Ica Warns of Hurried Acceptance of Mass Settlement Plans

The Jewish Colonization Association warned today against “precipitous” acceptance of mass settlement schemes for refugees and stressed the hopeless ness of private relief measures in the face of growing anti-Semitism. The warning was contained in a statement issued in connection with the association’s general meeting in London on July 8.

Sir Osmond d’Avigdor Goldsmith, in his annual presidential message to the association, announced that emigration to colonies founded by the Jewish Colonization Association would not be limited to German refugees. He said that settlement of Polish and Rumanian families would be followed shortly by establishment of families from Czechoslovakia and Hungary.

Sir Osmond revealed that under the recently introduced Argentine quota system, the association’s colonies in that country will be permitted to receive 25 newcomers of each nationality already settled. He said that investigations of refugee colonization possibilities in new countries, although thus far unsuccessful, will be continued in close cooperation with other organizations.

Sir Osmond warned against the “risks” and uncertainty to which every colonizing enterprise is exposed, and the danger of misleading public opinion and increasing the plight of those interested in the scheme if there has not been previous thorough technical investigation.”

A total of 9,400 Jews were aided directly to emigrate from Central and Eastern Europe last year, Sir Osmond reported in reviewing the work of the HIAS-ICA Emigration Association. Another 27,000 received emigration assistance through German and Austrian organizations, he said. Sir Osmond paid tribute to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the Council for German Jewry.