Evening star., 1948-02-15

was open to all physically fit volun-
teers between the ages of 18 and
so. At that time it was deemed i'm
practical 10 include children and
the aged because of the acute hous-
ing situation in England. The en-
igrants were called European Vol
unteer Workers.
How the plan worked is best told
by the British Ministry of Informa-
tion itself:
Housing even the EVWs with
out their families was regarded as
a problem, but it solved itself in an
unexpected way. When the DPS
were taken on the payroll of Bris-
ish factory, for example, the man
agement asked the British work.
people if they could help out with
accommoda and also advertised
In the local press.
Found Warm Welcome
There was not much response
until the word got around that these
foreigners were all right after
which nearly all of them were
taken into neighborhood homes
They have, in fact, found warm well
comes and homes with the British
who get along with them very we'll
Others live in workers hostels along
with British laborers.
Before they came the DPS were
warned that their life in Britain
would be far from easy. 1t was
realized that they had painted a
rose -colored picture of Britain for
themselves as longed-for contrast
to the drab and hopeless surround
ings of the camps in Germany and
Austria.
"It is indeed not easy for men
and women to settle to regular work
after a more or less idle life in
camps; hard for them to learn new
trades If they are no longer very
young, and to cater for themselves
after years of communal living un-
der the guidance of relief organiza-
tions. But there is no doubt that
they're glad they decided to come
to England.
No Citizenship Promises
They are free and earning good
money again. Although there has
been no promise on the part of the
British government that they will
be eligible for eventual British citi-
zenship, they are starting to feel
that they belong and that they are
contributing something substantial
to the economy of the country
which has given them a chance
IF you talk to them in the
camps in Germany you find that
it Is this chance to get away and
to work which is all they want
They're ready to go anywhere and
to take on anything so long as they
can get out of Germany, get away
from camp life and no longer be
labeled Displaced Persons"
Under the Westward Ho' pro-
gram, EVWs may designate the
kind of work and factory they pre-
fer. If they do not like a specific
plant or particular employer, the7
can apply to the local employment
exchange for transfer. If they
find that a relative he's arrived in
England and taken a job in an
other part of the country, they are
moved, If they wish. in order to
work with the relative. Husbands
and wives automatically are placed
with the same firm, End are re-
united in instances in which they
arrived separately,
Plan Clicks Smoothly
British employers report that
they are we'll satisfied with the
work of the EvPs. adding that they
have been quick to learn British
processes.
With the plan clicking smoothly,
the refugees are arriving in Eng
land at the rate of 1000 week,
with more than 10000 there at the
present time Men outnumber the
woman emigrants three to one. On
docking they are Immediately di-
rected to holding" hostels. where
they are given ration books and
other necessary papers. Within a
short time they are assigned to jobs
in essential industries by the For
eign Labor officers of the local labor
exchanges, under the Ministry OF
Labor.
Most of the men are working in
agriculture, with coal mines second
and domestic work In hospitals and
institutions running third on the