A cable received by the Joint Distribution Committee here from its Lisbon office confirms the reports that the Spanish authorities are releasing from concentration camps and prisons all refugees of non-military age.
The released refugees will be permitted to live in “assigned residence” centers where they can remain under supervision but with a degree of personal liberty. Their release is contingent upon their not becoming public charges, Joseph C. Hyman, executive vice-chairman of the JDC, stated, adding that the Joint Distribution Committee is confronted with an immediate need for funds.
“At present,” he declared, “the JDC is spending $67,000 a month for its program in Spain, but even this substantial sum will have to be augmented.” Discussing the general situation in Spain, he pointed out that the cost of living is extremely high there and that refugees must be maintained on an individual rather than group basis, owing to the fact that Spanish laws bar the formation of local Jewish organizations.
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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.