EXILES IN EUROPE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19701, 5 August 1938, Page 5

EXILES IN EUROPE

APPEAL FOR AID PLIGHT OF JEWS PERSECUTION BY NAZIS RUTHLESS DRIVE RENEWED GERMANY AND A ('STRIA (British Official Wireless.) Rec. 9 a.m. RUGBY. Aug. 4. The inter-Governmental committee which the Evian conference decided should assemble in London to resume the efforts with which the conference was concerned—namely to find new homes for political refugees from Germany and Austria—met under the ; presidency of Earl Winterton yesterday. Representatives of 32 other nations attended. The husiness included the election of Earl Winterton as the president, who with four vice-presidents nominated by America, Brazil, France and the Netherlands, will constitute a committee of the bureau. Mr. George : Rublee, a distinguished American lawyer, was appointed as a director. ' Earl Winterton welcomed the representatives in the name of ' Britain, mentioning that the Prime ' Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, ' the Foreign Secretary, Viscount Halifax, and the Home Secretary, Sir ' Samuel Hoare, had particularly asked to be associated with the welcome He added that it was a source of much satisfaction to Britain that the committee charged with the duty of continuing and developing the work of 1 the Evian conference was to have its headquarters in London. i Mr. Myron Taylor, of America, reported on the progress of the work undertaken at Evian, which meeting, he said, had accomplished three concrete things. It recommended to the 32 Governments which co-operated the establishment of machinery complementary to the existing machinery for. negotiation between the countries of origin of involuntary emigration, the countries of the refugees and thv countries of final settlement. Orderly System Sought He defined the problem as that of substituting an orderly system of departure from the countries whence there was involuntary emigration for the existing disorderly exodus of men, women and children, who had no definite place to go to. The task was to set in motion machinery for negotiation io evaluate the extent of the problem and receive a more bDecific statement of what each participating Government was prepared to do towards eliminating what he described ;<$ a major factor of unrest in international relations. Mr. Taylor undertook to make a detailed statement, at a private ses sion to-morrow, of the technical position. He expressed the confident hope that all Governments which had an interest in an orderly solution of the problem of involuntary emigra' tion would join .efforts with those of the committee and then, although the problem was fraught with many com'plexities, he believed the difficulties would not prove insurmountable. The diplomatic correspondent of The Times says that the excellent work done at the initial meeting of the refugees' committee and by private conversations showed up even more sharply in the formal speeches.. Necessity for Action All representatives agreed to the necessity of immediate action and expressed the hope that Germany at least would allow the refugees to take out some of their property. Many delegates were sorry and surprised that Earl Winterton did not speak as strongly as the French and American delegates, but Britain had already made it clear that she shared their views. Simultaneously with the discussion in London, Germany started a ruthless drive against the Jews. The Berlin correspondent of The Times points out that Jewish doctors will not only not be allowed to practise in Germany after September. 30, but landlords have been ordered to evict them from flats and houses. Austrian landlords are permitted to evict Jews whatever their occupation. German landlords are demanding the same right. The correspondent adds that the only occupation open to Jews in the near future will probably be stonebreaking at concentration camps, to which many already have been sent, simply because they are Jews. The "Aryanisation" of Jewish businesses is being speeded up. It involves not only severe loss to the proprietors, but the end to the employment of Jewish stalls. Jews are still permitted to own stock shares as it is feared the Bourse would break if such shares were thrown on to the market, but the authorities are permitting Jews to draw out only limited sums from bank accounts. Difficulties Intensified Difficulties placed in the way of emigration are being intensified. The Jews must nay 100 per cent tax on any personal property they take out. If they try to sell it at auction, in Germany, it must be advertised as non-Aryan goods. Dealers are not allowed to bid and if private buyers have not the temerity to buy the property falls to the State. The Jews have been ordered to destroy the synagogue at Nuremberg before the Nazi rally en September 5. The Budapest correspondent of The Times says that signs are accumulating that Hungarian Nazis, who hitherto have been divided, are building up their strength and unity. The most important groups have been fused under the leadership of Mayor Szalasi, who is now imprisoned. The programme includes anti.seimtism and the redistribution of property, the State taking a third of the profits of producion. The basis of the State will be the peasants' policy. It will be militaristic as "Hungary despises and hates degenerate pacifism." The Berlin correspondent of The Times points out that Hungary is falling increasingly under German influence. The Regent, Admiral Horthy, and members of the Cabinet will visit Germany on August 21 and it is expected that their talks will strengthen Germany's position.