Germany to Pay Slave Laborers

Re “Germany Pledges $5.2 Billion for Slave Laborers,” Dec. 18: A difference is made as to the payment amount to “forced labor” or “slave labor.” To the victim, what difference do the semantics make? The fact that Hitler justified his actions by stating the Jews “forced” to work were doing so for the Third Reich will never make the victim less a slave.

My husband survived this horrendous event. Born in Berlin, he was forced into slavery, beaten, tormented, persecuted, tortured and starved. Of course, he was forced to do this for the good of the Third Reich.

Typically these class-action lawsuits all end up with increased wealth in huge proportions for the lawyers and nothing paid to the victims. My husband has yet to receive any of these huge negotiated settlements.

The Swiss have made their payment, also the Germans, all to the U.S. courts in trust accounts held up by bureaucracy as legal negotiations continue to deplete the funds and the victims die unpaid. This, of course, is American justice!

ANNE LEBRECHT

Laguna Woods

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Germany’s government and major German corporations had to be shamed into finally agreeing on $5.2 billion to compensate Nazi-era forced and slave laborers, who originally asked for between $20 billion and $30 billion--in itself a sum that could hardly make up for the horrors these people endured.

All of us should remember this the next time we’re tempted to buy a Mercedes, a VW or any other product made by German companies whose balance sheets are still stained with blood.

AL RAMRUS

Pacific Palisades