Evening star., 1938-07-06
Refugees
Continued From First Page !

census was 6,76O,233. Various esti-
mates put the number Of Jews in Aus
tria at the time of the Austro- German
union at 100000 to 100000, and the
total number of persons with some
Jewish blood at ,OOO-roughly 10
per cent of the population.
Taylor Heads U. S. Delegation.
The United States delegation. head
ed by Mr.. Taylor. took the lead In pre-
liminary negotiations for settling the
refugee problem-made acute by the
Austro- German union March 13.
The Americans made it plain, how
ever, that the United States attitude
was one of helpfulness rather than
direction. Officials said they were try
ing to help shape plans, but I'VE do not
Intend to be the final judges of what
ever may be done"
Consequently some hesitation was
shown in considering French plans to
make Mr.. Taylor chairman of the con-
ference, officially known as the Inter-
governmental Committee on Political
Refugees.
Mr.. Taylor said he was inclined to
refuse to serve, and other Americans
said frankly they hoped lit would not
happen"
Four Items in Program.
The conference program listed four
important items:
l. Steps to facilitate settlement in
other countries of German political
refugees who, for the purposes of the
conference, were defined as persons
desiring to leave Germany as well as
those who have left already"
2. Immediate assistance for the
most urgent cases within existing emi-
grafton laws.
3. A system of registering refugees
who lack official papers and are un-
able to obtain any
4. Establishment of permanent
intergovernmental committee to work
out long-range refugee problems in CO.
operation with existing agencies.
Two Austrian Proposals.
Embodied in the plan of the Aus
trian delegation itself, comprising ex-
patriates who lost their nationality
after the Austrian annexation, were
two proposals:
l. The possibility of colonization in
countries willing to accept German
refugees in large numbers. Austrians
particularly mentioned New Zealand
and South America as possibilities.
2. Agreement with Germany allow
ing Jews and non-Jews alike to take
a PERCENTAGE of property from the
country as means of livelihood Cur.
rent German restrictions limit amounts
Austrian exiles may take with them tc
the equivalent of $6.
The American delegation included
James G. Macdonald of New York
chairman of President Roosevelt's Ad.
visory Committee on Refugees ane
former chairman of the League of Ma.
tions German Refugee Relief Commis.
sion.
Two Unofficial Observers.
Rabbi Jonah B. Wise of New York
head of the American Jewish joint
Distribution Committee which seek.
$5,100,000 to aid Jews abroad. and the
Right Rev. Msgr. Michael Ready o.
Washington, general secretary of thu
Catholic Welfare Conference anc
member of the American Catholic
Bishops Committee, attended as un.
official observers.
Mr.. Taylor suggested to the confer.
ence that although its ultimate goa
should be to give aid wherever gov
ernmental intolerance shall have ere.
ated a refugee problem" it might bt
necessary at this time to focus oul
immediate attention upon the mos
pressing problem of political refugee.
from Germany including Austria"
Accordingly. he said, the United
States referred specifically to thu
German problem when inviting ma.
tions to attend the refugee confer.
ence.