GENERAL
COTTS
KISSINGER, HENRY A.

Oct. 22, 1971

Dear Sir,

It is my great honor and pleasure to have seen you during
my recent visit to your country. I deeply appreciate that
many leaders of your country in the Administration, the
Congress and other non-governmental circles were kind enough
to spare time to see and have comfortable talks with me.

In the capacity of Chairman of the ad Hoc Committee on
U.S.-Japanese Relations in the Liberal Democratic Party, the
Government Party of Japan, I sincerely hope that friendly and
cordial relations between the two Countries will be promoted
further by strenuous efforts on the part of both sides.

Looking forward to seeing you again,

S/S - 5396

KISSINGER, HENRY A
DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Washington, D.C. 20520

April 16, 1970

MEMORANDUM FOR MR. HENRY A. KISSINGER
THE WHITE HOUSE

SUBJECT: Request from Esther-Sigrid Klages for a Note from Mr. Ziegler Enclosing an Interesting Postage Stamp

In response to Mrs. Davis' request of April 8, there are no political implications in Mrs. Klages' request for a note from Mr. Ziegler enclosing a stamp. She is unknown in the Department and does not appear in the German *Who's Who*.

We see no objection to Mr. Ziegler's sending her a note and a stamp as a friendly gesture should he wish to do so.

In this event, I enclose a draft reply.

I also enclose the original correspondence and its translation for your files.

Executive Secretary

Enclosures:

1. Draft reply

2. Correspondence and translation

RECEIVED
APR 20 1970

CENTRAL FILES

<table><tr><td>MICROFILM</td><td>DATA</td></tr><tr><td>DO</td><td>INIT</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>DATE</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>4/25</td></tr><tr><td>ORIG)</td><td>NSC</td></tr><tr><td>TO</td><td>PAF</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>WHC</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>SUBF</td></tr></table>

Draft Reply to Mrs. Esther-Sigrid Klages

Mrs. Esther-Sigrid Klages
33 Braunschweig
Goslarsche Strasse 8
Germany

Dear Mrs. Klages:

It is always nice to hear from a fellow Ziegler.

As you requested I enclose a stamp (a few
stamps) for Alexander's collection.

Sincerely,

Log # 9047

THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE

REFERRAL

To: State Secretariat

Date: April 8, 1970

ACTION REQUESTED

Draft reply for:

President's signature.

Undersigned's signature.

Memorandum for use as enclosure to
reply.

Direct reply.

Furnish information copy.

Suitable acknowledgment or other
appropriate handling.

Furnish copy of reply, if any.

For your information.

For comment.

NOTE

Prompt action is essential.

If more than 48 hours' delay is encountered, please telephone the undersigned immediately, Code 1450.

Basic correspondence should be returned when draft reply, memorandum, or comment is requested.

REMARKS:

For translation and recommendation.

Description:

To: Ron Ziegler
From: Esther-Sigrid Klages
Date:
Subject:

By direction of the President:

(White House File Copy)

9047

Secretariat -

Could you please have this sent to State for
Translation for Mr. Ziegler's office. thanx
(don't know how I got it)

nancy

DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DIVISION OF LANGUAGE SERVICES

(TRANSLATION)

LS NO. 15892
T-67/R-16
German

5390

Esther-Sigrid Klages, née Ziegler
Goslarsche Strasse 8
33 Braunschweig

February 27, 1970

Dear Mr. Ziegler:

In today's newspaper I read a report about the American Ambassador, Mr. Shriver, in which your name is also mentioned.

Since I have the same maiden name as your last name, I feel a compulsion as a former namesake to send you best regards from Germany.

To be truthful, I am doing this entirely for an unselfish reason. I would very much appreciate it if you would, whenever you find the time, send me a short greeting with a nice postage stamp. For six months now I have been an enthusiastic philatelist for our son Alexander, now five.

My ancestors originate from Southern France; one of them was the court chaplain Hoë von Hohenegg.

I hope you will not consider my request as presumptious.

I was born in 1931 and am now a teacher of physical education.

With many cordial regards,

I am,

Esther-Sigrid Klages

MEMORIAL DAY ADDRESS AT SHALOM MEMORIAL PARK - PALATINE, ILLINOIS

By: General Julius Klein, Past Natl. Commander, Jewish War Veterans - and
Past President, Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A.
Memorial - Washington, D. C.

Memorial Day 1971

Mr. Department Commander, Madam President, our distinguished
Chaplain, Rabbi Goodman, and my Comrades and Sisters:

We are gathered here today to pay tribute to our comrades, who served in all of our wars, especially those who made the supreme sacrifice, or have since gone to their eternal reward. Our nation, the freest in the world, is only so because millions of our comrades, including our own fellow Jews, have fought to keep it free. We are also mindful of our comrades, of our former allies, and we must pause to salute the memory of our Israeli comrades, who so heroically fought and died to re-establish Israel, the long cherished dream of all of us to see Israel a sovereign nation. Now Israel is America's most trusted ally in the Middle East.

The history of the JWV is an illustrious one as you know. Our organization was founded by Jewish veterans of the War Between The States, known in the North as the Civil War. Let me quote from the history of the Jewish War Veterans, why our fathers and grand-fathers found it necessary to organize the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A., which is today the oldest active veterans' organization in America. I quote:

"In my travels throughout the country, I have never seen nor heard of any Jew who served under the Union Banner or the Confederate Flag during the War Between The States."

This libel by a former Union officer, published in 1894, was the impetus for the formation in 1896 of the Hebrew Union Veterans, whose primary goal was to dispel the oft-repeated slander of Jewish laggardness in military service and of Jewish lack of patriotism. Even today, and at this very moment, our comrades in Vietnam, some who will make the supreme sacrifice, are bravely facing death in the dirty jungles of Southeast Asia, because they believe in freedom for all people. Our prayers today should especially include our comrades in Vietnam, asking the Almighty to bring this horrid war to a quick ending. We look with pride and with anguish to the Middle East, and we hope and pray that peace there will come soon.

Men of our faith have fought in every war since our nation was established. Going back through the centuries the Jew as a warrior, can show battle flags and trophies from the very dawn of civilization. There was never a nation of the Old World, which did not make war on the Jew. However, there was never a nation which could conquer him! Sublime in the confidence of his ultimate destiny, and armed only with the faith of his fathers, the Jew has kept stride with history. The list of those who tried to annihilate the Jew staggers the imagination: Egypt, Babylon, Chaldea, Persia, Syria,

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Rome, Greece, the Byzantine Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, Imperial Spain, Imperial Russia, Imperial Germany, Imperial Austria, Nazi and Hitler Germany, Fascist Mussolini Italy and Franco Spain. All have tried -- all have failed!

From the very beginning the Jewish people has produced martial heroes. Coming directly down the Ishmaelite line, we see Jewish military hero after military hero in a blaze of glory. Ptolemy I of Egypt showed full appreciation of Judean valor, when he put into their charge the fortresses of Egypt, manned by thirty thousand Jews. One of the greatest military figures of all time is found in that heroic militant Hebrew, Judah Maccabeus. There is nothing short of thrilling in the recital of the splendid deeds of the Asmoneans. For a hundred years they gave glory to Judea, glory which has never been surpassed in all history, and Ben-Gurion, Moshe Dayan, Ytzroch Rabin have valiantly followed in their footsteps.

Always seeking peace, the Jew has wandered over the far places of the earth. Always persecuted, yet holding fast to his heritage, his pride and his glory of his race. Through the fires, torture racks, massacre, beatings in every land, mobs falling on him and invading the ghettos in which he was segregated. Nevertheless, the Jew has always fought the good fight. No people on earth can show a greater more tenacious hold on his ancient faith. Through all adversity, the Jew has held staunchly to his creed. This took real courage!

I could go on and on, and recite the history of the "Fighting Jew." In World War I more than one hundred thousand Jews served in the Imperial German Army, and twelve thousand German Jews died on the battlefield. They did so, because they were fighting not for the Kaiser, but they saw an opportunity to crush the anti-Semitic, Czarist pogrom infested Russia, and it was in this period that the British Jewish Legion was created.

As we honor our fallen comrades, we include all servicemen of all faiths who fought for freedom and against slavery and dictatorship. Speaking of World War II, we must always sadly remember the six million Jewish Martyrs who were murdered by Hitler. We must always remember the heroic Jews of the Warsaw ghetto, who with handmade arms and Molotov cocktails fought against tanks and machine guns until every Jew and every house in the ghetto was destroyed. We must also remember our fellow Jews, who are in bondage today in Soviet Russia. When Soviet Russia was attacked by the Hitler Guards, Russian Jews flocked to the colors. Many of them reached highest positions in the Soviet Army, but today our brothers in Soviet Russia are not only second-class citizens, but they are denied basic human rights.

I could keep on recanting the deeds of our men and women who fought over the centuries for freedom. With the wars going on in Indochina and in the Middle East,

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we must look to the future, while we honor the past. You should be proud of being members of the Jewish War Veterans organization. We have a proud record of achievement throughout our 75 years of existence. In the dreary Thirties, it was the Jewish War Veterans Organization, which sponsored the economic boycott of German goods and services. It was the JWV who led effective anti-propaganda measures against the barbaric Nazis abroad and their Bund counterparts here in the United States. Similarly, our organization was among the first to recognize the treasonly ideology of Communism, and to take steps to arouse our nation to combat it.

Can anyone forget the important part JWV played in 1947-48 in helping re-establish Israel? I recall with great pride the tribute paid to JWV by the late Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, Dr. Emmanuel Neuman and Rabbi Stephen Wise at Madison Square Garden, when American Jewry celebrated the formal recognition and independence of Israel. National leaders in the United States and in Israel paid special tribute to the work of our organization. Today we are facing a similar crisis, and again JWV is in the forefront of this fight.

The Jewish War Veterans have been aggressive in achieving help for the disabled and needy veterans of all creeds; in fostering wider education, in group integration, in community relations projects; and in constructively promoting Americanism and the American way of life.

As you look over this beautiful Shalom Memorial Park, which will also someday be my resting place, our minds go to the last resting place of our comrades all over the world. We bow our heads, and include them in our prayers. We salute them.

I, as an old soldier, am only touching on some high points in the history of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States. Just a few yards away from here, many of our comrades sleep in everlasting glory. I am thinking particularly of my late comrade, Leo Herz, a typical product of the great American Melting Pot. Leo came to this country from Hitler's Germany in the 30's, joined the Army, was a member of the heroic 101st Airborne Division, and he received some of the highest decorations which his adopted land could bestow on him. This is typical of our fathers, mothers, grandfathers, and grandmothers, who came here decades ago in great numbers to seek and fight for the right of freedom, something denied them in the Old Country. They paid in blood their gratitude for our country, like Leo Herz and many thousands of others of immigrants have done in all our wars.

While we all hope that veterans' organizations will vanish in the forthcoming decades when, with God's help, there will be no more wars, we know that future

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generations will visit the final resting place of our comrades and salute their
memory. It is our hope that they will recognize that we have tried to leave
them a better world than what we found. I am particularly proud of the men
and women of our organization, who have continued their service to America
long after they have taken off their uniforms. Let us pray that the sacrifice
of those, who have gone to the Great Beyond, have not been in vain, and that
the next generation will enjoy peace and freedom.

Anti-Semites have often tried to smear the good name of the Jew, because the
Jew refused to serve in the Old Country, in countries which were alien to
him and which offered him no opportunity for freedom. However, when the
Jew knows what he was fighting for, he is in the forefront. Statistics
show that per capita more men and women of our faith served than any other
so-called "minority" group in World War I and II.

The 6-Day War in Israel made us doubly proud of our Israeli comrades. I
remember it well, as I happened to be in Washington when it began, and when it
was over. I was then visiting with many of my old soldier friends at the Pentagon
and at the Army-Navy Club. It did my heart good to hear the praise and admiration
of the American soldier from the top on down, paying tribute and respect to our
heroic Israeli comrades.

So, I conclude my remarks to you by saying "Keep Up The Faith!" Let the
Jewish War Veterans remain the "Patriotic Militant Voice Of American Jewry,"
and let us show ourselves worthy of our comrades all over the world who have
answered taps!

It was a privilege for me to participate in these ceremonies with you, and may
the good Lord bless and protect you here, and our fighting men in Indochina, who
are even now holding aloft the eternal torch of freedom.

Shalom -

Julius Klein