The U.S. Government is preparing to turn over to the Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees the contents of the so-called Hungarian gold train, captured in Austria, which consists mainly of valuables stripped from Hungarian Jews, it was learned here today. A formal announcement to that effect will be made by the State Department within a few days.
The train, which contained jewels, furs, gold and other valuables, was captured in Austria while on route to Germany in the closing days of the war. Eight of its 24 cars are in the French zone, and it is not known what disposition will be made of them. French authorities have not indicated whether they agree with the American interpretation that, in accordance with decisions taken at the Paris Reparations Conference last year, all unidentifiable personal property not in the form of monetary gold should be used to aid refugees who cannot return to their homelands.
Officials here say that it would be virtually impossible to return the valuables to the original owners in Hungary, many of whom were slaughtered. The Inter-governmental committee is, therefore, preparing to negotiate their sale and to use the proceeds to aid refugees.
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