Evening star., 1936-04-26
WORK Of JEWISH
RED CROSS CITED
Refugees From Germany
Held in Dire Need of
Assistance.
BY ABRAHAM WELTZER,

BY ABRAHAM WELTZER,
OF the American Jewish Joint Distribution
Committee.
The word refugee has taken on a
new significance since the Spring of
1888 in Germany. 1t designateS many
OF the finest minds of Germany, both
Jewish and non-Jewish, in the fields
of science, art, literature, music, the
stage and general culture.
More than 10000 people have fled
Germany. They have left with what
possessions they could gather, with
what funds they we're permitted to
take with them. Most of them could
take very little.
The refugees have gone to many
places, large number to Palestine.
Many fleeing in haste have simply
crossed the border at the nearest point.
So there has been a large influx of
German refugees into France, into
Holland. Belgium, Austria, Hungary,
CzechoSlovakia. Not less than $4,000
Jews have been repatriated in Poland
and Eastern Europe
But when the refugee arrives in the
countries bordering on Germany. his
intense difficulties begin. Some of the
refugees have fed without passports.
They have no diplomatic or consular
protection. And, in order to support
themselves. such wanderers must have
work permits which are not lightly
obtained
What, then, is the refugee to do?
He is subject to Imprisonment in q
concentration camp should he return
to Germany. But in the country of
refuge. the refugee is without status
If he is penniless he cannot earn his
bread. In the countries bordering on
Germany the problem has remained
most urgent.
Relief Group Active.
The Joint Distribution Committee
an international relief organization
sometimes referred to as the Jewish
Red Cross has done much in those
countries to rebuild these broken lives
The committee has co-operated with
many other examinations. some OF
them devoted to helping Jews some
of them non-sectarian, all of them
giving aid to Jew and non-JeW alike
The committee was one of the organ
tzations which helped to form, and
supported with funds, the High Com
mission for Refugees Jewish and
others coming for Germany.
The High Commission did what was
possible toward alleviating the lot OF
the helpless. harried, innocent VIC
tins of the political situation in Ger
many.
In France alone. in a single year
l934-the Joint Distribution Committee
allotted S262. 900 for emigration and
refugee aid. Some of this money
went to the health and medical So
Ciety. Some went for re-training
work designed to fit refugees to sup
port themselves on the land of their
eventual havens. Loan bureaus were
established in France to extend small
credits to refugees for productive pur-
poses. A legal service was established
to advise refugees on problems con-
nected with passports, residence per-
nits. work permits and where pos
sble. to refer them to opportunities
for self-supporting work. Funds also
were allocated to the Society Of
Friends, which is better known per-
haps under the name of Quakers.
Trained for Farming.
In that part of Holland reclaimed
by dikes from the sea- near Wieringcn.
colony trains young people sent from
Germany for agriculture, light garden
ing, poultry farming. masonry, lock-
smithing and domestic science. In
addition the electro technical school
at Bussum has been training refugee
pupils. In these refugee countries
there is serious threat of the break
down Of refugee aid because of the in
ereaSing pressure. Yet. as the restric-
tions are tightened upon Jews in Ger
many. there is greater and greater
temptation to flee anywhere. Thus,
the problems everywhere become
eravely intensified
As important as actually sustaining
life with food, is the work of economic
reconstruction which the j. D. c. has
been doing in Poland, Roumania,
Latvia. Lithuania, Bessarabia. Sub
Carpathia and other parts Of Eastern
Europe
Systems of cooperative and free
loan societies have been subyentioned
by the Joint Distribution Committee
1t is no eXaggeration to say that these
loan societies are the basis of economic
life for millions of Jews who would
otherwise have no place to turn. Loans
OF as little as SIS often mean the