The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1946-06-13
Problem Of Europe's
Displaced Is One Of
Saddest Aftermaths
Concluded from page u
at the heel of the Italian boot.
Homeless Jews

at the heel of the Italian boot.
Homeless Jews
Most of the displaced populations
with which Kirchhofer worked are
Jewish, and the problem is particul-
arly sad because the homeless, job
less group is dependent on UNRRA
for their very existence, and will
not or can not return to their native
lands.
The greater numbers of them are
from Poland and other Central
European areas, and they do not
want to return to their homelands
because of widespread destitution
there and the narrowing memories
associated with their former homes
Everything in their native coun-
tries is a vast graveyard so far as
they are concerned, as one of the
displaced persons expressed it. Their
relatives and families had been
murdered in concentration camps or
starved to death, and there also are
fears of political reprisals even tho
they should return.
Can't Provide Work
The last two years of Kirchhofer's
work overseas was in Italy where
he was associated with camps in
which the displaced are herded to-
gether with nothing to do. Raw
materials cannot be obtained for the
displaced to do any form of work to
make them self-supporting.
Consequently, their only hope for
continued existence is thru the food
provided by UNRRA and its British
equivalent. Sitting around with
nothing to do, they are deteriorating
thru idleness.
South Africa and New Zealand
are the only countries in the world
open to the displaced, because of
quota restrictions applying in all
others. There are millions of them
hoping to find new homes, and the
small quotas set by nations means
that only a small handful can see
their desires eliminated.
Palestine Denied Jews
A large percentage of the Jews
want to go to Palestine, but with
the Arabs so violently opposed to
their admittance, the English, who
are right in the middle of the
controversy, do not know what
decision to make.
| If they permit the Jews to enter
Palestine, it means war with the
Arabs, and a civil war between the
two races in the country would still
mean the displaced could not bt
established on self-sustaininS
basis. On the other hand, if Pales
tine is not opened to them, wher,
to send them is an unanswered
question.
The problem of the disbande'
Polish army and white Russians il
Italy also represents another majo
problem, for the ex-soldiers fear t,
return to Poland because of possibl
political reprisals
Owe Lives To Deception
Handling the displaced in tn
UNRRA camps is further complicat
ed by the fact that those who sue
ceeded in escaping the Nazis repre-
sent what virtually is a hand-picke
survival of the fittest in practicini
deception, and living by their wits.
These prosecuted peoples escapes
death at the hands of their enmie
only thru lying, forging passport
and other legal papers, and by ever
possible hook and crook to preserv
their lives.
For more than six years many o
them kept alive by following tn
Irregularities of that course of be
havior. Those that failed paid wit
their lives, and an evidence of tn
situation is the fact that in tn
camps there are almost no childre
under IA years of age, except in
fants born later in the refuge
camps. Children, not adept at de
ceiving, lying and bluffing, wer
consequently wiped out in the plan
ned determination program of tn
Nazis.
Altho the displaced were no
fundamentally bad, the characte
traits they have picked up thru fore
of circumstance will require year
under favorable circumstances fo
elimination.
Staggering Problem
These conditions make the admin
istration of UNRRA camps a stag
gering problem. No statements ca
be believed until verified, and tn
handling is further complicated b
the fact that these refugees hav
lost everything in the war including
birth certificates, passports, an
other means of Identification.
Many of the displaced want t
come to the United States. o
these great majority have tn
necessary guarantees for passag
money from responsible relative
here and also assurances that the
will not become public charges.
Quota restrictions, however, pre-