Chile Orders 3,500 Refugees to Move from Capital to Agricultural Districts

Newspapers in Argentina carry moving accounts of the tragic situation of Jewish refugees in Chile as a result of the recent Government decree which ordered 3,500 refugee immigrants to move from Santiago to agricultural districts on the pretext that when they entered the country they pledged to settle in the sparsely-populated southern regions as agricultural workers, but instead settled in Santiago and established themselves in small shops and industries.

The decree gave the refugees sixty days notice, but police authorities in Santiago served the immigrants with orders to leave the capital within thirty days. Among the Jewish refugees affected are many who have established prosperous businesses which they are now forced to dissolve. Exempted from the decree are refugees over 60 years of age who can prove that they have relatives living in Santiago.

Jewish organizations in Chile are reported to have appealed to the authorities concerning the decree which has aroused dissatisfaction among the liberal elements in the country. It is reported in the Argentine press that circles close to the Supreme Court in Chile have indicated that if an appeal is lodged with the higher courts, the measure may be declared illegal.

In view of the fact that the decree has provoked much criticism in the country, the Chilean Government has announced the formation of a committee to study separately each individual appeal by the refugees. The Committee is composed of representatives of the Departments of the Interior, Labor, Commerce, Foreign Affairs and Immigration. Groups in Chile who oppose the order point out that a considerable proportion of the Jewish refugees who have entered the country since Hitler came to power in Germany have established new industries producing commodities formerly imported from other countries.