The U.S. Army has begun halting large transports of Jewish refugees arriving from the British zone, although permitting the entrance of small groups, it was learned here today. It is known that Army officials feel that the British are failing to shoulder a fair share of the refugee burden and are seeking a clarification of the entire problem.
This new policy may explain the halting and turning back of a train with 600 Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe at Giessen, 40 miles east of Frankfurt, earlier this week. When the Jews learned that they were being sent back to the British zone, a number of them abandoned their baggage and fled the train making their way to Frankfurt independently. After the train arrived at a British depot another group fled and headed for the American zone.
The office here of Rabbi Philip Bernstein, adviser on Jewish affairs to Gen. McNarney, is investigating the Giessan incident, it was reported today.
Meanwhile, the Army has opened another displaced persons camp at Mariendorf, a suburb of Berlin, to relieve the congestion at the Duppel camp here. The new camp at which the first group of 500 displaced Jews arrived today, consists of more than a square block of three-story apartment houses with a capacity of 4,000 persons. An additional group of DP’s is expected to arrive from Duppel tomorrow.
A personal inspection by a Jewish Telegraphic Agency correspondent established that the Mariendorf center, which formerly housed American occupation troops, is one of the most comfortable camps in the entire U.S. zone of Germany. The first group of DP’s were delighted to find that the rooms at the new camp were standard sized with large windows and, in some instances, large balconies, permitting them to enjoy normal family life.
At present it is planned to billet four people in a room, but this figure is expected to vary in proportion to the arrival of other refugees from the East. An UNRRA team is administering the camp.
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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.
