J.D.B. News Letter

(Special Correspondence)

Further details of the discrimination practiced by Greek port authorities against Jewish travellers who, on their way from Palestine to Europe desire to stop off at Greek ports, which recently attracted wide attention when the case of several American travellers, including Dr. Leo Honor, was brought to public attention, were given to the correspondent of the Jewish Daily Bulletin by Moses B. Levin, an American traveller who recently returned from Palestine and who was an eye witness to similar events during the early part of the summer.

From the documents made public by Mr. Levin it appears that the discrimination affected Jewish travellers, including Palestinian citizens. The matter was brought to the attention of the Palestine government by Mr. H. Levin of Tel Aviv in a communication to the Palestine Attorney General, Norman Bentwich. The action brought only the result of a reply from Albert Hyamson, Chief Immigration Officer of the Palestine government, under date of June 8, to the effect that the Palestine government “is not prepared to move in the matter in the absence of irrefutable evidence of discrimination against Palestinian Jews. In any event this government is not prepared to take any action on behalf of non-Palestinians,” Mr. Hyamson added. Under date of May 29. Mr. Hyamson had declared: “Enquiry is being made in the matter with a view to the possibility of representations being made to the Greek Government in the matter.”

“We arrived in Piraeus early Friday morning, May 11.” Mr. Levin stated to the correspondent. “A Greek passport official came aboard to stamp the passports of those who desired to go ashore for the day. I was not informed that he had come aboard and so did not get to see him nor witness what occurred. When I came on deck, however, I heard a tremendous commotion, and was informed that the Greek official had refused to grant permission to the Jewish passengers to go ashore. There were about thirty eye witnesses that told me the tale.

“I decided to get to the bottom of this and requested the Greek guard at the gangway to permit me to go ashore to see the authorities. He flatly refused saying that no one could go ashore without a stamped pass. So I engaged one of the official guides, who had come abroad to take my passport, together with those of Miss Bertha Landsman and Miss Rose Brick, also American citizens, to the Port Office for stamping. He was gone about an hour although the Port Office was a stone’s throw from the boat. When he returned he informed me that the authorities would not permit us to go ashore as we were Jews. I then appealed to the ship’s agent on the Edison and advised him that I desired to see the American Consul. He said he would endeavor to help us. He gave our passports to one of the mates and gave him rather long instructions in Greek. The mate likewise was gone for more than an hour, but finally returned with the necessary stamp. He informed me that it was with great difficulty that he finally persuaded the Greek Officials to allow even a native born American Jew to land.

“In the interim I had talked to many of the Jewish passengers and discovered that a large number had booked passage without food to Piraeus with transshipment there for Marseilles, and that it would go hard with them if they could not go ashore to purchase supplies. So I took the British Palestine passport of one, P. Karp, and went ashore to try to secure the necessary visa and at the same time to hear for myself directly from the authorities the reason for their refusal to stamp the passports. I presented the passport at the proper window. The official examined it and stated that he could not visa it. I asked for the Captain of the Port and was shown to him. Miss Brick accompanied me as I desired to have a witness to the proceedings.

“The Captain also examined Mr. Karp’s passport and said he could not allow him to land as the police had issued regulations against permitting Jews to come ashore. When I informed him that I too, was Jewish, he altered his position and stated that the regulations were meant to apply against all East Mediterrancan peoples and Palestine subjects of course, belong in this category. I requested to be shown to the head police officer of the port. This is one, Captain Pispirinkus. I presented Mr. Karp’s Palestine passport to him and explained that there were some thirty Jews on board the Edison who had engaged passage, without food, and that it would go hard with them if they were transferred to the Marseilles bound ship without first being permitted to go ashore and purchase food for their journey. He glanced at the passport for but a moment and literally threw it back at me refusing the visa. When I asked for an explanation he told me that if I were a police official he might condescend to explain his action adding at the same time that I had better not meddle further in this matter. Miss Brick witnessed this entire proceeding both at the police office and at the office of the captain of the port.

“I determined to see the thing through and so ‘phoned the British legation, at Athens, as Mr. Karp and most of the others were Palestine subjects and carried British passports. I spoke to one of the secretaries, Mr. Gallop. I explained the whole matter to him. He then told me that he had heard that the Greek officials were anxious to keep East European and Mediterranean peoples out of their country and that he could not see how the legation could do aught in the matter. He also informed me that Palestine citizens were not British citizens but protected subjects, an interesting and significant distinction particularly to those contemplating taking out Palestine citizenship. I replied that these regulations were evidently aimed against Jews, and that a report of this whole matter, to Palestine, would stir up public opinion and would mitigate against people taking on Palestine citizenship if the British legation’s attitude in this matter were made public. I also stressed the point of the diminished food supplies and told Mr. Gallop I would with his permission run over to Athens to see the British Minister. He invited me to come along.

“When I arrived at the Legation, Mr. Gallop informed me that he had already discussed the matter with his superior and that the Minister had instructed him to request the Greek authorities to allow these people to land. He retired to ‘phone the Greek Ministry, and after an hour’s wait he advised me that they had agreed to visa the passports and would so instruct the port authorities. He also promised to make the whole incident a matter of official record and report to the home office in London.

“I returned to Piraeus and again presented Mr. Karp’s passport to Captain Pispirinkus.” Mr. Levin continued. “One of his aides spoke to him at length in Greek, the only words I could make out being minister and telephone. He evidently was telling the captain that they had received a ‘phone message from the Greek Ministry. The captain hesitated for some minutes and then finally threw the passport across the table to me and stated through his English speaking aide, that he would not grant the visa adding to my amazement, that if he made an exception for one, the whole crowd would ask for permission to land. I told him that in principle, that was exactly what I was asking, but words were of no avail and as it was already 6 p.m., I returned to the ship.

“The next day I again went ashore and ‘phoned Mr. Gallop at the British Legation. He was surprised to hear that the travellers had not yet been landed and promised to immediately get in touch with the Greek authorities. I then ‘phoned the American Consul at Athens, and told him of the difficulty I, personally, had had and of the evident discrimination against me as a Jew. He thanked me for reporting to him and advised me that a similar incident had occurred the previous week and that the Greek Minister had promised that it would not happen again. He assured me that he would press the matter vigorously and would leave no stone unturned to protect and help any American citizens that come to him.

“I returned to the boat and found that the whole party had, in my absence, been transferred to the ship bound for Marseilles, and as I did not go ashore again, I do not know what developed later.