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

Germany) regarding aid to refugees and it became apparent that the Reich authorities first
became aware of the Conference planning following the Hull announcement. 10
The terms of the American invitation set the hypocritical tone for conference,
provided an official basis for inaction and helped to guarantee its failure:
UNITED STATES PROPOSAL FOR AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE
ON REFUGEES:
The government has become so impressed with the urgency of the
problem of political refugees that it has inquired of a number of
governments in Europe and in this hemisphere whether they would be
willing to cooperate in setting up a special committee for the purpose of
facilitating the emigration from Austria, and presumably from
Germany, of political refugees. Our idea is that whereas such
representatives would be designated by the governments concerned,
any financing of the emergency emigration referred to would be
undertaken by private organizations with the respective countries.
Furthermore, it should be understood that no country would be
expected or asked to receive a greater number of immigrants than is
permitted by its existing legislation… It has been prompted to make its
proposal because of the urgency of the problem with which the world is
faced and the necessity of speedy cooperative effort under
governmental supervision if widespread human suffering is to be
averted. 11
It appeared that the plan had been promoted by the President without prior
consultations with foreign governments and without formulation of specific goals and
proposals. It followed upon the heels of earlier refugee organizations which had a limited
degree of success such as the Nansen International Office for Refugees (established by
the League of Nations in 1931 and scheduled to be closed in 1938) and the Migration
Bureau of the International Labor Office. The High Commission for Refugees Coming
from Germany was launched on October 11, 1933 by the League Secretariat to provide
for the political and legal protection of forced refugees. It was accountable to the fifteen
10 The Deseret Times, July 1, 1938, 36.
11 Department of State, Press Releases, XVIII, March 26, 1938.
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