West German reporter who overheard his comments to them in a square outside his office, Waldheim linked the U.S. decision to the presidential campaign and “the lobby of the American East Coast.”

“These people have only one wish, to take revenge for what I did during my time as U.N. secretary-general,” Waldheim was quoted as saying.