Evening star., 1939-10-17


rector; Mr.. Myron Taylor, the vice
chairman Of the Intergovern-
mental Committee, representing the
United States Of America, the heads
of missions Of the Argentine Repub-
lie, Brazil, France and the Nether-
lands, and Mr.. James G. Mcdonald,
the chairman of my Advisory Com
mittee on Political Refugees.
I extend through you to the 80
governments participating in the
lntergovernmental Committee and
TO the private refugee organizations
m yappreciation for the assistance
which has been given to refugees in
the period since the meeting at
Evian. I hope the work will be car
ried on with redoubled vigor and
with more positive results.
In March, 1888, 1t became clear to
the world that a point had been
reached where private agencies alone
could no longer deal with the masses
of unfortunate people who had been
driven from their homes. These
men, women and children were
beating at the gate of any nation
which seemed to offer them a haven.
Most Of these fellow human beings
belonged to the Jewish race, though
many thousands of them belonged to
other races and other creeds. The
flight from their countries of origin
chaos for them and great diff
ficulties for other nations which for
other reasons--chiefly economic
had erected barriers against immi-
grafton. Many portions of the world
which in earlier years provided areas
for immigration had found it neces-
sary to close the doors.
Therefore, a year and a half ago
I took the initiative by asking 80
governments to cooperate with the
Governments of the United States
in seeking long-range solution Of
the refugee problem. Because the
United States through more than
three centuries has been built in
great measure by people whose
dreams in other lands had been
thwarted, it seemed appropriate for
us to make possible the meeting at
Evian, which was attended by Mr..
Myron c. Taylor as my personal
representative.
Refuge Provided for Thousands.
That meeting made permanent
the present Intergovernmental Com
mittee and since that time this In
tergovernmental Committee has
greatly helped in the settling Of
many refugees. in providing tenn
porary refuge for thousands of 9TH
ers and In making important studies
toward opening up new places of
final settlement in many parts of
the world.
I am glad to be able to announce
today that active steps have been
taken to begin actual settlement,
made possible by the generous at
titude Of the Dominican government
and the government of the Philip
pine Commonwealth. This is.
hope, the forerunner of many
other similar projects in other ma
tions.
Furthermore, I am glad to note
the establishment of a distinguished
Anglo-American group of the Co.
ordinating Foundation, which with
the help Of your committee will in
vestigate the suitability of other
places Of settlement for immigrants.
Things were going well, although
I must confess slowly, up to the out
break of the war in Europe. Today
we must recognize that the regular
and planned course of refugee work
has been Of necessity seriously in
terrupted.
The war means two things.
First, the current work must not
be abandoned: It must be redirected
We have with us the problem of
helping those individuals and fami-
lies who are at this moment in
countries of refuge and who for the
sake of the world and themselves
can best be placed in permanent
domiciles during the actual course
Of the war without confusing their
lot with the lot of those who in
increasing numbers will suffer as
q result of the war itself.
That I may call the short-range
program, and it presents a problem
Of comparatively small magnitude
In moment you will see why I say,
comparatively small magnitude.
At this moment there are probably
not more than two or three hun
dred thousand refugees who are in
dire need and who must as quickly
as possible be given opportunity to
settle in other countries where they
can make permanent homes.
Red0ubled Efforts Urged.
This is by no means an insoluble
task, but it means hard work for all
Of us from now on-and not only
hard work, but a conscientious ef-
fort to clear the decks of an old
problem-an existing problem, be-
fore the world as a whole is con-
fronted with the new problem in
volving infinitely more human be-
ings, which will confront us when
the present war is over. This last
is not cheerful prospect, but 1t
will be the almost inevitable result
of present conflicts.
That Is why specifically urge
that this Intergovernmental Com
mittee redouble its efforts. realize,
of course, that Great Britain and
France, engaged as they are in a
major war, can be asked by those
nations which are neutral to do lit
tie more than to give a continuance
of their sympathy and interest in
these days which are so difficult for
them. That means that upon the
neutral nations there lies an obliga-