A far reaching and comprehensive plan for the settlement of the refugee problem to be submitted to the peace conference at the conclusion of the war is now in preparation by the Coordinating Foundation, formed by the Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees, it was disclosed here today by ex-Premier Paul van Zealand of Belgium, executive president of the Foundation.
The plan, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency learns, is designed to form an integral part of a general scheme of European reconstruction after the war. The Coordinating Foundation was established in London in 1939 with an initial capital of £200,000 to work in cooperation with the governments represented on the Intergovernmental Committee and the refugee organizations with the aim of finding permanent homes for victims of Nazi persecution.
In a statement issued today, Mr. van Zeeland explained that the activities of the Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees are momentarily handicapped because of the general world situation. “At most we are able to assist only several hundred unfortunates. The new immigration restrictions introduced by the United States government has further limited our efforts. I understand the motives behind these measures. They create a formidable obstacle but good will persists and we too persist in accomplishing whatever we can.”
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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.