Thousands more Jews were expelled today from Nazi Poland into the “no-man’s-land” on the Lithuanian frontier according to information reaching Paris, substantiated by telegraphed advices from Wilno to Morris C. Troper, European director of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
Jews, including aged persons, infants and crippled, were reported stripped of almost all their clothing and left to freeze in the fields, while peasants living nearby were threatened with penalties if they assisted the refugees.
The Lithuanian Government was told it would be considered a border violation if any relief was delivered from the Lithuanian side. Even the Red Cross was not permitted to enter the zone with food. The situation was so serious that the Lithuanian Government decided to take diplomatic steps in Berlin, while the Lithuanian Red Cross appealed to the International Red Cross to intervene in Berlin for permission for relief organizations to enter the “no-man’s-land” with food, clothing and medicaments in view of the growing number of deaths.
The Lithuanian Government, which has already admitted 1,500 of these refugees, announced that it would admit no more since this would stimulate the Nazis to intensify the expulsions.
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