19.02.2015 Views

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

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

Embassy and how the elite <strong>of</strong> “British society was falling over itself to attend.” An<br />

invitation to such a fête was a mark <strong>of</strong> “social distinction” and despite the spilling <strong>of</strong><br />

“<strong>Jewish</strong> blood which stained the hands <strong>of</strong> the hosts” the guests chose to ignore the<br />

victims’ lamentations “to heaven.” Weizmann warned Anthony Eden that the “fire from<br />

the synagogues” could easily spread from Germany and ignite Westminster Abbey and<br />

other Anglican churches. If a State was able to decimate an innocent minority purely on<br />

the basis <strong>of</strong> its religion and ethnicity, without any repercussions from the other Powers,<br />

then Europe as a whole faced the “beginning <strong>of</strong> anarchy” and the ultimate collapse <strong>of</strong><br />

human civilization. Nations that chose the role <strong>of</strong> bystanders would eventually “be<br />

visited by severe punishment.” 87 Adler-Rudel noted that no matter how egregious Nazi<br />

behavior became foreign leaders were not prevented from “shaking hands or dining with<br />

Nazi leaders.” Sir George Ogilivie-Forbes, however, writing from Berlin, judged the<br />

Germans to be “unfit for decent international society” for their harsh treatment <strong>of</strong> Jews,<br />

non-Aryans and political prisoners. 88<br />

Lord Winteron believed that vilification <strong>of</strong> the Reich would jeopardize any<br />

chance <strong>of</strong> German cooperation and noted that the British had successfully blocked an<br />

American attempt to formulate some “clause <strong>of</strong> a denunciatory character towards the<br />

German Government.” 89 Correspondent William Shirer doubted that the <strong>Evian</strong><br />

<strong>Conference</strong> would achieve any positive results as the Americans, British and French<br />

87 Weizmann, Trial and Error, 498.<br />

88 Adler-Rudel, “<strong>The</strong> <strong>Evian</strong> <strong>Conference</strong>,” 235.<br />

89 Landau, Nazi Holocaust, 138.<br />

279

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!