The Jewish Trail of Tears The Evian Conference of ... - Haruth.com

“dumping ground” for all political refugees. He believed that such aliens already resident
in the country should be deported. The United States should “clean our own house before
meddling in foreign affairs.” Stefan also asserted that creation of the Committee was a
ploy to create a highly paid ($17,500 per year or twenty percent of funds appropriated for
the U.S. delegation) Ambassadorship for Myron C. Taylor. Taylor’s role as the head of
the American delegation could be filled, the Representative believed, by the current
Ambassador to France at no additional cost to the American taxpayer. South Dakota
Republican Representative Francis H. Case echoed these sentiments by labeling Taylor’s
salary as exorbitant and called for a reduction to $7,500 with the difference used for “the
real purposes of the item.” Rep. Clinton A. Woodrum, on the other hand, argued that “no
one would seriously contend” that Taylor, “the distinguished gentleman,” would “be
attracted to [the chairmanship of the committee] because of the salary.” His payment
should be reflective of the “high rank” of his prospective position. 46
46 Joint Resolution, (H.J. Res. 637) for “relief of political refugees” submitted to Committee on
Immigration and Naturalization, Congressional Record, Seventy-Fifth Congress, 3 rd sess., March 30, 1938,
vol. 83, part 4, (Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1938), 4418. Stefan (March 1, 1884-October 2, 1951) was born
in Bohemia but immigrated with his family to Nebraska in 1885 and was elected to Congress in 1935.
Case (December 9, 1896-June 23, 1962) first entered the House in 1936 and was later elected to the Senate
in 1951.
The “Distribution of estimate for International Committee on Political Refugees” was broken down as
follows:
-Taylor salary: $17,500 per year.
-Salaries for four clerks; average $2,100 per year.
-Supplies and materials: $1,000.
-Communication service: $5,000.
-Travel expenses: steamship and railway: $20,500.
-Freight on furniture, drayage, etc.: $700.
-Printing of necessary materials and reports: $2,500.
-Rent of office space (5 rooms, $6 per day for 365 days): $10,950.
-Equipment for offices: $1,500.
-Special and miscellaneous expenses, entertainment, rent of motor vehicles, unforeseen items, rent of office
machines, etc.: $3,100.
-Total of all expenses: $72,500.
134