The Joint Distribution Committee-sponsored international conference on relief and rehabilitation today heard Lewish Neikrug, of HIAS, voice a demand for immediate action to “rectify the injustice of the present American DP immigration law.” Neikrug stressed that President Truman no longer need take into consideration the fact that the Congress is hostile to such a measure.
The HIAS representative also recommended the formation of a “top-level” commission–to be comprised of “men and women of the ambassadorial level”–to contact the governments of various countries to increase the number of immigrants which those countries would accept.
Isaac Werfel, of the Jewish Agency, pointed up the need of a five-year plan for Israel to help absorb 2,000,000 immigrants. He said that a total of 150,000 new arrivals will have landed on the shores of the Jewish state by the end of 1948, but stressed that “emigration is only half the problem.”
Mar Spits, South African communal leader, expressed the wish that emigration services of Jewish organizations–at least in Europe–be merged. Representatives from Argentina and other countries commended the suggestion.
At this afternoon’s session, I. Cayani, of Argentina, emphasized the need for qualified personnel to help provide training for young DP’s. At a session devoted to child care, it was reported that there is now little emergency aid being extended in that field, except in North Africa and in a few other instances.
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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.