Aiding the Exiles

remitting and devoted efforts, make it unnecessary for thousands of their fellows to seek refuge in a neighboring country where there is slight or no opportunity for employment, and instead enable them to begin careers anew in lands overseas.

INTELLECTUAL REFUGEES A SPECIAL CONSIDERATION

The large-scale emigration of academic and professional people from Germany offers special problems. Some 1,200 to 1,300 scholars have been displaced, of whom roughly 600 have actually emigrated. These figures have been established as a result of a careful investigation made by the Academic Assistance Council in London. The number of professional people emigrated is in the neighborhood of 4,500, as revealed by a special census undertaken by the “International Committee for the Placement of Professional Refugees” under the auspices of the High Commission. To these figures have to be added between 1,600 and 1,700 students who have left Germany. The total number of cases to be dealt with is therefore in the neighborhood of 7,000. Counting the members of the families of these emigrated academic and professional people we arrive at a figure of 10,000 to 11,000 people belonging to the academic and professional classes to be cared for.

No general settlement schemes are feasible for these groups. Each case has to be dealt with individually, and, as refugees belonging to these groups appealed to various committees, it is imperative to arrive at the closest possible coordination of the work of the various organizations dealing with these categories of emigrants.

SPECIALIST DESIGNATED TO HANDLE PROBLEM

To meet these special needs and in carrying out the decisions of the last meeting of the governing body, an officer of the High Commission was especially assigned to work with the organize {SPAN}#ns{/SPAN} concerned with academic and professional emigrants.

Furthermore an “experts” committee for academic and kindred refugees from Germany” was set up. Notwithstanding the fact that this committee has only been functioning during the last four months it has already proved of considerable value.

In addition to the general experts committee dealing with all categories of academic, professional and student emigrants a special clearing committee fo# physicians was set up in Paris which it is hoped will facilitate the placing of physicians.

The results obtained by the various private organizations as a result of a close coordination of their work are fairly satisfactory. Thus of the 600 scholars actually emigrated more than 400 have found work. Of these roughly 180 can be considered to be placed on a permanent basis. Special credit is due in this respect to such organizations as the Academic. Assistance Council in London and the Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced German Scholars in New York and in proportion to its means, the Comites des Savants.

Of the 4,500 professional people in emigration, roughly 1,900 are estimated to have found permanent or temporary places of work. Most of the students emigrated have been assisted in finding new opportunities either for the continuation of their studies or for retraining. The International Student Service, which is primarily responsible for the work on behalf of the students, has given scholarships both for continuation of studies and for retraining purposes to 133 emigrant students and has secured positions or free places in retraining institutions for another sixty students.