Jewish Leaders Intervene with Italy to Obtain Transit for Domingo-bound Refugees

Confirmation that Italy is refusing transit to German Jews seeking to emigrate to other countries was received here today by the Joint Distribution Committee.

Among those affected are 105 persons selected by the J.D.C. from Germany, Austria and Switzerland for emigration to the Dominican Republic. (A total of 500 refugees were scheduled to sail from Genoa May 24 aboard the Italian steamship Neptuna to become the nucleus of the Sosua settlement project in the Dominican Republic.)

Morris C. Troper, European director of the J.D.C., who selected the prospective Dominican settlers, sent a special representative to study refugee emigration possibilities and to negotiate with the Italian Line in an effort to secure transit for the emigrants. At the same time, James N. Rosenberg of New York, president of the Dominican Republic Settlement Association, was urged by cable to intervene with the Italian ambassador in Washington.

This correspondent (Boris Smolar) has just returned from Italy, where he found that measures had been taken which made it difficult even for holders of American passports, if they were Jews, to enter the country. The action is apparently connected with Rome’s desire to have as few alien Jews as possible in the country and indicates that should Italy become involved in the war, all alien Jews would be deported while native Jews would be put under special supervision.

When I arrived at the Italian border at Domodossola, the only American passenger on the train, uniformed Fascist gendarmes said that my American passport was not sufficient and that I must state my religion, even to be admitted temporarily. This despite the fact that Italian stamps on my passport showed I had visited the country dozens of times during the past few years.

I stated that I am Jewish. The gendarmes then demanded to see my steamship tickets for the United States, assuming that I was one of the Americans leaving for home. The officials seemed embarrassed when I informed them that I was not entering Italy in order to sail for the United States. They then detained my passport and after consultation with a higher official returned it to me.

Other passengers on the train who stated they were Jewish, no matter what their nationality, were similarly examined, while those who gave their religion as Protestant or Catholic had their passports stamped in the train without any formalities.

Among the questions I had to answer while the train was held were: whom did I intend to meet in Italy? How long would I remain? Which cities would I visit? Where would I reside? By which border would I leave? My answers to these questions were taken down in writing.

The gendarmes were especially interested in ascertaining whether I had visas for countries adjoining Italy. Since my passport carried visas for Switzerland, France and Yugoslavia, thus ensuring that I would be admitted to those countries anytime I had to leave Italy, the gendarmes finally permitted me to enter Italy.

Other Jewish passengers on the train — not Americans — were taken off and were told they would be sent back on the next train, without being permitted to cross Italy.

Later I learned that a prominent American Jew, the European director of an important American relief organization, was similarly questioned about his religion when he tried to enter Italy and was taken into a special room for examination, although he is a native American and the holder of an American passport.

In Trieste and Milan I found the Jews in great panic as a result of the intensified drive against alien Jews and pro-war demonstrations of young Fascist groups.