A statement issued by the official Lithuanian Telegraphic Agency today denied as “devoid of all foundation” reports published abroad that the authorities were-driving refugees back into German-occupied Poland.
The communique said that in addition to the great wave of refugees in the time of war Lithuania had admitted 2,000 rabbis with their pupils from all over Poland, as well as tens of thousands of other Poles. The large number of refugees without resources constituted a heavy burden for Lithuania, which was doing its best to lodge and feed the unfortunates, the statement said.
“In order to help civilian refugees and military internees to return to their country of origin, to reunite dispersed families and to recover abandoned homes, Lithuania is endeavoring by repeated demarches to open paths to voluntary repatriation,” the statemen added.
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