Nations To Freeze Gold Taken By Nazis

The United States, Britain, and France have agreed to freeze the distribution of $68 million in gold bars that were looted by the Nazis from European central banks, and Clinton administration officials say the gold could form the core of a fund to compensate Holocaust victims.

The gold bars have been stored in the vaults of the Federal Reserve Bank in New York and at the Bank of England since Switzerland, Sweden and other nations turned them over to Allied powers at the end of World War II.

Jewish groups claim part of the gold came from private citizens in Europe, especially Jews whose assets had been seized as they were sent to death camps.

Now the Clinton administration, citing newly found evidence to support those claims, says it has convinced Britain and France to hold on to the remaining gold until the three countries - and European nations that were the intended recipients of the $68 million - can weigh the new evidence.