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

White, however, enjoyed the backing of the Conservative Prime Minister Joseph
Lyons who had stated that the Dominion had not yet reached the point of becoming
overwhelmed by immigrants from the United Kingdom. Those “foreigners who were
enterprising enough” and possessed assets that would assure self sufficiency as well as
create jobs for Australian citizens “would be welcomed.” Nevertheless, the Government
would not grant any “special concessions” or join any “scheme” of mass resettlement that
would threaten domestic employment. Australia was sympathetic to the plight of the
Jewish refugees but the Government could not allow a “large influx of aliens.”
“Preference” would be granted to “suitable migrants of British stock.” 67
Minister of the Interior John McEwen believed that Jews represented a “highly
intelligent” and successful class but their parochialism, religious and marital beliefs and
separatist tendencies would interfere with successful integration. “Difficulties” would
undoubtedly arise wherever they constituted a significant percentage of the population.
However, if a limited number of Jewish refugees was to be admitted preference should be
given to those in “greater need” from Germany and Austria rather than émigrés from
Eastern Europe who had “practically formed a state within a state.”
The Cabinet adopted a quota system during June 1938 that divided prospective
refugees into the categories of “Jews,” “Christian non-Aryans” and “Aryans.” 68
Such a
program was extremely cumbersome as it required refugee applications to be sent to
Canberra for review and approval before a response was sent back to Europe; a process
67 Schneiderman, Review of the Year 5698, 179.
68 Andrew Markus, “Jewish Migration to Australia 1938-49,” Journal of Australian Studies 13,
(November 1983): 19.
179