Evening star., 1940-07-13
Social Workers
Organize 10 Aid
Child Refugees
Many Requests Mode
To Core for Those
Sent Fkom Brituin

"A new OfganlzAClon OF OlSCrlct
social workers was busy today pre-
pairing to meet an expected influx
Of child refugees from the embattled
British Isles to the Capital.
The group met yesterday under
the auspices Of the Council Of Social
Agencies and decided to take the
name Of the Washington, D. c.,
Branch Of the United States Com
mittee for the Care Of European
Children.
While 1t was agreed they could
not be sure about the numbers of
children to come or when they would
arrive, the representatives Of various
welfare groups agreed 1t was
essential to be prepared and imme-
diately, named five committees to
tackle various aspects of the prob
lem.
Large numbers Of warm-hearted
Washingtonians are making in
quiries about the taking in of refugee
children at the Labor Department
Children's Bureau, Red Cross, State
Department, the British Embassy
and other places, it was revealed.
The members indicated it was
essential to preserve this willingness
to help, but at the same time each
query is to be fully investigated not,
only from the point Of view Of
whether the family is suitable but
also whether the family realizes the
responsibility it is undertaking.
Financial Guarantee Needed.
Mrs. Stuart Rice, chairman of the
committee on information, en-
phasized that financial guarantee
is required of the family that the
child will be supported for the dura-
ton of the war.
Many Of the queries, she added,
assume the children to be brought
over will be well-brought-up prod
ucts of Eton and other well-known
British schools. This, she pointed
out, may not be the case.
Some requests for children have
been detailed, to say the least. Miss
Maude Morlock of the Children's
Bureau told of a letter received
from a Southern gentleman who
asked for two boys. but asked that
they be of royal blood. He added
that they ought to be horsemen and
should bring their horses. Others,
she said, have asked for pretty girls
with curly hair.
Mrs. William C. Van Week of the
American Association of University
Women reported plans to take care
of some of the children of members
of the British branch. Some Is
persons here have offered to take in
children, she said. and others have
promised financial aid.
Facilities of the Federation of
Churches for making contact with
the various homes were made avail
able to the group by Mrs. Frank
Linzel, while the experience of the
Hebrew immigration Aid Society
was placed at it's disposal through
Isadore Hershfield.
Committees Appointed.
Information aid was promised by
Miss Patricia Morss of the District
Welfare Department. She suggested
the wisdom of including a member
of the Board of Education on the
committee. ~ was indicated the
question of tuition for the refugees
in the District schools probably
would be discussed with school off,
cials.
The new group elected Mrs. j. j..
O'Connor as chairman, with Capt.
Rhoda Milliken of the Police Wom-
ems Bureau as vice chairman and
Mrs. w. A. Roberts secretary.
Working with Mrs. Rice on the
Information Committee will be John
Nixon. Mrs. A. F. Hinrichs. Mrs.
Carlos Bell and Mrs. r. A. MCGEE.
A child care committee headed by
Mrs. Milton King will include Mai.
Charles Dodd of the Salvation Army,
Morris Kloss. Msgr. Lawrence She
han. Miss Morss, Mildred Terrett,
Capt. Milliken, Mrs. Van Week, Mrs.
Linzel and Mrs. Olive T. Swinney.
Bruce Mohler of the National Cath
olic Welfare Conference will be
chairman of a committee on immi-
grafton and travel, to include Miss
Elizabeth Eastman, Mr.. Hershfield,
Alice Jones and Mrs. Crete Lenz. A
public relations committee headed
by Earl Nash will include Herbert
Willett, jr.; William Savin, Mrs.
O'Connor and Miss Anne T. Swim
dell.
The unit will meet the second and
fourth Thursdays of each month at
4 pm. in the United States Cham
ber of Commerce Building, while an
executive committee consisting of
the chairmen will meet each week.
All the representatives were en-
thusiastic over the response of the
Capital and felt that the resources
were here and needed only to be
mobilized.