Question about Walter's Memory DisAllocation pattern

[Etienne Cimon via Digitalmars-d]

On 2015-06-27 01:06, thedeemon wrote:
> On Saturday, 27 June 2015 at 03:10:51 UTC, Etienne Cimon wrote:
>
>> What you're asking for is probably type inference. Notice the auto
>> return type? This keyword is actually very advanced and bleeding edge
>> in natively compiled languages.
>
> Inference of return type was in ML since 1973. Such bleeding, so edge. ;)

Is there some other natively compiled language that implemented the auto 
keyword before? Or are you only talking about the theory?