Henry Morgenthau’s Resignation Due to Embezzlement of Kaufman, Member of Greek Refugee Commission, C

The resignation of Henry Morgenthau, formerly United States Minister to Turkey, as head of the Greek Refugee Settlement Commission, which administered the affairs of the Greek refugees under the League of Nations, was ascribed in a cable from Vienna to the Chicago “Tribune” yesterday to the severe criticism of the Greek press against Mr. Morgenthau, the head of the Commission, owing to the fact that one of its members, a certain Mr. Kaufman, embezzled Greek refugee funds.

The report of the Chicago “Tribune” further claims that the embezzlement had been established.

“The statements of the Chicago “Tribune” concerning my resignation as being due to the activities of a certain Mr. Kaufman who, as alleged, embezzled funds of the League of Nations Greek Refugee Settlement Commission, is nothing but a tissue of lies”. Henry Morgenthau declared to a representative of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

“Kaufman is a Russian who had nothing to do with the work of the League’s Greek Refugee Settlement Commission. He never handled a red cent of the Refugee Fund. In fact, I never met him. The money Kaufman used was probably the funds of the Italian order, Knights of Malta, which had nothing to do with the Commission of which I was the head and from which I have resigned. My resignation cannot be ascribed in any way to the activities of any one. I resigned in September. I am not aware of any criticism on the part of the Greek press other than favorable to the Commission”, Mr. Morgenthau stated.

“I have finished my job successfully. I have accomplished my two purposes: I have obtained financial support from the government to the extent of £10,000,000 and I have organized the work of re-colonization of Greek refugees. It is now the task of younger men to take care of the administration work. My three associates, Mr. John Campbell of Great Britain and two Gr##ks, are still working. No one has been appointed as my successor.

“The task which the Greek Refugee Settlement Commission had to accomplish was one of the largest undertakings of its kind in the history of the world. It concerned the fate of 1,200,000 Greeks who were driven out of Turkey as a result of the Turkish-Greek War. They had to be re-established in their own country,” Mr. Morgenthau concluded.