Evening star., 1938-07-06
Humanitarian Emergency.

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Myron c. Taylor, American business
man temporarily turned diplomat and
statesman, in opening at Evian, France,
today, the thirty government con-
ference on political refugees from Ger
many and Austria, epitomized in graphic
economic terms the humanitarian emer-
gency with which the United States has
invited civilized mankind to grapple.
The former chairman of the United
involuntary migration Of hundreds of
thousands of men and women to a sud-
den mass of merchandise dumped unex-
pectedly upon markets unequipped to
absorb so overwhelming an influx of
goods. 1t is to meet this human dump
ing menace that President Roosevelt
convened the Evian conference. The
problems 1t Is asked to solve far out
weigh, of course in moral and humani-
tartan appeal any such issue as the dis
location Of home markets by a glut Of
foreign produce. They are not private"
problems, Mr.. Taylor emphasized, for
they concern the world.
The United States representative,
without painting the results of Nazi
oppression in provocative colors, did not
fail appropriately to allude to the heart
rending situation In which members of
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political groups in Germany and Austria
now find themselves. Nor did he depict
these unfortunates exclusively as Jews,
for, while adherents of that creed are
bearing the brunt of Hitler's brutality,
they are by no means its only victims.
Catholics and Protestants, too, have
come under the totalitarian lash.
If the United States has any concrete
proposals for solution OF the problem
with which the world is faced" or means
of implementing the speedy co-opera-
tive effort under governmental supervis-
ion. which is necessary, If widespread
suffering is to be averted," such sug-
gestions presumably will be submitted
after the Evian conference has more
fully swung into action. Today our
delegate confined himself to a broad
outline of the thesis that prompt and
practical program is a matter Of "urg-
ency." The immediate questions to
which the conference must direct It's at
tention are Cd to determine which
countries are capable of absorbing refu-
gees; (2) to what extent their respective
economic conditions will permit such
mmigration; and 90 ways and means,
primarily financial, of facilitating this
vast exodus. 1t differs, President Roose-
velt's spokesman stressed, from all other
mass movements in history because 1t
has been precipitately forced upon its
helpless participants by political policies
and exigencies of peculiarly harsh ma
ture, utterly through no faults of their
own.
Conflicting versions of impending So
Iutions are already current. One
scheme, Of alleged American origin, pro-
Wdes for large-scale emigration to Ger
tain British dominions and colonies
under international control, whereby
Germany would bear one-third Of the
cost. the state accepting the emigres
one-third, and one-third would be pro-
Nded by the international control
agency in the form Of loan. Germany,
according to this reputed arrangement,
would also be asked to approve a sys-
tematic emigration OF $4,000 or 10000
persons yearly and permit them to take
out at least third of their own pos
sessions, instead OF the beggarly pittance
now allowed.
Evian enters upon its grave task in
spirit Of cooperative compassion worthy
Of 30 great an undertaking. The Ameri-
can people, who sponsored it. will OBJ
serve proceedings with abiding and
hopeful interest.