Hull Approves Refugee Plan, Lauds Rublee’s Work

Secretary Cordell Hull today announced the State Department’s approval of the German memorandum on emigration to George Rublee, director of the Intergovernmental Refugee Committee. Mr. Hull told his press conference that the department naturally desired to have every concession or consideration that might relate to a satisfactory solution of the problems, and said that this may be a substantial step or might possibly be substantial recognition of the objective.

It was his understanding, Mr. Hull said in reply to a question, that the most important phase of the agreement or understanding was the working out of a definite agreement for the orderly exodus of refugees instead of the utterly chaotic exodus such as seemed to be the outlook. He said he expected that publication of all phases of the understanding would confirm this.

The main problem for Mr. Rublee’s successor (Sir Herbert Emerson) will be negotiations with the countries to which refugees are to go and the carrying out of the mechanics, from beginning to end, of this refugee exodus, Mr. Hull declared. He said that Mr. Rublee had not only done faithful work, but had been thoroughly efficient in every possible way. Regarding Mr. Rublee’s resignation, Mr. Hull reiterated what he said several weeks ago, that when Mr. Rublee accepted the post it was for a limited time and that Mr. Rublee would act in accordance with his original plan.

Mr. Hull said no reply had yet been forthcoming from Germany on the latest note regarding American rights. He also said there was nothing new regarding the return to Germany of Ambassador Hugh R. Wilson, who was called home by President Roosevelt after the November anti-Jewish excesses. He was non-committal on whether Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace’s speech yesterday in New York condemning German racism had the State Department’s approval.