Japan Bars Further Transit of Polish Jewish Refugees; Cites Congestion

Acting upon instructions from Tokyo, the Japanese Consul in Moscow will discontinue issuance of transit visas to Polish Jews, whom the Soviet authorities are permitting to leave Soviet Lithuania via Siberia and Japan to overseas lands, it was learned here today.

The instructions were issued as result of the congestion of more than 2,000 Jewish refugees from Lithuania, all holders of Polish passports, who are now congregated in Kobe and are in no position to proceed to the overseas countries for which they have started out. Almost all the 2,000 refugees have become dependent on relief. The Kobe Jewish community, which counts only 26 families, has secured temporary relief funds from the Joint Distribution Committee in New York.

Simultaneously, the Japanese authorities at the Tsuruga port barred the landing of a group of Jewish refugees who arrived from Lithuania through Soviet territory on the steamer Harbin-Maru from Vladivostok. The group, it is learned, includes a number of Jewish writers and journalists.

Moses Beckelman, J.D.C. representative in Lithuania, is expected to reach Kobe next week. In the meantime, the Japanese authorities are threatening to deport the refugees to Shanghai should they not leave Kobe for their countries of destination within the shortest time. Some of the stranded refugees possess Palestine immigration certificates but cannot find transportation facilities, while others are awaiting the arrival of visas from countries on the American continent.

Transports of German Jews are also arriving at Yokahama via Soviet Russia. Most of them possess regular American quota visas, but must wait several weeks before they can get bookings on steamers sailing to the United States.