Mprus Internees Have Dp Status Under I.r.o. Charter; May Protest British Actions

The more than 10,000 Jewish refugees interned on ##prus by the British Government are considered displaced persons within the definition of DP’s in the charter of the International Refugee Organization and may appeal to the IRO against any action of the British authorities, Sir Herbert Emerson, director of the Intergovernmental Committee on Refagees, said here yesterday.

Sir Herbert also said that “infiltrees” from Eastern Europe become “displaced ##rsons” upon entering Gemany or other western countries and are entitled to the same assistance given other DP’s. His statement implied that UNRRA’s practice of ##thholding assistance from infiltrees into the British zone and the British Army’s refusal to grant them DP rations were illegal.Reviewing the activities of the IGCR since its establishment, in the fields of relief, legal protection of refugees and migration and resettlement, Sir Herbert ##uded the “efficient work” of the voluntary organizations, through which IGCR aid was extended. Among various resettlement projects under way, he said, was the admission into Canada of five to six thousand relatives of residents, most of whom are Jewish.

Addressing the opening meeting today of the final session of the IGCR, which ##es out of existence on June 30, when the IRO takes over its functions and those of ?RRA, Sir Herbert said that his committee had failed so far to make available to the jewish Agency and the Joint Distribution Committee the $22,500,000 earmarked by the Allied Reparations Conference in Paris last year, because the funds had not been placed at the Committee’s disposal. The reparations are to come from Nazi assets held by Sweden and Switzerland.

He announced, however, that a staff was being gathered to evaluate the non##onatary gold stocks in Germany recovered from the Nazis, which are also to be used for refugee relief. The gold will be available as soon as the evaluation is finished.The meeting recessed until Monday, when it is expected to wind up IGCR affairs by approving a resolution transferring its functions to the IRO.