Evening star., 1939-10-17
Refugees

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Refugees
Continued From First Page)
these members of the Intergovern-
mental Committee:
Lord Winterton. the committee
chairman; Sir Herbert Emerson, the
committee director; Myron G. Taylor,
vice chairman of the committee rep
resenting the United States. and
James G. Mcdonald, the chairman
of the Presidents Committee on
Political Refugees. The committee
represents 80 governments.
Arrive by Airplane.
Lord Winterton, Sir Herbert and
Mr.. Taylor arrived at Washington
Airport by plane shortly after noon.
Paul Van iceland, former Prime
Minister of Belgium, a member OF
the committee, was not here today
because the ship bringing him from
Europe will not arrive in New York
until tomorrow.
This afternoon at 3 O'Clock the
committee will begin a conference at
the State Department with Mr.. Hull
on various new problems in regard
to refugees raised In the last few
weeks by the outbreak of the Euro
pean war. The war naturally has
increased the number of refugees
and also has made it impossible for
Great Britain and France to take an
active hand in the resettlement
work.
Despite the difficulties that 1t
faces, however. the committee must
''redouble its efforts" Mr.. Roosevelt
said in his luncheon statement. He
said that upon the neutral nations
there lies an obligation to humanity
to carry on the work" In expand
ing his idea about large-scale re-
settlement, Mr.. Roosevelt observed:
I'VE have been working, up to
now. on too small scale, and we
have failed to apply modern en-
gineering to our task. We know
already that there are many COM
paratively vacant spaces on the
earth's surface where, from the
point of view of climate and. natural
resources, European settlers can
live permanently.
Economic Problems Seen.
Some of these lands have no
means of access; some of them re-
quire irrigation; most of them re-
quire soil and health survey; all
of them present in the process of
settlement economic problems which
must be tied in with the economy
of existing settled areas.
''The possible field of new settle
ment covers many portions of the
African, American and Australasian
portions Of the globe. It covers mil
lions Of square miles situated in
comparatively young republics and
in colonial possessions or dominions
of older nations.
41OO0 Va V11COC UCl4lUOl1CS,
are inherently susceptible of colo
nization by those who perforce seek
new homes, cannot be developed
without at least two or three years
OF engineering and economic studies.
"We hope and we trust that ex-
isting wars will terminate quickly;
and If that is our hope there is all
the more reason for all of us to
make ready, beginning today, for
the solution of the problem of the
refugee. The quicker We begin the
undertaking, and the quicker we
bring it to a reasonable decision,
the quicker will we be able to say
that we contribute something to
the establishment of world peace" "
Special Problems Raised.
The Executive Committee had be-
fore it the following special problems
raised by the war:
l. Britain and France, among the
principal aids in the refugee work,
are centering all their efforts on
the war.
2. Germany, which had agreed to
an orderly emigration of 175,000
Jews year, intends to keep the
men and young women for war work
and to let out only old women and
children. But other nations do not
want old women and children.
8. Germany needs all her foreign
currency for war purchases and
cannot give emigrating Jews any
foreign money. Also, her steamship
lines, which carried Jews to other
countries without the necessity for
purchasing steamship tickets in for
eign currency, are shut down.
Other Peoples Are Refugees.
4. Other peoples besides the Ger
man Jews now are refugees. Among
them are more than 100000 Span
iards who have gone to France,
thousands Of Poles driven into Ru-
mania and the Baltic states and
nearly 100000 Polish Jews under
German domination. The confer
ence expected to decide whether to
enlarge the work Of the Intergov-
ernmental Committee to include
other peoples, although its original
mandate specified only German
political refugees.
S. Britain, France, Belgium, the
Netherlands and Switzerland have
lac, 700 German Jews who were re-
ceived as temporary residents. The
Inter- Governmental Committee will
seek to find permanent settlements
for them overseas.
Reports Of investigating commit
tees on likely spots for mass settle
ment were prepared for the confer
ence. One Of the most promising Is
that on the Island Of Mindanao in
the Philippines, where 1t Is thought
at least 10000 Jews can be settled.
II 30, they probably will be taken