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French Dock Workers Unload St. Louis Exiles’ Baggage Without Fee

June 21, 1939
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
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The Hamburg-American Line steamship Rhakotis today landed 223 refugees, France’s quota of the 907 former passengers on the St. Louis, and then proceeded to Southampton, England, to discharge the remaining refugees. Dock workers demonstrated their sympathy for the exiles by refusing payment for unloading their baggage.

French officials cooperated with representatives of the Joint Distribution Committee and HIAS-ICA Emigration Association in executing the disembarkation within a half-hour. After housing had been arranged, Morris C Troper, European director of the J.D.C., returned to Paris, voicing high praise for the cooperation of Government officials.

Lists of the refugees’ names were immediately rushed to New York so that those with relatives in the United States could be informed of their safe arrival after a five -week odyssey which took them to Cuba and back to Europe. The contingent to whom France has offered temporary shelter will remain here a few days and then be distributed to various parts of the country, permitted to live anywhere except in Paris. Some of them will leave for Martigny. Vosges, agricultural education center. The refugees are in France on special authorizations renewable monthly.

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