U.S. armed forces will not be withdrawn from Germany and Austria before all displaced Jews have had an opportunity to leave those countries, Judge Louis E. Levinthal, adviser on Jewish affairs to the U.S. Command in Europe, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today. Judge Levinthal said his statement was based on conferences with top military officials.
At a press conference earlier, Judge Levinthal said that he had found after a three-month investigation of the position of Jews in Germany and Austria that disappointment and disillusionment is growing among the DP’s, resulting in increased illegal immigration to Palestine. Despite their disappointment, however, the Jewish DP’s in Austria are maintaining discipline, the Philadelphia jurist said. He cited the recent peaceful transfer of 2,000 displaced Jews from smaller camps, many located in resort hotels, to the newly established Edelsberg Camp.
The Army’s adviser took issue with the opinion expressed recently by some touring Congressmen that the Jewish DP’s do not want to work and would make poor citizens for Palestine or the United States. He asserted that the refugees were “fine human material,” most of whom were engaged in some sort of activity in the camps, training themselves to go to Palestine. He cited the courses given by the ORT, and said they were limited only by the quantity of raw materials and machines available.
He reiterated that the DP’s will not agree to remain in either Germany or Austria, but insist on going to Palestine. Their support of Zionism, however, does not mean that they favor terrorism, he stressed, adding that 98 percent of them are opposed to the methods of the extremists.
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.
