Officials of the Dominican Republic Settlement Association, following congressional ratification of the association’s contract with the Government for colonization of refugees expected ultimately to number 100,000, today made preparations to receive the first 500 refugee families for settlement on the 24,000-acre Sosua tract.
The first group of settlers will be received as soon as the formalities of their selection, assembling and transportation can be arranged, it was stated by Dr. Joseph Rosen, vice-president of the D.R.S.A., and his associate, Dr. Frederick Pearlstein. Formal transfer of the Sosua tract, which was contributed by Generalissimo Rafael L. Trujillo, former President of the Republic, will take place within a few days.
The contract, which was signed here on Jan. 30, was unanimously ratified by both Houses of Congress yesterday at a special session. Congress also voted laws giving free entry to settlers, their goods and equipment and exempting the association from taxation.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
