V
N.Y.#269
Stencilled
2/26/46
GOV EMMW E/M DLS PB JCH
MAL LHS 1HL RLS HKB
FFG BBGMML BK ST VW
ME NR
•
AMERICAN .JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE
. '•- 270. MADISON AVENUE
•: ••••- '. .:.
NEW YORK, N<Y.. ..
Report s e n t i n - b y A J D O ^ o l s e n - '
"
SUBJECT: MINUTE T M M T r . P A > n I 0 N . C Q m m h E | ±
•"••••-'.
Report Reed. 2 / 2 6 / 4 6 N.Y.
FERRTTARY'^^
HEADQUARTERS •
U . S . FORCES, EUROPEAN THEATRE
OFFICE OF MILITARY GOVERNMENT (U.S.ZONE)
MEMORANDUM:
APO 7 5 7
2 F e b r u a r y 1946
SUBJECT: MINUTES:IMMIGRATION CONFERENCE, 1 FEBRUARY 1946
TO: SEE DISTRIBUTION
'• ,
"'
1 . Purpose of C o n f e r e n c e .
Sta?eaf
S r a
°
n
sentei S ' S g i t S T l ^
0
^ -
° P e a n national to:the Unite!
MU0010
USFET,
USFET,
USFET,:
' °ffl06 °
f t h e
° r B a n i Z a t i 0 n a "™ *°°
S t a t e Department
'.
War Department
Dept. of J u s t i c e , I m m i g r a t i o n S e r v .
-.U.S. -Consul G e n e r a l •
U.S. Public. Health Service
USFET, OMG (US Zone) P l a n s Branch
USFET,
USFET,
' ••"
The O f f i c e of t h e P o l i t i c a l Art
a l Eur
Aavlsor^M^presiaeaf *-.
V
"'
******
*«Pr-.-
Mr. R . K. T r a v e r s Lt Col W, R. B u s t e r • '"-"
Mr* Ugo C a r u s i
Mr. S. B. Redebker - .
Med>Dir, G. T. Dunnaho.o
Col L. J . .Chawner
Col Frank T-. Balke • .
C a p t . K. A. O r a v e t z •
OMG (US Zone) DP Branch
Lt Col K. H. Smith '
G-l, Special A c t i v i t i e s
C o l . A. M. R e i n h a r t '
Lt
H. M. Leet
G-2 . . •-.-'• "",'•;
HaJ J . R. Sykes '
G*-3. •• • >•:.'- - '•' ' •
Capt J . J . Diivrorth
G-4
.'""•'
' . . ' " " ' . " .Col C. L. rant t i e
Lt Col £ . d o u g h , J r .
P
-2Lt Col R. M. Neal
CWO P. G. Serafino
Mr.
C. H. Martini
Relief
Service
UNRRA, CHQ,
Mr.
G
.. W. Rabinoff
Welfare
&
Repatriation
UNRRA, CHQ,
Miss
E. Blackly
Welfare
UNRRA, CHQ,
Miss
M.
Bradford
Voluntary
SocietiesUNRRA, CHQ,
Mr.
P.
A.
De Maerel
Repatriation
Assistance
UNRRA, CHQ,
Zone
Miss
F.
Pomeroy
UNRRA, U.S.
UNRRA', U.S1. Zone, Relief Services
Miss G. K,- Richman '
UNRRA, U.S. Zone, Voluntary Agencies Mr. W. S. Boe
Refugees Relief Commission
Miss C. Killian
National Catholic Welfare Conference Mr. E. E. Cummings
Union of Orthodox Rabbis of U.S.
Rabbi A. Kolmanowitz
Rabbi S. P. Wohlgelernter
Mr. L. M. Becker
AJDC
Mr. H. Katzki
Mr. J. 0. Ebbinger
Mr. I. Dljour
HIAS
Mr. Z. Bloom
Intergovernmental Committee on
Kr. P. McCormack
Refugees
Mr. H. Hoffman
Jewish Agency for Palestine
4.- The Chairman, Mr. Muccio, opened the meeting by stating
that the conference should be restricted to broad generalities and
plans and that' details should be reserved until a later time. He
stated that some of the problems were to te the responsibility of
the Theatre and others that of the v-.rious volunteer agencies who
have been dealing with displaced persons and refugees in the American Zone of Occupation in Germany.
••TSFET, G-l
5. The Office of the Political Advisor OMGG (U.S.) through #
Carusi of the Department of Justice, has assumed the principal
responsibility for the project and Theater coordination will be exercised through the Plans Branch, OMG (US Zone), Colonel Balke havto maintain liaison. Ambassador Murphy is reing b, en designated
presented
by Mr. Muccio who will confer with the various agencies.,
who have been working' with displaced persons and refugees. The
President has directed that the Secretary of State', Secretary of War,
The Attorney General, the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service and the War Shipping" Administrator cooperate in the establishment of consulates and the processing of displaced persons and war
refugees and the issuance of visas so as to resume immigration to
the United States as rapidly'as possible of the number of persons
eligible under the quotas. _ . ...
6, Mr. Travers of.the 'State Department and several members of
various other departments of the government have come here as a committee to carry out. the President's directive and to obtain information to determine the'proper step's necessary to re-establish the immigration procedure. Consulates will be set up in Berlin, Bremen,
Frankfurt, Stuttgart andMunich to assist the people residing in and
near those, cities. Hamburg probably will have a consulate'established there although,it is hot in the American Zone. ! It is desired
• that every assistance, be given toward' helping the eligible people
to obtain visas so that those- entitled, to immigrate under, the Imn• igration Act-may be enabled to do. so as rapidly as possible. In this
. respect and in accordance with the President's wish, first'consideration Is" to be p;ivp.ft fro o'H?han.efl pfciaflren, In the President's directive'he states: "Visas should be distributed fairly among persons of
all.'faiths, creeds and nationalities.- I desire that special attention be devoted to orphaned children to whom it is hoped the majority of visas will be issued...
7. It is not known hov; many residents of the American Zone '. N
are entitled ;to be considered for visa. The committee is here to
endeavor to obtain information, to receive suggestions not only
from relief associations but from the' various organizations concerned with the care of displaced p.ersons,' lb is necessary that the
State Department know what steps the War Department should take toward transportation, feeding, housing and medical care, and what the
various welfare organizations will do to help in this undertaking.
8. Mr. Carusi stated that when these questions wfcre taken up
at meetings in the States with the various organizations who have
representatives over here, some difficulty arose in the form of
seeming reluctance on the part of each organization to commit itself
on just what it could do and some indication that each organization
had a fear of being dominated in the project by some other. Mr.'
Carusi cautioned that unless all organizations can work together
toward the accomplishment of the request contained in the President's
directive, there is bound to be a great deal of criticism and it"
will not be unwarranted.
9. Mr. Carusi pointed out there are many more people who' de-sire to immigrate than will be able to do so under the quotas. For
example the quota for ExLand for a year is some 6,500, with only ten
per cent of that number permitted to move each month. 'Germany^
'quota is higher. 3,900!is the grand total for Germany, Poland,
Austria-Hungary, Yugoslavia, Rumania,. Belgium and the Balkan countries, and some of this number may be reserved for Central European
immigrants residing in other parts of the world.
10.It will be necessary that the various welfare organizations assist with information as to place of birth and help with the
.preparation of affidavits and other papers necessary to obtain visas.
He stated that this problem will fall short of the mark without an
adequate amount of assistance shown by the volunteer agencies. Mr.
Carusi requested that the volunteer agencies show, what they are doing and can do toward assisting. The Volunteer agencies he said,
could especially cooperate when the details were worked out by submitting the case histories and other data they have obtained that
will be of help' in obtaining visas. One of the obstacles has been
I
-4the inability to obtain definite commitments from the volunteer
agencies as to what they are willing to do in regard to affidavits
to guarantee financial support for the successful applicants. There
are also other features which have not quite been settled as the
agencies seem apprehensive of committing themselves. The speed with
which individuals may be prepared and available may be the deciding
• factor regarding the issuance of visas. This requirement of speed
is of prime importance. It was suggested that a Steering Committee
be appointed and that a manner of effective action be established
by common consent so that the military and civilian officers might
go to this committee and present the problems that come up and know
with whom they can sit down and work out a solution. It is not nec~ e.ssarily an individual affidavit of support that is required but
assistance in the locating of persons who have relatives or friends
in the States who.are willing to assume the respbhsl'bllityT The
agencies seem to take views of both extremes""" of responsibility instead of anticipating that a normal coverage of responsibility villi
be struck. Of course, if it is apparent that an individual is likely •
to become a public charge, no visa will be issued.
11, Captain Dunnahoo, the Public Health representative, stated
*1
. that his department was concerned only with the physical and mental
examinations of the applicants to insure that neither physical nor
mental liabilities be permitted to obtain visas'and that no one hav. ing a contagious disease be admitted into the country.
. 12. Colonel Buster, War Department representative, then stated
that the War Department's responsibility was merely to aid the State
Department and the Department of Justice in carrying out the program
and is called upon because it takes place in an" occupied zone. The
Array will turn over all possible available facilities to assist the
project.
13. Mrs. Pomeroy, UNRRA U.S. Zone representative, stated that
UNRRA could make available the records of displaced persons in the
American Zone, and that UNRRA might become the medium through which
'the Army could take care of the immigrants. However, the necessary
instructions would have to come from UNRRA Headquarters in Germany or ~
London and the corresponding volunteer agencies approved by the Theater Commander would probably have to provide the necessary funds to
operate.
14. Mr. Martini, UNRRA London representative, asked for early
information, of what specific services would be expected of the volunteer agencies,
15. Mrs* Pomeroy stated that UNRRA could aid in securing proper documentation. Many volunteer agencies work with UNRRA now, but *
not in Germany and, therefore, could not assist them here in such
matters. She stated many agencies might be under hardship in the
United States to put up a bond as they did with evacuated children
-5-
v
.
who were sent o very during the war. The Chairman stated that lt was
not necessary .that the sponsor;for the.. children-be a friend or rela- •
tive, but only that it be a-:matura^perSon, The agencies ^couild be of
special help in the preparation7of the final papers when records had
been destroyed and could assist, in digging out the necessary data for
an application for visa- and in-locating relatives. Mr. Carusi said
he believed United States agencies would be prepared to underwrite
the children. .-... .....
16. Mr. Wohlgelernter, representing the Union of Orthodox
Rabbis of U. S. A. brought up the question of restoration of children who had managed.to escape but were in countries other than the
present country, of residence-'df parents, particularly in Sweden'^ from
whin he had. just come,, and also in Poland'where conditions were
extremely bad. He said he would like to work-on a definite program
with a view to remedying this desperate Situation. Mr.- Travers" said
that the situation.was recognized and every.effort can be made to
unite families* The main effort, however, would probably be devoted
to the U. ,S. Zone.where the time element would permit the greatest
g°o<3-. ••'•.'..
• •
'•
...-,•
. .
'••
t
••..,.
17. Miss. Killian, representing the-Refugee Relief Commission,
stated she represented three volunteer agencies. She said they were
working.on trying'to find out how to get families together and helping them make adjustment where best suited. They were also training displaced persons in accordance'with where they will go.and fit
in best. She desired to know what training was specifically needed
for adolescents or older people who would be in need of a job assignment rather than school,. Mr.. Carusi did not believe any change
should be made at.this time In the training program specifically
connecting them with this immigration program lest it raise false
hopes which would later be disappointed and lead to unnecessary
heartaches.
......
18. Mr. Muccio suggested.that there were many problems that
needed to be ironed out by the volunteer agencies and thought small
groups should meet for this purpose rather than taking up the time
of so many persons at this particular conference. Mr. Carusi agreed
and requested that each agency appoint a representative to oversee
its part of the program.
'. •.
•.."
19. Mr. Rabinoff of UNRRA said that- he. would like to know a
definite time when the Jewish refugees might expect some solution of
their placement problem and that a definite date would be of great
assistance to their morale. Mr. Travers said it would be difficult
to set a definite date as to when action will be taken to move these
people. The question was on the agenda for conference within the
next few days. It will not be long, tut no definite date can be
given and that it would be wrong to set up false hopes. H'e'assured
that everything was being done to hasten departure. Mr. Travers ••'"'
further said it was the President's desire that we all cooperate to
determine eligibles as rapidly as possible. Since the number is
-6llmited by the quotas and since we are able to operate more easily
and quickly in the American Zone this should be done first. He said
that later they are hoping .to establish a consulate at Warsaw from
the U. S. Zone, but that as many as possible as quickly as possible
should be handled now. He aaid there had been no definite system
set up as to who wo ;ld go first but that probably it would be those
who are earliest prepared.
20. It was then agreed to adjourn the meeting in favor of the
holding of small group meetings which could take uo the various
problems and call on the others for assistance as heeded.
21. Colonel Balke, Plans Branch, OMG (U.S. Zone), made this
statement: Before the meeting adjourns, I would like to take a few
moments of your time to acquaint you with what we in the Theater believe is our responsibility and our overall capability.
We recognize this operation is being steered by the State Department
and under the President's directive, we are prepared to cooperate
and work vrith you to the extent of our very limited capabilities.
Our personnel situation is extremely critical, as you well know.
Our supply and service "facilities are limited but the fact remains
that we want to help all we can. We, on the other hand, would not
wish to confuse the operation by Initiating action of our own which
might be at cross purposes with your overall planning. We would ask
therefore, thai, you acquaint us with what it is you want, when you
want it, that you consult with us before you include us in your
planning and that you acquaint us with yoar needs as long before
your requirements arise as you possibly can. To the best of my
knowledge, I shall be with you for the remainder of your time here
and as we begin to see what the problems are and where the Theater
can help, lt will be my purpose to acquaint the various Staff Sections with your requirements.
FOR THE CHIEF:
FRANK T. BALKE
Colonel, GSC
DISTRIBUTION:
Director, OMG (US Zone)
OMG JUS Zone) Plans Branch
OMG (US Zone) Displaced Persons Branch
OMGUS, Office of Political Adviser
USFET, Political Adviser
USFET, G-l
.
USFET, G-2
\
USFET, G-3
USFET, G-4
TSFET, G-l '
UNRRA OHQ
UNRRA US Zone HQ
UNRRA Hq USFET
Refugee Relief Commission
National Catholic Welfare Conference
Union of Orthodox Rabbis of USA
AJDC
.
•
HIA«J
Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees
Jewish Agency for Palestine