DEFINITION OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A “GERMAN REFUGEE” WAS SETTLED AT A CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY OF THE LIASON COMMITTEE AFFILIATED WITH THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS HIGH COMMISSION FOR REFUGEES FROM GERMANY, IT WAS DISCLOSED HERE TODAY.
THE CONFERENCE, IN WHICH REPRESENTATIVES OF 20 JEWISH AND NON-JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS PARTICIPATED, ADOPTED A RESOLUTION DEFINING A GERMAN REFUGEE AS:
“A PERSON WHO LIVED IN GERMANY AND DOES NOT AT THE PRESENT TIME ENJOY THE JURIDICAL OR ACTUAL PROTECTION OF THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT OR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COUNTRY WHERE HE LIVED BEFORE SETTLING IN GERMANY.” BY THIS DEFINITION, “OSTJUDEN” OR EAST EUROPEAN JEWS WHO LOST BOTH THEIR GERMAN AND PREVIOUS CITIZENSHIP ARE INCLUDED.
THE RESOLUTION, BASED ON A PROPOSAL FOR MODIFICATION OF THE STATUTES ON GERMAN REFUGEES SUBMITTED BY MARK YARBLUM, REPRESENTING THE WORLD JEWISH CONGRESS, EMPHASIZES THAT DEPORTATION OF GERMAN REFUGEES SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED. IT STRESSES THAT SOLUTION OF THE REFUGEE PROBLEM IS IMPOSSIBLE UNLESS THE REFUGEES ARE PERMITTED TO WORK IN THE COUNTRIES OF PRESENT DOMICILE.
SIR NEILL MALCOLM, LEAGUE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES FROM GERMANY, PROMISED FULL SUPPORT FOR THE RESOLUTION, WHICH HE SAID HE WOULD SUBMIT TO THE FORTHCOMING INTERGOVERNMENTAL REFUGEE CONFERENCE AND TO THE LEAGUE SECRETARIAT.
THE CONFERENCE ALSO ADOPTED A RESOLUTION VOICING SATISFACTION WITH SIR NEILL’S RECENT ANNUAL REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION, AND PROMISING TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO FIND SUITABLE TERRITORIES FOR SETTLEMENT OF GERMAN REFUGEES. THE RESOLUTION APPEALS TO NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP IN THIS RESPECT.
NATHAN KATZ, FORMER NEW YORK ATTORNEY NOW AFFILIATED WITH THE EUROPEAN OFFICES OF THE AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE, WAS ELECTED PERMANENT SECRETARY OF THE LIASON COMMITTEE, WITH OFFICES IN PARIS, RUDOLF KATZ WAS APPOINTED ASSISTANT SECRETARY.
AMONG OTHERS ATTENDING THE CONFERENCE WERE PROF. PAUL GUGGENHEIM OF GENEVA, FOR THE WORLD JEWISH CONGRESS, AND PROF. FISCHER OF SWEDEN, WHO PRESIDED.
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