The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-10-28

nose of Cordell Hull.
The Presidents refugee commit
tee is headed by James G. Nc
Donald, who handled the refugee
problem for the League of Ma
tions, and includes Archbishop
Joseph F. Rummel of New Or
leans; Editor Hamilton Fish
Armstrong; George Warren; Ba-
sill Harris, formerly of United
States Lines; Prof. Joseph P.
Chamberlain of Columbia; and
Rev. Samuel Cavert of the World
Alliance for International Friend
ship. 1t was appointed shortly
after the fall of France at the sug-
gestion of far-sighted Sumner
Welles, who felt that the plight
of German, Czech, Jewish and
Catholic refugees in France should
be handled through a central
agency.
The committee Immediately
swung into action and after care
fully investigating a long list of
refugees, finally recommended that
651 professors, churchmen and
former government officials be
admitted to the United States.
This was two and one-haf months
ago.
These names also were checked
by the Justice Department, which
approved them and sent the list
to the State Department. After
that nothing happened. Two and
one half months passed and only
fifteen refugees recommended by
the Presidents committee were
admitted to the United States.
ROOSEVELT ISSUES VISAS
Two and half months was a
long time to delay when many Of
the refugees were in imminent
danger of being removed from
France to Germany. So the COM
mittee began to ask questions as
to what had happened at the State
Department. Specifically, they
asked questions of Breckenridge
Long, Assistant Secretary of State,
in charge of passport visas. In
fact, they made life so miserable
for the placid Mr.. Long that Long
even complained to the President
that he had appointed a commit
tee of trouble-makers.
At this point Mr.. Mcdonald and
other members of his committee
stormed down to Washington with
fire in their eyes and demanded
that matters be Strengthened out.
Accordingly, Roosevelt asked IN
der Secretary of State Welles and
Solicitor General Biddle to inves-
tigate. They held a meeting with
irate committee members and
Breckenridge Long, at which
Welles was dumbfounded at the
State Departments sabotage of
the Reguee Committee.
But, Breck," he said, address,
ing the Assistant Secretary of
State, "only fifteen refugees adj
mitted in two and. half
months, out of 651?. How do you
explain that?"
Mr.. Breckenridge Long fidgeted
and sputtered. He had no ex-
PLANTATION.
In the end, Roosevelt assured
his committee that from now on
their recommendations would be
acted upon without two and a half
months delay.
BRITISH CHILDREN
Whether this happens, or not,
remains to be seen. For last sum-
mer, when Mrs. Roosevelt was
helping to raise money for the
care of British refugee children,
Avra Warren, chief of the State
Departments Visa Division, in
sisted that temporary visitors
viSaS could not be given the chill
dren, but only immigration quota
visas, which sometimes take
months to procure. Meanwhile he
permitted temporary visas to Nazi
business men, such as DR.. Ger
hard Westrick.
Mrs. Roosevelt, however, strong
ly urged a change in this ruling in
favor of the children, who she ar
gued were temporary visitors, and
her husband promised that this
would be done. But as in the
recent case of the political refu-
gees. nothing happened
Finally Mrs. Roosevelt phoned
her husband to report the State
Departments inertia. He assured
her that the State Department
was sure to act later in the day.
But It did mot act, and Mrs.