Distorted Picture
This letter is in response to the extraordinary article “Some Call Rocket Scientist ‘Brilliant,’ Others Say He’s Guilty of War Crimes,” (Aug. 15). Certainly there is no logic that I know of that has prevented someone, given the large number of Ph.D.’s who willingly served and participated in the enormous crimes of the Nazi period, from being both.
In addition, Perry’s article regarding Arthur Rudolph is extraordinarily one-sided and presents a distorted picture of this individual.
In 1983, Rudolph and the United States government entered into an agreement which contained Rudolph’s admission of involvement in Nazi sponsored acts of persecution. In addition, he admitted that he personally departed America and surrendered his citizenship voluntarily.
In addition, there is no question but that Rudolph ran a Nazi rocket factory where some 25,000 slave laborers were literally worked to death. While he may be technically innocent of the charges until proven guilty, his willingness to flee this country and abandon his illegally acquired citizenship hardly invites sympathy for the claims he is now making.
Rather than a deportation hearing, Rudolph voluntarily exited America. He chose to return to West Germany. He no doubt decided to return because, under the West German statute of limitations, virtually all crimes of the Nazi period, with the exception of “base motive murder,” have run out.
The Anti-Defamation League believes that Rudolph was a devoted Nazi, who joined the Nazi party well before Hitler came to power. In addition, during World War II, he supervised the assembly of the V-2 rocket used in the bombing of London. Those who assembled the rockets came from the Dora concentration camp complex. Laborers worked under incredibly inhumane conditions, suffering from physical abuse, malnutrition, disease and unsanitary conditions.
It is unfortunate that a piece as one-sided as Perry’s would appear in a newspaper of such stature. The truth about Rudolph is other than that which his backers and supporters would have one believe.
MORRIS S. CASUTO
Regional Director
Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith
San Diego
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