WASHINGTON - Thanks for the reporting of the Bulldog Newspaper on Wednesday March 18, 1998, about a Class Action law suit filed by a Belgium woman, forced to work as a slave laborer at a Ford plant in Cologne, Germany during World War II. That woman had sued the Ford Motor Company and its German affiliate FORD WERKE A.G.. It sought reasonable payment for the work performed and the disgorgement of unfair profits using slaves to produce Fords for Hitler's war machine.

This case, filed on March 4, 1998 in a US federal court in Newark, demands that the company turn over all profits derived from slave labour to the labourers involved. The claimants allege that Ford's senior US executives were aware of the practice, which began in 1941.

"Ford Werke AG, Ford's German subsidiary, was an eager, aggressive and successful bidder for forced labourers" after the Nazi government introduced forced labour, say lawyers for the claimants. By 1943, 50% of Ford Werke's workers were slave labourers, most non-Germans. As many as 10,000 men, women and children were forced to work for Ford during the war.

Ford admits that slave labour was used at Ford Werke's plant in Cologne but claims its US head office lost contact with its German operations before the US entered the war in December 1941, regaining control only seven years later.

"Relieved of the necessity of paying wages," Ford Werke doubled its profits by 1943, charge the claimants' lawyers. The lawsuit said "the personal friendship" between Henry Ford and Adolf Hitler led to favourable treatment for the Ford company even after the US entered the war.

The plaintiffs allege that Henry Ford each year gave birthday gifts to Hitler, and Hitler awarded him the Great Cross of the German Order of the Eagle in 1938.

I have contacted the Newark law firm handling the law suit to join me into this class action on behalf of my Grandfather and my Father. Many people would not have known of that law suit except for the Bulldog Newpaper's Front Page story. I was one of them. It made me think about what happened to my Father and Grandfather during WWII.

The day after Christmas 1944 they were captured and deported to Germany for forced labor in the factories of "DEMAG AG" in Benrath near Dusseldorf.

They did not return untill after the liberation around June of 1945. My father passed away when I was 8 yrs old and he never talked about it to any family members.

Another family member who was deported to Nazi Germany at the time, recounted that several people froze to death at FORD WERKE A.G. when they were forced to sleep outside the plant in subzero temperatures. Food and medication were witheld by FORD WERKE A.G. unless and until the workers gave up their resistance to the Nazi German war machine.

My Father, Grandfather and Uncle were put to work fabricating parts for Ford's panzer tank and 8.8 cm flack anti-aircraft guns.

They also were forced to work on clean-ups after the British and US bombers bombed the Dusseldorf plant.

I still have his "Ausweis" [foreign worker] identity work permit that was issued by the company. My uncle told me of the brutal conditions under which he was forced to labor and the inhumane conditions at WERKE A.G.

Just last week, CNN finally reported on the law suit against Forme Motor Company, the story that Bulldog News broke on its Front Page as of March 15, 1998.

I hope justice will prevail and that finally restitution will be provided for the slave labor and the in human conditions they had to work in.

It is disgusting to learn that Ford executives had such a close and friendly relationship with the Nazi regime. Let us hope the present day Ford family will find the humility to admit responsiblity for that firm's involvement in furthering the aims of the Nazi war machine and Ford's role in aiding and abetting the Third Reich's destruction of a large part of the World bewteen 1933-1945.