The British Section of the World Jewish Congress, at its second biennial conference, today urged on “the statesmen of the democracies” the necessity of extending such movements as the Intergovernmental Refugee Committee “to include all victims of anti-Jewish discrimination.” A resolution also called on representative Jewish organizations to meet for “cooperative consultation” and expressed “profound appreciation of the practical sympathy shown to the Jewish victims of persecution by religious leaders, statesmen and free peoples of democratic lands.”
The conference urged “a united Jewish stand of the Jewish people the world over, in cooperation with all forces striving for justice and freedom, to restore Jewish rights where destroyed and safeguard them where threatened.” Support of the World Jewish Congress was reiterated.
Dr. Stephen S. Wise declared in address: “I do not consider the Italian acceptance of the anti-Semitic doctrine as permanent. It is unbelievable that the people will follow the Government in its racialism.” Other speakers were Louis Lipsky, Prof. Selig Brodetsky, Dr. Nahum Goldmann and the Rev. Maurice L. Perlzweig, who presided.
Discussing the refugee question, Dr. Wise, who is a member of President Roosevelt’s Advisory Committee on Refugees, warned against prejudging the plan of Jewish emigration from Germany negotiated in Berlin by George Rublee. He said: “I know Rublee and Myron Taylor and I am not certain that in their anxiety to save the Jews of Germany they may not have been led to some mistake. But I want you to know that Rublee and Taylor would never wittingly say or do a thing which would contribute to the support of the Nazi Reich against the Jews. They earnestly and diligently strived to support us. Remember, we will consider the plan in America, and be sure that the heads of English Jewry deliberate on this plan as earnestly and impartially as we mean to do.”
Refugee assistance work of voluntary organizations will be rendered fruitless unless the prospect of overseas settlement is offered by Intergovernmental Committee powers, a report to the Board of Deputies of British Jews warned. Skepticism regarding the German Government’s readiness to assist orderly emigration was expressed in the statement, which was prepared by Leonard G. Montefiore, president of the Anglo-Jewish Association, and read in his absence by Neville Laski, president of the board. Three requisites for orderly emigration, the statement said, are (1) cessation of expulsions from the Reich, (2) arrangements for the maintenance of those remaining in Germany, especially in Vienna, and (3) relaxation of immigration restrictions by the Evian states.
Mr. Laski praised the “courage and persistence with which he faced and carried out a difficult and thankless task” of Mr. Rublee. The retiring director sailed for the United States on the Queen Mary yesterday after he had communicated to the German Government the committee’s decision on the Reich emigration memorandum.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
