Inquiries today at the offices of the International Red Cross as to the real truth of a report that it planned to charter five Portuguese ships for food shipments to the starving populations in Nazi-occupied countries, especially Poland, brought the discouraging reply that there is only one steamer chartered to carry supplies for prisoners of war, and that this lone steamer is still at Lisbon, unable to sail for the United States to take on its cargo.
The report which led to the inquiry was to the effect that the Polish embassy had been asked if it could furnish any food for “mercy ships” for the starving Jews and Poles in occupied Poland. The embassy, it was said, had replied that it could furnish a full shipload if necessary.
The question of sending “mercy ships” for the Polish Jews was raised here again by the news that 15,000 tons of wheat and flour will be shipped every month from Canada to Axis-held Greece, with safe conduct through both the British and German blockades. A Swedish-Swiss commission will control the distribution of the food, under the supervision of the International Red Cross organization in Greece.
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.
