Evening star., 1939-10-18
Conferees Hearfened
By Progress in
Refugee Problem
Committee Meets
Agoin Today on
Political Outcusts'
BY BLAIR BOLLES,

Dy ooLLLS.
The Executive Committee of the
1ntergovernmental Committee on
Political Refugees met again today
at the State Department in a guard
edly optimistic mood. It was some
what heartened over its small pro-
gress toward solving the grave and
vexing problem of where to settle
the hundreds of thousands of Eu-
ropeans in flight from war and in
imicable political systems-"outcasts
without country, without home,
without a family, without any means
OF subsistence, as Secretary of State
Hull described them yesterday.
You are engaged in a most right
eous undertaking, an undertaking
that involves the highest and the
finest exhibition of humanitarianism
and of civilized human effort" Mr.
Hull said to the committee. you
typify law and order at time when
a vast portion of the world is in a
sea of international anarchy. and
stand for constructive thought and
action when so many destructive
forces are abroad"
Replies to Suggestion Planned.
The delegates were caught un-
awares by President Roosevelt's sug-
gestion for survey of parts of the
world where from 100000 to 90
100000 postwar European refugees
might be settled. They referred the
question to their governments, and
will meet next week to frame their
replies to the Roosevelt suggestion,
which was presented at a White
House luncheon yesterday. The
President proposed the Americas,
Africa and Australasia as possible
sites for settlement of the large
refugee groups.
1t was disclosed that soon the large
committee, representing 80 govern
ments, will take the first step toward
the permanent settlement of some
the present refugees in the Phillip
pines and the Dominican Republic.
They will be transplanted from the
colonies of 10000 men and women
now in temporary sanctuary in
Great Britain. France, Switzerland,
Belgium and the Netherlands. The
pioneers will be young people with
agricultural experience.
Engineers to Go First.
Furthermore, James G. Mcdonald,
the chairman of the President S
Committee on Political Refugees,
reported to the Executive Committee
yesterday that everything is ready
for the business of sending out en-
gineers and doctors to the areas of
permanent settlement to prepare
the way for the pioneers The COM
mittee hopes that the first settlers
will exert a psychological influence
on other refugees which will induce
them to want to go to new homes,
even though they are far from Eu-
rope.
The Executive Committee meet
ing is the first since the European
wars outbreak. 1t was summoned
at the special instance of President
Roosevelt, and brings together rep
resentativeS o. six countrieS-the
United States, Great Britain, France,
Argentina, Brazil and the Neither
lands. Paul van Iceland. the Bel
gian representative, is arriving too
late for these particular sessions.
His boat lands in New York today,
and the committee plans to adjourn
today until next week.
Ambassadors at Meeting.
After the White House luncheon.
the committee went into session at
the State Department. Those pres
ent were Mr.. Mcdonald, Secretary
Hull, the Earl Winterton. the COM
mittee chairman; Sir Herbert Emer-
son, the committee director; Myron
G. Taylor, vice chairman of the
committee representing the United
States; Ambassador Espil of Argen-
tina, Ambassador Martins of Brazil,
Ambassador de ST. Quentin of
France and Minister Loudon of the
Netherlands. Undersecretary of
State Welles was in the luncheon
group.
Secretary Hull said that the prob
lem of the refugees was an ''un-
thinkable situation" The Earl VIM
terton remarked that the continued
sympathy of your (the American)
Government toward the refugees is
a factor whose significance it would
be impossible to exaggerate." The
Intergovernmental Committee was
inspired by the United States, be-
ing formed in June, 1888, and hold
ing its first meeting at Evian,
France, the following month.
Until the wars outbreak, the COM
mittee was negotiating with Ger
many for the removal of political
sufferers, mostly Jews, Sir Herbert
Emerson reported, and he said that
the negotiations had been proceed
ing encouragingly. The war has
negotiations.
Nations Contacted on Acre ntance.
Negotiations also were II with
the countries of refuge-the neu-
trails, Switzerland, Belgium and the
Netherlands. which have taken Co.
600, and the belligerents, Great
Britain and France. Further nego-
tiation is carried on with countries
of final settlement. Attempts to en-
list Northern Rhodesia, Africa and
British Guiana, South America in
this category have been unsuccessful,
1t was reported.
In England the refugees are being
given papers Endorsed, Refugee from
Nazi Terrorism" and receiving work
permits. France is planning to adopt
the same policy, Sir Herbert brought
out. But now in France the refu-
gees are interned in certain re-