Urges Orderly Emigration Instead of Exodus

Mr. Taylor then listed the three “concrete” achievements of the Evian conference — the setting up of permanent refugee-aid machinery, presentation by private organizations of plans for amelioration of the involuntary emigration and the statements by the 32 participating governments of the “part each was prepared to contribute in effecting a solution of a problem which, succinctly stated, is that of substituting an orderly system of departure from countries whence there is involuntary emigration for the existing disorderly exodus of men, women and children who have no definite place to go.”

“I am happy to report,” he continued, “that the first step has been taken in spirit of the closest possible cooperation among the governments concerned and with a deep consciousness of the serious nature of our task and of the urgent necessity for its prompt fulfillment. I am sure, moreover, that i express the views of all who attended the meeting at Evian when i say there ever was present with us the realization that many thousands of our fellow human beings were looking to us for succor and assistance, and that we had aroused the hopes of many thousands more that we could not, we absolutely could not fail.”

Mr. Taylor stressed that the London meeting must now take the second vital step and announced that he would present at tomorrow’s session a detailed statement of the technical position with an attempt to evaluate it in concrete terms. Redefining in a general way the situation with which the conference was dealing, in relationship to current world affairs, Mr. Taylor continued:

“Fundamentally it is a problem of involuntary emigration, one which challenges western civilization. Briefly stated, western civilization is the degree of progress and order under law in the struggle against anarchy and chaos. It is a saga of the march of humanity away from the rule of force to an orderly system of society where good neighborliness is the rule and where there is real security for the individual and the nation to which he belongs. Stated in other terms, It is the achievement of individuals in a national community and nations in a world community in assuring for themselves and for one another the maximum of freedom and security under law in order that they may make the fullest use of the powers latent in them for moral, intellectual and material attainment.

“Civilization in the international sphere is predicated on right and duty. Right is the sovereign right of each nation to promote the welfare of its citizens, not to trespass upon the rights of nations. The consequence is that in international affairs there must be orderly compromise under the law. it is this agreement in the solution of a problem which has become of international and intergovernmental concern that we are assembled here to seek, and in seeking it, it is the purpose of our governments to proceed in the true spirit of western civilization, each doing his share in order that all — countries of origin of involuntary emigration, countries of refuge and countries of final settlement — may benefit.”