Senator Guy M. Gillette, of Iowa, today announced on the floor of the Senate that he is withdrawing his resolution asking the creation of a government agency to facilitate the rescue of Jews in occupied European countries. The establishment by President Roosevelt during the week-end of a War Refugee Board for the rescue of Jews and other persecuted minorities in Nazi Europe “accomplishes what the Senate set out to do,” Sen. Gillette stated.
Rep. Will Rogers, Jr., of California, who introduced a similar resolution in the House of Representatives, indicated that he would withdraw his resolution from the lower house. “It would be futile to pass a request for what has already been done,” Rep. Rogers told a press conference.
The extent of the work to be undertaken by the War Relief Board, consisting of Secretaries Hull, Morgenthau and Stimson, may appear when the President appoints an executive director later this week. Among those suggested for the position are Jr. Borden Reams of the State Department, who advised the American delegation to the Bermuda refugee conference last year, and James MacDonald, executive director of the President’s Advisory Council on Political Refugees.
It was pointed out here that although the advance of the Russian Army towards the Balkans and Poland has frightened many officials in the satellite countries into better treatment of refugees, coming military operations may close abruptly the avenues of escape. Spain , Rumania and Bulgaria are disposed to help refugees as a means of carrying favor with the United Nations, but the Germans put every obstacle in the way, it was stated.
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.
