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

on the refugee problem but was turned down by Chamberlain who believed that “formal
diplomatic channels” represented the proper approach. 10
Winterton, head of the British delegation, believed that the Conference had
achieved “positive progress in the direction of enlarging the opportunities” for
immigration that would be benefited by the future work of the IGCR. The results were
“unanimous” and “most satisfactory” and represented the “first fruits of the wise and
courageous initiative” of FDR. The delegations had demonstrated “good will and a
disposition” to liberalize their respective immigration policies allowing entry of a “great
number” of refugees. 11
There were also signs, he believed, of a forthcoming willingness
on the part of Germany to reach an accord on the issue of retained assets.
Palestine, Winterton believed, was a “wholly untenable” solution to the refugee
crisis due to its limited geographic size and “special considerations” that derived from the
Mandate granted to the United Kingdom by the League of Nations. The Peel or Royal
Commission, calling for the partition of Palestine, was rejected as indefensible and
impracticable by the follow-up Woodhouse Commission. Jewish immigration could only
be facilitated under “suitable conditions” which at present were limited by local events
[the Arab revolt which began in 1936]. Thus, the British need to secure the good will of
the Middle Eastern Arab States, along with other factors, forced the United Kingdom to
10 Public Papers of FDR, vol. 11, 173, October 5, 1938 cited in Feingold Politics, 240. Goering ordered
the registration of all Jewish property as a means of expediting the process of Aryanization which
represented the final action against Jewish-owned businesses and other enterprises. Jews at that time were
only allowed to remove 3-5% of their possessions and were subject to the pre-Nazi era Flight Tax. Other
members of Parliament made similar appeals to Germany to release sufficient refugee funds and included
the Bishop of Chichester, Viscount Samuel, Lord Allen, Marquess of Reading, Lord Winterton and Lord
Marley. The Times, July 28, 1938, 8.
11 Statement prepared at F.O. for Lord Winterton's report, July 19, 1938, FO371/22531, W 9747/104/98
cited in Sherman, Island Refuge, 120.
239