Italian Government Orders Evacuation of 15,000 Jewish Dp’s from North to South

Evacuation of 15,000 Jewish refugees from DP camps ## northern Italy to camps in the southern part of the country was ordered today by government authorities. The order caused profound depression among the displaced ?ews who have adjusted themselves to conditions of life in the northern camps where they have been residing for many months.

The order follows the transfer of 2,500 displaced Jews this week from the largest Jewish DP camp, Adriatico, near here, to a camp near Bari. Vocational schools established by ORT in the Adriatico camp were closed today, as a result of the liquidation order.

Representatives of the OKT left today for southern Italy to arrange for the transfer to that area of 55 vocational training schools and workshops maintained by the organization for the displaced Jews in the north. More than 1,200 students have been attending these schools regularly, it was pointed out.

Although under the existing agreement with the Italian Government the ORT schools could have remained in northern Italy, their removal was necessitated by the act that parents and relatives of the students will “be moved to the south under the ##w evacuation orders. A new agreement was reached following the arrival here from Geneva of Dr. A. Syngalowski, executive chairman of the World ORT Union.

The new accord provides that the ORT surrender the right to maintain its schools in northern Italy, but permits continuation of those schools whose successful operation depends on the relations which ORT enjoys with various north Italian industries offering employment opportunities to ORT graduates. All other vocational schools maintained by the organization, however, must be moved to the south.