The United States Treasury Department has granted the HIAS a license to transmit funds to Switzerland to provide guarantees of maintenance for refugees now interned in labor camps. The Swiss Government has announced that it will release those refugees who can furnish guarantees that they will not become public wards. The funds will be sent by HIAS on behalf of American relatives of the internees.
A special service department to handle this program has been established by the HIAS, the announcement said. It stated that a refugee who is interned may obtain his liberty if a guarantee is furnished in the form of a cash deposit at the rate of $100 a month for a period of six months. A similar guarantee is required in order to obtain the release from labor camps of persons over 60 years of age, the physically ill, and women with children under 6 years of age. Guarantees may be furnished by depositing the full amount for the six-month period with HIAS. The office in Zurich, after being advised of the guarantee, will take steps to obtain the liberation of the refugees concerned.
Action upon this program has been undertaken by HIAS in accordance with the information received together with a list of 12,000 Jewish refugees who are now interned in Swiss refugee camps. The total number of Jewish refugees in Switzerland at present is 20,000, Mr. Herman stated.
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