Refugee Bodies Study Colonization Prospects; Seek Admission of 3,000 Children to England

Prospects for eventual large-scale settlement of Jews in British Guiana and the British-mandated former German colony of Tanganyika, held out by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in his statement in the House of Commons yesterday, were under intensive study today by all refugee-aid organizations. Clarification of many points which were briefly mentioned or passed over by Mr. Chamberlain, such as finance, is considered necessary in order for the organizations to be able to establish just what the basis will be for the colonization activity.

This is expected to be forthcoming at the meeting of directors of the Intergovernmental Refugee Committee in London this weekend when the British representatives are expected to reduce the proposals to a more concrete form and outline the British views on the extent to which the committee’s Refugee Bureau will participate in investigation, organization and financing of settlements. The present belief is that the work will be directed by the bureau in cooperation with private organizations.

Meanwhile, the question of immediate refuge for German Jews was given urgent consideration by refugee organizations. In line with Home Secretary Sir Samuel Hoare’s statement last night, the British Council for German Jewry was rushing definite proposals on admission of children to Britain for submission to the Home Office. Lord Samuel, chairman of the council, presided today at a meeting of Jewish leaders called to consider the transfer of children. Lord Samuel is understood to be anxious to secure admission of 3,000 children. Many private families are offering homes for the refugee children.

While British newspapers were divided in their reaction to Mr. Chamberlain’s statement on the Jewish refugee question in Commons yesterday, all agreed in stressing that Britain would be unable to tackle the problem without international cooperation. Several newspapers saw the possibility of an immediate recall of Germany’s Ambassador “to report” as a result of the inclusion of Tanganyika in the colonization proposals.

Conservative organs insisted that resettlement of the refugees was a broad international task of which Britain could not bear the full burden. While agreeing with this thesis, opposition newspapers regretted that the Government had not made more sweeping plans.

The Times expressed the hope that the departure of the American and German ambassadors would not involve indefinite suspension of discussions with the German Government to facilitate Jewish emigration. It stressed the importance of an agreement with Berlin enabling emig- rants to take with them part of their capital and urged coordination of all Jewish and non Jewish organizations to assist the refugees. It also saw “prompt and generous” financial assistance from private American sources for “any properly organized scheme of refugee settlement.”

The News-Chronicle criticized the Chamberlain proposals, declaring the chances of success with regard to Tanganyika were remote since it was improbable that Germany would agree to release Jews for settlement in her former colony. Stressing the necessity for large scale settlement which it said was possible only by cooperation of the democracies, the newspaper declared that “Britain will not have fulfilled her duty if she merely declares she is willing to take a small quota.”

The Daily Herald asserted it remained to be seen whether Guiana could be turned to much advantage in view of the fact that the League of Nations has already condemned it as unfit for settlement by Europeans. The Laborite organ declared that Mr. Chamberlain had been at pains to punctuate his series of suggestions with warnings that the possibilities of large scale settlement in the Colonial Empire were strictly limited.

The Daily Telegraph commented caustically on the German Government’s disposition to “make a profit out of persecution” rather than contribute, as the Evian conference had hoped, to solution of the refugee problem by enabling the emigrants to take their capital with them.