548.D1/229

Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Western European Affairs (Moffat)

Professor J. P. Chamberlain, American representative on the Committee for Refugees from Germany, called this morning. Both he and High Commissioner McDonald have reached the conclusion that it would be better if all refugee work were concentrated and that the refugees from Germany should not be dealt with as a separate entity. There are some technical reasons in favor of consolidation of all refugee problems, notably the growing number of “stateless” individuals for whom some form of international travel document will eventually have to be evolved. The only organization capable of concentrating refugee work is obviously the League of Nations.

Professor Chamberlain was planning to visit Ambassador Najera (the Mexican Ambassador here) who was the Rapporteur of the League Committee when the autonomous commission for refugees from Germany was set up. Professor Chamberlain added that the French, Dutch and Swiss were in favor of consolidating refugee work under the League as they were the countries who were particularly burdened with refugees at the present moment. I replied that I thought the greatest obstacle would come from the British who were still basing their policy on persuading Germany to return to the League and would not be likely to countenance any move at Geneva which might be resented by the Germans. In my own opinion I thought it would be necessary for the British to be convinced that the Germans would not object to this consolidation before they would vote in its favor.

Professor Chamberlain asked if I could see any objection from the American point of view. I told him that offhand I could see no objections and certain advantages. He said that of course it would mean the disbanding of the present organization and probably the setting up of an Advisory Committee at Geneva. Funds for refugees would have to come from private sources as in the past; the only financial obligations would be for the payment of the extraordinary expenses of the League of Nations Committee. This would probably amount to a few thousand dollars a year. I suggested that he do not raise the question of any contribution from this Government at the moment. If this consolidation should go through, it would not fall within either of the two precedents we had worked out: the first was to pay for the extraordinary expenses of the League in any conference at Geneva which we attended; the second was to make a contribution where necessary to the League (as in the case of narcotics) by virtue of implementing an international treaty. The case he [Page 422] raised did not fall within either of these two categories for which a precedent had been established and accordingly I thought it well to sidestep the issue for the present.

Professor Chamberlain told me that Mr. Norman Bentwich, who is the Legal Adviser and number two to High Commissioner McDonald, was in Washington and would call on Mr. Simmons72 and myself tomorrow.

Pierrepont Moffat
  1. John Farr Simmons, Chief of the Visa Division.