European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 1, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes Friday january 1, 1988 anniversary of nazi link stirs bitter austrian vision h in news sen Irr Vii Inna. Austria Many austrian arc confronted with a nightmarish vision of nit March when the country will Marl the 5 la anniversary of its annexation by a i Germany. It goes like this at a somber a nine session of the Par Liam no held to recall the inner Ami pain Ful memories of l 38. Kurt Waldheim. Elected president of Austria in months ago despite allegations of a a i past. Steps up to the podium to deliver the keynote address and the whole world is watching. We All want to know who is Fine i give that  said Thomas Chor Herr. Editor in chief of die 1 Resse. An influential conservative newspaper. Mow can it he Waldheim 1 he pending anniversary of the anschluss the Zierman word i or Hitler s forced takeover of Austria in i . Lias heightened the despair that has Hung Over this tiny Central european nation of 7.5 million people since it elected Wald him president in june 1986. Straci cd internationally since his election. Waldheim has aroused Sharp political divisions at Home and tarnished Austria s once Pristine image abroad As a nation remembered most for its  and ski slopes. Now. The continuing controversy threatens to make what already would Hae been a painful anniversary next year even More Divi ivc. It already has led to a revival of taboos hidden since the War. First among them the Specter Fanti semitism. I am afraid that the  of50 years after 1138 and having or. Waldheim president will raise a lot of old buried issues said Erika win icel. A historian at the University of Vienna. Without Waldheim. We All hoped the year would be one of remembrance of saying. Never again in our history with him. 1 am afraid the result May  i m Many historians and a Large Seg ment of the country s younger Genera lion. The anniversary subordinates the debate Over Waldheim s wartime record to a mine turning problem. The Issue for them is whether Austria can come to tips with the moral dilemmas still fac ing it 50 cars after thousands of their fathers and grandfathers welcomed hit Ler to Vienna with open arms and subsequently served loyally in the German wehrmacht during the War. In Liis context Waldheim has become a Symbol albeit the most prominent one of a generation and its failure to come to grips with its past. " i he problem goes much deeper than Waldheim said Daniel Chari a 37 j ear old lawyer. There has never been Public cleansing. Austria after the War treated a climate in which everything was permitted. You were a a i. You were a member of the resistance its All tin  Chari was part of a group of Austri an. That staged a 2-Monlh-Long 24-hour Mahn Wache warning watch outside Monument to the anti a i resistance in Vienna last summer. It was held not to pass judgment on Waldheim but to Call attention to the need for the country to confront the past to revive individual and collective memory. Paul Gros the Leader of Vienna s 7.000-Membcr jewish Community. Said the National debate sparked by the Wald Heim controversy could provide the country with the Chance for a cathartic cleansing of the  the phase of political amnesia which Nas Prev Smeu me Pasi no Iii Impi Inibig q w with the present has come to an end he said. The Powers that be the supposedly moral institutions in this country the Trade unions schools churches political parties must now stand up and decide on which Side arc we " an International commission of Mili tary historians that has been investigating Waldheim s wartime activities is expected to Issue its report in late january or Early february. The pending report coupled with the March 11 anschluss anniversary and continued world condemnation have in creased pressure on Waldheim to resign. Once firm political support for the presi Dent at Home recently has started to show signs of cracking. The six Man commission was established by the government with Wald Heim s support in an Effort to Clear up the allegations surrounding him. Barged initially with the narrow Legal question of whether he was guilty of War crimes the panel is now looting into the broader Issue of whether Waldheim. As an intelligence officer with a notorious German unit in the Balkans was person ally aware of the deportation of jews partisans and Allied fighters to a i death Camps. The commission is headed by Hans Kur of Switzerland and includes James Lawlon Ollins or. A retired american general and president of the . Com Mission on military history and historians from Israel West Germany Britai nand Belgium. It is expected to interview Waldheim personally before issuing it findings. Collins contacted by Telephone at his Home in Middleburg. Va., said he could not comment on the panel s work except to say it was still in the process of Gath ering  few austrian expect the commission will come up with revelations damaging enough to Force Waldheim s impeach ment. Waldheim himself has said he docs not consider the final report bind ing and he adamantly has resisted suggestions he resign. But even supporter Snow acknowledge that the commission s findings May be decisive. The situation has changed said Char Herr. Whose newspaper has been one of Waldheim s staunches defenders. People expect the historical commis Sion to publish not that he committed a crime but that he probably knew what he knew is not  die or Csc reported late last month that the socialist party and the conserva Tive people s party which form Austria s coalition government were considering possible candidates to succeed Wald Heim. It was the first time the newspaper had even mentioned the possibility of his stepping Down. But even those who condemn the 69 year old former . Secretary general arc afraid of a backlash of Public opinion should he leave office that could spawn a level of anti semitism and Ultra National list  Felt since the War. If he is forced to resign i am sur Many austrians will say this is the work of the world jewish Congress and the jews of the  said professor Wein icel. You know the jews Slabbed him in the Hack " the world jewish Congress was one of the first organisations to raise allegations of Waldheim s wartime record. In Kurt u Ald him april the . Justice department placed him on a watch list or foreign ers barred from the United state in response Many supporters have urged Waldheim to slay in office to avoid being seen As bowing to this kind of International  Don t think a country with any self Honor could accept other countries Fromick outside the Media or whatever Tell ing them who is their  said Grold Christian Waldheim s press Secretary. Weinzirl said that although Wald Heim was elected by 54 percent of the people no More than 4 percent voted for him for anti semitic reasons. The majority voted for him because they were soldiers too like  i am convinced he was not a War criminal and i Don t think he was a nazi she continued. But. When he explained his a tons by saying. I was Only doing my duty he tapped into the feel Ings of Many  App nolo this photo released by he world jewish Congress. Mas akan May 22, 1943. Kurt Waldheim second from left is at an Airfield in Podgorica Yugoslavia present Day Tito grud Undin to Tiff him arc from left Scolz Roncagli an italian commander. German Cul   much  can. Or