AEMI

SUSANA SABÍN-FERNÁNDEZ
Guardians for Basque Refugee Children
made one last appeal to the White
House to try to generate some pressure
to reverse the labor department’s decision:
The President:
Answering the appeal of the Duchess of
Atholl who organized removal of 8,792
Basque refugee children to France,
4,000 to England, 500 to Belgium,
500 to Holland, and 500 to Mexico,
the American Board of Guardians for
Basque Refugee Children has undertaken
to bring 500 children to United
States to be cared for here for duration
of civil war. They will be accompanied
by Basque Catholic priests and will be
maintained here by responsible organizations
which solicit the advice and cooperation
of Federal Children’s Bureau
of the Department of Labor.
This action is strictly non-political.
Being humanitarian in the broadest
sense it is in line with the best traditions
of our country, which always in the past
has given liberal assistance to victims of
catastrophes throughout the world.
World public opinion looks to you,
Mr. President, to enable American generosity
to find its logical expression in
this emergency. Other governments
have taken emergency measures, but
European accommodations for refugees
are already overtaxed.
The situation is critical. Bilbao suburbs
are in flames. Every day’s delay
may cost lives.We respectfully urge you,
Mr. President, to intercede on behalf of
these unfortunate children, thus making
possible American participation in
this great work of mercy. 50
63
However, on July 2, Chapman, probably
pressured by Bowers, contacted the
State Department to discuss the evacuation
question. On July 19, the U.S.
Embassy in Paris sent a note to the U.S.
State Department with a copy of a letter
from Chapman noting that he believed
he was authorized to issue American
passports and grant visas in French territory.
At Chapman’s request, the U.S.
consul in Bordeaux had sent him passport
and visa application forms, fee
stamps, and immigrant identification
cards. Addison E. Southard, U.S. consul
general to the French Republic, wanted
to know if Chapman had authority to
act this way. 51 The embassy never received
a definite answer.
The board sent a petition on June 24
to U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull
asking to be formally registered to undertake
a fund-raising campaign for
the relief of Basque refugee children
in Europe. 52 Four days later, the State
Department answered affirmatively. 53
On July 9, the board received notification
from Charles W. Yost at the State
Departments’ Office of Arms and Ammunitions
Control that the organization
could register, 54 and they did. 55 The
organization raised funds by means of
letters, advertisements and personal solicitations.
The contributions were sent
to the Comite International de Coordination
et D’Information Pour L’Aide a
L’Espagne Républicaine via the North
American Committee to Aid Spanish
Democracy. The first funds were sent on
July 8, before the board was properly registered.
That day, the board sent $1,064
to the North American Committee to
Aid Spanish Democracy, which was to
transfer it to the board’s coordinating