Jewish leaders here today pointed out that the announcement by Lt. Gen. Joseph T. McNarney, American commander in Europe, that he intends to bar large groups of Jews from areas where they are not persecuted from entering the United States zone, is a reiteration of an existing policy. They added that the Army has always permitted and will continue to allow Jews from countries where they are being prosecuted to seek haven in the American zone of Germany.
Meanwhile, it was learned that a plan to permit the orderly exodus from Poland of all Jews who wished to migrate to the U.S. zone has been shelved for the time being. The plan, which was proposed by an Army officer sent to Poland to investigate the situation of the Jews there, has been studied by high Army officers and the State Department.
By instituting a plan whereby the Jews could register for transfer from Poland, it was hoped that the Army would be prepared to receive these refugees and care for them adequately. It would also protect the Jews from robbery, beatings and murder which now occur while they attempt to cross the border at unprotected places.
The temporary abandonment of this plan is seen as a victory for those Army and State Department circles which feared that the institution of such a scheme would encourage widespread immigration. This plan, these circles feel, might lead to violation of international protocol since the emigration would be undertaken without the issuance of individual visas and other red tape. At present the State Department does not maintain a consulate in Poland and therefore could not issue such visas.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
