12 Big Firms Vow to Pay WWII Slaves

Twelve of Germany’s largest companies pledged to set up a fund to pay reparations to Nazi-era slave laborers, partly to settle a number of U.S. lawsuits. Among those taken to U.S. court by former slave laborers forced to work by the Nazis during World War II have been Deutsche Bank, Germany’s largest commercial bank; Daimler-Benz, now DaimlerChrysler; and Siemens. “We cannot drag this issue around with us for generations,” said Deutsche Bank Chairman Rolf Breuer, a driving force behind the proposed fund. The pledge was the first formal step toward creating a compensation fund. The companies said they expect to start it Sept. 1.