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

system of emigration, temporary transit and permanent resettlement would replace a
“disorderly exodus” provided “the country of origin” [note that Germany is not
specifically named] allowed the emigrants to retain a sufficient percentage (at least 25%)
of their property and financial assets. Such cooperation from Germany was “imperative”
if other nations were to open their borders to stateless refugees. 3
Appendix D contains
the official memorandum issued at the end of the conference in which the construction of
a permanent committee in London is announced. As can be seen by the text the Evian
Conference failed to reach any concrete plan and continued to talk in generalities and in
terms of long-range goals, although the situation for Jews in Central Europe was rapidly
worsening.
Some observers, however, noted that the seizure of Jewish assets and property
represented more than “mere race hatred by Nazi leaders” but was driven largely by
domestic “economic pressure”—trade deficits, lack of foreign exchange and high levels
of national debt due to rearmament. The Reich, “feeling the pinch of lack took a
convenient opportunity” to improve its financial condition and support for its “Hitlerite
program.” 4 The Government seized and Aryanized one-third of the Jewish owned
businesses in Austria and especially Vienna estimated to be worth £114,000,000 to
£307,000,000. The confiscation program was scheduled to be completed by 1941. 5
3 ”Taylor’s Evian Speech,” New York Times, July 16, 1938, 4. See also Taylor speech October 3, 1938
to the Foreign Policy Association; believed the value of Jewish property within the Reich was between
$2,000,000-6,000,000. “Even the lower figure would be more than enough to re-establish the half-million
persons elsewhere, were it possible to use it.” The accelerated rate of Aryanization and the events of
Kristallnacht drastically decreased the assets available to be utilized for resettlement. Department of State
Releases, XX, Nr. 47 (October 1938), 245-255 cited in Feingold, Politics of Rescue, 39.
4 St. Petersburg Times, July 13, 1938.
5 “Jewish Businesses in Austria: Transference to Aryans,” The Times, July 23, 1938, 11.
237