Museums Chief Says Art Returned to Jews

The head of the French museums network disputed accusations that it had intentionally stalled in trying to identify owners of nearly 2,000 works of art believed to have been seized from Jews during World War II. Francoise Cachin said that of more than 60,000 artworks recovered by France after the war, about 45,000 were returned to their rightful owners or heirs, 15,000 of little value were sold and only 2,000 remained under “provisional administration.” Prime Minister Alain Juppe has announced that he will create a commission to probe the scope of seizures by the Nazis and their Vichy collaborators.