J.D.B. News Letter

(By Our Geneva Correspondent)

At its last sitting, the Advisory and Technical Committee for Communications and Transit of the League of Nations, examined a number of questions connected with migration, including the issue of passports to persons with nationality and transit cards to oversea emigrants, two matters which had been studied by the Third General Conference on Communications and Transit. These measures will affect a large number of Jews in the category of “Staatenlose” (men without a country).

This Conference has adopted, in connection with the question of identity documents for persons without nationality, a series of recommendations based on the work of a committee of experts and an alternative draft put forward by the British delegation. By these recommendations, the General Conference requested the various Governments to accord, by the issue of a uniform type of documents, travelling facilities to persons without nationality or of doubtful nationality in consequence of the world war or for causes arising directly out of the war. For this purpose it was proposed that a document identical with the international booklet type of passport recommended by the Passport Conference in May 1926, but bearing certain special indications, should be issued to the said persons under the title of “Identity and Travelling Documents.”

The issue of an identity and travelling document would not affect the status or the nationality of the holder, would confer no right of protection on the diplomatic and consular authorities of the country issuing it, and would not entitle the holder to claim such protection. The various Governments were not asked to modify in any way the laws and regulations governing the conditions of admission to, and residence and establishment in their respective territories, and no change would be made in the resolutions adopted, or the agreements concluded or to be concluded concerning Russian and Armenian refugees and other similar classes of refugees. In order to visa the document, each Government would be free to adopt such provisions as it might deem necessary. The Governments would be entitled, when issuing the document, to strike out in exceptional cases the reference to the return of the holder to their respective territories.

The period of validity of an identity and travelling document would be six months as a rule, but the Government issuing the document would be entitled, if it thought fit, to extend its validity or to issue a new one through its officials at home or its representatives abroad, when the original document had expired. The authorities of the country in which the holder of the document happened to be might, in similar conditions, issue a new one, but in both cases the authority issuing a new document would be required to withdraw the one which had expired.

The Advisory and Technical Committee decided that the Governments should be requested to state what effect has been given to the recommendations summarized above.

During the same sitting the Committee took note of the communications received from the Governments in reply to the international draft model agreement in connection with transit cards for oversea emigrants. This agreement had been drawn up by the Committee of Experts in December 1926, and submitted for remarks to the various Governments. Most of the replies were favourable to the agreement. Nevertheless, a number of reservations having been made by the Governments of Germany and Great Britain, the Committee requested the Council of the League of Nations to ask the Committee of Experts previously consulted to draw up a new report on the question, which would be communicated to the Governments and would serve as a basis for discussion at a second European Conference entrusted with the drafting of a definite international agreement on the subject.

Bernard M. Baruch will not be in a position to take an official position in the Smith campaign organization.

John J. Raskob, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, had planned to ask Mr. Baruch to take charge of the farm belt activities as Chairman of the Farm Committee, with headquarters in the Middle West. Mr. Baruch cabled from Paris that he would be available the middle of August to give his personal services on Smith’s behalf.

The World states that it has learned whatever aid Mr. Baruch gives to the Smith campaign will be given in a non-official capacity.

Bequests amounting to $21,000 for public institutions were made in the will of Mrs. Fannie Rothschild Mack who died on July 23 in New York City. She left an estate of more than $200,000.

Montefiore Hospital and Beth Abraham Home for Incurables, are to receive $5,000 each; New York Guild for Jewish Blind. Jewish Board of Guardians, Irvington Home for Cardine Children, New York Probation and Protevtive Association and the Surprise Lake Camp, each $2,000, and Mother Alphonsus Lathrop. O. S. D., of the Servants for Relief of Incurable Cancer, $1,000.