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

Conference represented the first international conclave of governments to confront a
predominantly Jewish refugee crisis which acquired the veneer of a “matter of great
importance.” Secondly, to Eastern and Western European Jews the United States
maintained its image as the “golden land of hope, freedom and equal opportunities…”
America was the “embodiment of the conscience of humanity…actuated by pity and true
idealism” and endowed with faithfulness and morality. Such sentiments infused a
“peculiar luster” on the Evian Conference. The writer warned that the “great hopes” held
by Jews for a positive outcome, guided by the wise counsel of the United States, would
end in a disappointment reminiscent of the weaknesses of President Wilson and the Paris
Peace Conference. Thirdly, the refugee Jews of Europe were being influenced not by
logic or practicality but by emotion which was destined to end in “disillusionment.”
Fourth, little was known about the planned agenda for the Conference or its “terms of
reference,” scope or possible solutions. It was clear that Jews represented the crux of the
refugee problem but preliminary discussions appeared to ignore such a connection. The
necessary planning and preparatory work did not appear to “well-informed circles” to
have been “efficiently done.” Practical groundwork and action was called for rather than
the issuance of “mere appeals” for assistance. Fifth, would those nations who were
responsible for creating the refugee crisis be confronted? If agreements were made with
Germany to facilitate the removal of its unwanted Jews would it stimulate pogroms and
similar actions in Hungary, Poland and Rumania? Finally, it appeared that many of the
attendees were lacking the “good-will which [such a] gigantic task requires” and were
motivated by the fact that it was the United States that had issued the invitations for the
Conference. Many European Governments viewed the American plan with great
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