If it were not for the presence of American troops in Germany pogroms would be a common occurrence, particularly in Bavaria, George Backer, president of the World ORT Union, declared here before departing for London.
He stressed that if the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine fails to find a concrete solution, the situation in the DP camps may become explosive because the DP’s cannot and will not return to their former homes. Backer added this winter may well be another “hunger winter,” and what is now a trickle of refugees from Hungary and Rumania may soon become a new exodus of Jews.
He pointed out that the International Refugee Organization, which is the immediate hope of the DP’s, scarcely offers a concrete solution because of its inadequate budget. He reported that the ORT will spend $2,150,000 this year in training 20,000 Jews in Germany, Austria and Italy and will also provide vocational education for Jews in ten other European countries and in several South American countries.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
