On the heels of a vigorous demand by UNRRA Director General Fiorello LaGuardia that some international means be found to aid displaced persons after UNRRA is liquidated, the council of the organization today discussed various plans to speed the resettlement of tens of thousands of people now residing in DP camps in Europe.
LaGuardia rose to the defense of the displaced persons at a session last night when a resolution providing for the continuation of UNRRA until another body “international or not” assumed responsibility for them was introduced, Assailing the possibility of thrusting the DP problem upon a national agency, LaGuardia demanded:
“Do you want to throw thousands of these people to the dogs? Is this an international problem, or not: Which is this non-international organization? Are we to throw the displaced persons to Army ‘brass hats?’ The program of the Army is to throw these people on the German economy.”
After a hectic debate the resolution was changed and the meeting agreed that the DP’s were the responsibility of an international civilian organization.
Tyler Wood of the American delegation stressed that a “large, efficient, well manned Joint Distribution Committee” could take over some part of UNRRA’s work if necessary. The Yugoslav delegate indicated his government’s readiness to assist in any international action for resettlement of the Jews, whose sufferings, he said, the Yugoslav people could understand.
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