The American delegation to the 31-power refugee-aid conference opening at Evian-les-Bains on July 6 revealed to this correspondent today details of the forthcoming meeting which indicate that President Roosevelt is taking a personal interest in the preparations and will closely watch the proceedings from Washington.
Determined to obtain the best possible results, with a minimum of talk and a maximum of work, the President has instructed the delegation to suggest that the meeting be held in camera, except for the opening and closing sessions, it was disclosed.
Setting up temporary headquarters at the United States Embassy here, the American group up voiced the expectation that the conference would last ten or twelve days, concluding with the establishment of a permanent inter-governmental office, with its seat in Paris, to realize the decisions of the meeting. This office will also deal with private organizations interested in refugee work.
However, Myron C. Taylor, the American delegate to the conference, made clear today that he will not see any delegation from European organizations nor accept their memoranda. Such memoranda, the American delegation emphasized, can be submitted only through the respective governments of the countries where the organizations operate, since the conference is not private, but inter-governmental.
Regarding the memoranda of American refugee Aid organizations, it was disclosed that such have already been submitted by the various organizations to President Roosevelt’s Advisory Committee on Political Refugees in New York, which, after summarizing their proposals, submitted them to the President. Mr. Roosevelt approved some of them and transmitted these to Mr. Taylor for inclusion in the conference agenda, which is already in the hands of all participating governments, but is being kept secret.
Since the conference was brought about by the United States Government, Mr. Taylor will play a leading part at the meeting. He will have the assistance of James G. McDonald, chairman of the President’s Advisory Committee, who is sailing for Europe on international conferences, and George Brandt, immigration expert.
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.
