Schwartz Reports on Aid to Refugees in France

Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz, vice-chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee’s European Executive Council, who arrived here Friday for a six-week visit, reported at a press conference today that the J.D.C. had spent almost 5,000,000 francs for relief work in French internment camps and that anti-Semitic propaganda was having no effect on the French population. Dr. Schwartz said, in part:

“The J.D.C. has thus far spent close to 5,000,000 francs for relief work in the camps, in addition to much larger sums for work among non-interned refugees … There are still about 60,000 refugees interned in unoccupied France, of whom about 25,000 are Jewish The largest part of the remainder are Spaniards. A number of steps have been taken in recent weeks which have improved the conditions under which these 60,000 unfortunate human beings live, but there is ample scope for further improvements.

“An attempt is now being made to segregate different categories of refugees. For example; the Camp de Gurs contained up to 14,000 refugees during the winter. Today, there are about 7,500 left. The aged people (of whom there were more than 1,200) have been moved to smaller camps at Noe and Recebedou. Families with children up to the age of 15, embracing 4,500 individuals, have been transferred to the camp at Rivesaltes. Not only are physical conditions somewhat better in these newer camps, but it has meant a tremendous lift in morale…

“On the whole, release from the internment camps is difficult and proceeds slowly. Theoretically, it is possible for a refugee to be released if he can obtain the right of residence in one of the French prefectures and can show a maintenance guarantee of 1,500 to 2,000 francs monthly. In practice, however, the stumbling block proves to be the residence permit…

“The HICEM has a file of some 30,000 dossiers of refugees in France, of which 18,000 to 20,000 belong to internees. Gradually, the necessary papers are being transferred from Stuttgart to Marseille, and refugees who have possibilities of rapid departure are being sent to the camp at Lesmilles, right outside Marseille, to expedite their contact with the consulates.”