Representatives of voluntary relief agencies in Germany and a top-ranking military official here who is closely connected with the displaced persons problem today ridiculed a statement made this week by U.S. officers at Frankfurt that eventually the Army might be faced with the problem of caring for 3,000,000 Jews if the DP’s continue to arrive from Eastern Europe.
The military authority expressed “complete surprise” at the figures released at Frankfurt. He declared that everyone was aware that large numbers of refugee Jews were entering the U.S. zone but refused to give the exact figures because the Army considered them as “classified” information which could not be released to the public.
Voluntary relief agency officials stated that the infiltration from Eastern Europe has averaged 10,000 a month for the last few months. They predicted that this figure might increase to 12,000, but insisted that at that rate it would still be many years before there would be 3,000,000 Jews in the American-occupied area. One official interjected that he wished that he could expect so large a figure, but “unfortunately such numbers of Jews no longer exist in Europe.”
Other observers here explained that the Army is annoyed by the problem of caring for the incoming refugees and wants them barred but could not order such a stoppage because a popular humanitarian outory would result. It was pointed out, however, that if the Army could convince the American people that it would have to feed, clothe and house millions rather than a few hundred thousand as originally estimated, it might arouse sympathy for the Army’s problem and pave the way for an order halting admission of Jewish refugees to the American zone.
JEWISH CAMPS IN BERLIN OVERCROWDED; ORGANIZATIONS PRESS FOR ACTION
Meanwhile, representatives of Jewish organizations here and in the American zone at Frankfurt are pressing the highest military authorities for an immediate solution of the acute problem of overcrowding of local displaced persons facilities.
The situation, which developed about four weeks ago when American Army authorities decided to halt shipment of DP’s to the British zone and the southern section of the U.S. zone, has now reached a point there the Duppel camp in Berlin, designed for 1,200 persons, is accommodating 3,100. The present figure represents an increase of 700 since last week. Authorities expect several hundred more to arrive this week. The Wittenau camp in the French sector or Berlin has long since been filled beyond its normal capacity.
Despite the conditions under which they live, the residents at Duppel today held a party for some 500 camp children, including 200 orphans from Eastern European countries. The entertainment included a vaudeville show with DP singers, acrobats and magicians performing for the children. The circus atmosphere, which pervaded the German theatre where the show was staged, was heightened by the distribution of chocolate bare by American Army Chaplain Herbert Friedman, who had to go all the way to the commending general for permission to purchase the candy.
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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.
