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

of refugees admitted into the country. 103 Security along the borders was to be enhanced to
prevent the illegal entry of refugees. 104
Franceschi described the new enactment as a “fine immigration policy…for such
a worthy government.” He argued in an article, “Once again the Jewish Problem,” that
German anti-Semitism was an expression of loathing and arrogance; attitudes banned by
the doctrine of the Church. Argentine anti-Semitism, on the other hand, was a matter of
“self-defense” and despite domestic generosity a “Jewish problem” did exist within the
Republic that would inevitably occur “wherever the Jews [became] a sizeable section of
the population.” A significant Jewish presence risked the creation of a more hostile
domestic anti-Semitism as well as calls for mass expulsion reminiscent of Germany and
Eastern Europe. He warned against international refugee conferences. In his opinion the
Jewish issue represented a “national” as well as “a religious, social and economic
question.” Refusal to accede to the goals of the Evian Conference represented “no more
than a justified demand to seek a more just solution to this problem.” 105 Ultimately,
between 1933 and 1945 approximately 40-45,000 Jewish refugees were allowed into
Argentina. 106 Thirty five refugee ships were denied landing permits during 1938-1943
103 Ibid., 143.
104 Ronald C. Newton, The “Nazi Menace” in Argentina, 1931-1947 (Stanford, CA: Stanford University
Press, 1992), 150-151.
105 Ben-Dror, The Catholic Church, 140-141.
106 Ryan, The Holocaust and the Jews of Marseilles, 136.
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