Evening star., 1939-06-18
907 Jewish REFUGEES
Leave German Liner
JoyfuIIy al Antwerp
200 Entered Suicide Poet
After Being Borred
From Cubu
Py the Associated Press,

~ tne hSSOclAted PreSS.
ANTWERP, June 1.-THE five
week voyage of 907 Jewish emigrants
from Germany in search of a new
homeland. with eager hopes turned
first into tragic disappointment and
then desperation, ended happily to-
day as the Hamburg -Amerika liner
st. Louis docked in Antwerp.
They still faced long wait before
they may get to the United States,
which most Of them hope ultimately
to reach, after being turned back
from Cuba, the land for which they
sailed from Hamburg May Is. But
all were happy at escaping return
to Germany, the prospect of which
during the voyage passengers said
had led more than 200 to enter
whispered pact to plunge into the
ocean as last resort.
Only One Took Life.
Passengers reported only one of
the passengers took his life, a man
who slashed his wrists and leaped
into Havana Harbor, but said they
had been forced to form an Anti
Suicide Committee which kept "a
hour vigil to prevent any attempts
at self elf-destruction
Waving greetings to welcoming
crowds, the refugees were brought
into Antwerp Harbor shortly before
tbs pm. tonight.
A special train waited to take $50
of them to old Marness Castle at
Liege; 157 will go to the Netherlands
by boat, while two groups of $50
persons each will proceed on an
other boat to France and Great
Britain.
Belgium, the Netherlands, France
and Britain agreed to receive the
refugees temporarily, while they
waited to enter the United States
as quota restrictions permit, after
the American Joint Distribution
Committee furnished a guarantee Of
$500 each they would not become
public charges.
Hopes Rose and Fell.
With varying degrees of emotion
the passengers told how they left
Hamburg full of hope, believing
their entry into Cuba was certain
how they waited off Havana vainly
for permission to land. and finally
heard the st. Louis had been Or
dered back to Hamburg.
AS days wore on and wireless
negotiations progressed with the
American Distribution Committee in
Paris, hopes rose and fell with new
prospects and then refusals Tor them
to enter various countries.
I'VE would sit up far into the
night waiting for some news" one
woman passenger said
when we finally got the message
that arrangements had been made
for us to land, our relief and JOY
were indescribable. We threw our
arms around each other and danced
1t was the happiest moment of our
lives"
High Praise for Captain.
From passengers came high praise
for the conduct of Capt. Gustav
Schroeder, the liners skipper dur
ing their ordeal.
One passenger, speaking from q
large group. declared: He was very
sympathetic and understanding and
did everything within his power to
help us and make us comforta BILE" ="
All nodded their heads in approval
Members of the crew at the same
time commended the behavior of the
passengers.
In the most critical periods. pas
sengers said, the women for the
most part remained calmer than
many of the men. They explained
this was because some of the men
had only recently been released
from concentration camps and
feared what might happen to them
if they were returned to Germany
246 Children Aboard.
There were many complete FAM
lilies among the passengers-24
children were aboard = but there
were many refugees whose hus-
bands wives or children already
had gone to Cuba or the United
States.
Some were we'll dressed and in
other ways showed they came from
families of wealth; the impover-
ishment of others equally was ap-
parent.
A few romances blossomed, and
| today, as relief officials worked
aboard the liner deciding their tenn
porary fates. youths and girls