Unrra Halts Photographing of Dp’s Following Protests by Jewish Refugee Leaders

UNRRA authorities in Italy have halted the photographing of refugees and displaced persons following sharp protests from the Central Committee of the Jewish Refugee Organization, it was announced today. Very few Jews had obeyed the orders to report for the photos which were to be mounted on an identification card bearing the refugee’s fingerprints.

What perturbed the DP’s was the provision that they were to be photographed with a number across their chest. To them, the procedure smacked of the Nazi concentration camps, where they bore numbers. Jewish refugee leaders had advised UNRRA against issuance of the cards, but their advice was not heeded until the failure of the program became evident.