Brodetsky Sees Early Shift by Home Office on Internment Problem

Important modifications of a favorable nature can be expected in the near future in the question of internment of refugees, Prof. Selig Brodetsky, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told members of the organization when they met today for the first time since the Nazis started their big raids on the capital. Sirens sounded during the meeting but the deputies did not heed them and carried through their deliberations.

The president made his statement in connection with the representations made to the Home Office by the board in the interment question. Referring to the recent appointment of Herbert Morrison as Minister for Home Security the president said the minister was a man from whom one could expect considerable sympathy in humane problems.

Reviewing various developments, Prof. Brodetsky paid tribute to Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s leadership and the spirit of the British people and stressed the Jewish community’s desire to make a maximum contribution to the country’s war effort. The deputies passed a resolution urging British Jewry to support any appeals made locally or nationally for the presentation of aircraft to the government.

Discussing the Nazi air raids, Prof. Brodetsky stressed that it was the duty of the Jewish community to do everything possible to deal with the urgent personal tragedies of thousands of their coreligionists. The Board of Deputies was the central, responsible body in this problem, he said. He pointed out that the principal effects of the raids had been a considerable evacuation of the Jewish population from London, creating in outside communities new housing and relief problems. He warned that the situation was very grave since it was being used to spread anti-Semitism. The Board, however, has taken steps to deal with such activity, he added.

The deputies paid tribute during the meeting to five members who lost their lives in air attacks.