Jewish Colonization Association Fulfilled Pledge to Jewish Refugees and Canadian Government, Paris I

The Jewish Colonization Association has fulfilled its pledge to the Russian Jewish refugees stranded in Roumania, to the Roumanian Government and to the Canadian Government, it was declared in a statement issued today by the headquarters of the Ica here to the representative of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in reply to the accusations made in connection with the recent action of the Canadian Government.

“The information which was published concerning the admission of Jewish refugees into Canada is misleading”, the statement says. “The facts are the following. In October, 1923, the Canadian Government granted a special privilege to the Jewish Colonization Association, allowing it to select on its own responsibility and send to Canada those Jewish refugees who were stranded in Roumania. The selection was made under the supervision of a special inspector from Paris who was, for twenty years, chief of the Ica’s emigration department in Russia.

“All Jewish emigrants sent to Canada were bonafide refugees. Because of the delay in transportation, the Roumanian Government extended permission to the refugees to remain in the country. The Canadian Immigration office in Bucharest postponed its closing until the end of October owing to this delay.

“The last group of refugees sails from Trieste for Canada on November 3rd and consists of 300 to 400 persons. The Jewish Colonization Association has thus completed the removal of all refugees, fulfilling the terms of the agreement with the Canadian Government.

“Roumania now being cleared of all refugees admissible under the agreement with Canada, the Jewish Colonization Association,” the statement continues, “endeavored to obtain permission to use the remainder of the visas, approximately 2,000, for stranded emigrants. However, the Canadian Government refused this request, stating that these emigrants left Russia voluntarily with passports of the Soviet Government and they cannot therefore, be considered as refugees. The Canadian Minister of Immigration consequently cancelled the unused visas.

2260 persons were sent by the Fabre Line, the average fare paid was $60 which is about fifty percent of the standard price. The Holland American Line, in spite of insinuations, carried only four refugees; the Cunard Line carried 102, the Canadian Pacific 200,” the statement concluded.