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Exiles Fill Sandbags in London

August 31, 1939
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Thirty refugee volunteers were put to work today filling sandbags for defense against air raids, while the British Government was considering the fate of the 40,000 German, Austrian and Czech exiles residing in England.

The German Jewish Aid Committee announced to the press that it had received a call from one of its affiliated organizations whose members wanted to help fill sandbags, and 30 were put to work as a first group.

Registration of refugees for possible war service was going on, with more than 1,000 having already volunteered. Refugee-aid organizations have been in consultation with the Home Office regarding the status of refugees and a decision is expected soon.

It is estimated that nearly half of the total refugees admitted to England came here under guarantee of maintenance pending receipt of American immigration visas. While most of the refugees volunteered for national service during last September’s Czecho-Slovak crisis and subsequently, their offers have not yet been accepted.

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