Evening star., 1939-11-26

" ~ Hf0Ss
tives and friends of Americans on the
torpedoed vessel Mr.. Long stayed on
the job for nearly SO hours.
From that time on, 24-hour shift has
been maintained to be ready to meet just
such eventualities.
While many Americans were in panic
to get back to this country as quickly as
possible, there were others who showed
no desire to return. They seemed to hope
for thrill out of the war if they stayed
on. Warnings went out from American
embassies and corlsulates and still they
stayed. As result, ships of American
registry as well as passenger vessels of
other neutral nations were compelled to
sail with vacant places at the very time
that clamor had been set up here for
more ships.
Lacked Authority to Order.
There was no way that American cit
izens could be compelled to return home,
although belligerent governments REIN
forced the American invitation to leave.
The American Relief Committee in Lon
don and similar organization in Paris,
with background of experience from
1914, did yeoman work in assisting and
advising American residents who found
themselves in difficulties.
On orders of Mrs. Ruth B. ShiNey,
the very efficient head Of the passport
division, all passports of returning
Americans were taken up. Thus far
only about $4,000 passports have come
in, although at least 10000 Americans
have returned. The discrepancy is in
the fact that two or more persons often
use the same passport. Where there
are large families Of technically Amer
ican citizens in Central and Southern
Europe, sometimes eight or ten are on the
same passport.
If the passports which were taken up
are still valid, they may be reclaimed by
their owners, granted that it is possible
to convince Mrs. Shipley Of good reason
for returning to Europe Businessmen
who must 60 back to look after their In.
terests abroad can usually obtain a spe-
cial valuation which enables them to
use the old document again. Americans
still residing in Europe are shortly to
be asked to call at the nearest consulate
to obtain this special valuation. Those
with no real reason to stay will be urged
again to come back to this country.
War Creates Passport Demand.
The effort throughout has been to re-
move all but an essential minimum. Then
those who do stay will remain at their
own risk. Surprisingly enough, nearly
5000 new passports have been issued
since the war began. Writers, photog-
raphers, relief workers and Red Cross
officials all have been summoned abroad
by the second world war
Relief agencies in this country, and
particularly the Travellers Aid Society,
have faced new problems growing out of
the war. American citizens, many of
them speaking no English at all and with
no recollection whatsoever of this coun-
try have been dumped in New York
City. Not all of these come. directly
applied more stringent relief regulations
and where support from American
sources has not been forthcoming, Ameri-
can citizens have been shipped back to a
land they never knew.
Many have relatives, but a few are
dumped on the dock without a single
connection. Travellers Aid and other re-
lief agencies do the best they can No
Federal funds are available, of course,
for such tragic victims of the accidents
OF war
Division to Continue.
While the stream of American refugees
has begun to taper off, and there are no
longer such pressing problems as con-
fronted officials in September and Oc-
tober, the special division is to be con-
tinued. The division has been desig-
mated as a clearing house for handling
the business of the French and British
in Germany.
Under The Hague convention covering
the treatment of prisoners of war signed
in 1929, England and France asked the
United States to represent their interests
in Germany. This means carrying on a
vast correspondence between the bel
ligerents. Friends and relatives Of
prisoners of war send letters and money
to them through our State Department.
In turn, the only means Of conmunica-
ton with the outside world for these
prisoners is through the American chan
mel.
Mr.. Long stressed the great impor-
tance of maintaining this work on an ef-
ficient basis The British and French
must be kept informed of the status Of
their nation also in Germany. If they
had reason to believe their citizens, either
those who have been interned or prison.
ers of war, are receiving mistreatment,
then there would be retaliation. So far,
of course, there have been very few
prisoners. But as the war continues this
function will become increasingly i'm
portant. A vast amount of human suf-
fering may be alleviated, it is believed,
If this neutral medium Of communication
is maintained on q high level Besides
Great Britain proper. the United States
represents Canada. Australia and New
Zealand In Germany.