Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1938, General, Volume I

840.48 Refugees/699: Telegram

The Ambassador in France ( Bullitt ) to the Secretary of State

Paris , August 29, 1938—4 p.m.
[Received August 29—2:30 p.m.]

1362. From Taylor and Rublee.

1. We met last night with Ambassadors Bullitt, Kennedy and Wilson, and reviewed in detail the German aspect of our problem. We agreed upon the following procedure:

2. It was agreed that the meeting of the officers of the Intergovernmental Committee which is now to take place in London on Wednesday and Thursday²² of this week should request their respective governments to instruct Ambassadors Wilson and Henderson at Berlin to inquire of the German Foreign Office at a time which appears auspicious to them whether the German Government would be willing to receive the Director and to survey with him the possibilities of regularizing the emigration from Germany of involuntary emigrants to places of final settlement. Possibly the French Ambassador and the Dutch Chargé representing the two European Vice Chairmen might be instructed to associate themselves with this inquiry. In the event of an affirmative reply Rublee would go to Berlin at a propitious moment in order to explore the field with the German authorities and not in the first instance to offer or receive a concrete plan. The grounds for this decision are that Wilson feels that in the final analysis nothing tangible can be gained from the German Government without a specific offer as to the number of involuntary emigrants that can be resettled. On the other hand the preparation of such a plan involves such long negotiation with various governments that we feel the whole matter would bog down if we awaited the preparation of a final offer. We also feel that our information in respect to the numbers actually to be dealt with and the general attitude of the German Government toward a release of a part of their assets is incomplete and will be incomplete without the assistance of the German Government. Hence it seems advisable to make this exploratory trip.

3. It would be made plain to the press before Rublee left for Berlin that the Director’s visit was preliminary in character and that he would not in the first stage exchange proposals with the German Government. This should be done in order that there would not be an outcry in the press should Rublee leave Berlin empty handed.

4. In any event in the interim Rublee with the assistance of Ambassadors Bullitt and Kennedy will negotiate with the British Empire and France in the first place a plan of settlement in order that he might have (first) an indication for the German Government of what he might be able to do should it consent to discuss with him the ordering of egress of involuntary emigrants and (second) in order that the existing emigration may go forward at an accelerated pace. It might be suggested to the British and French Governments and later to the other participating governments that since we in fact under our present laws will take one-quarter of the refugees in each year of the 5-year period in which our plan will run that they should each make a practical contribution by indicating a specific number of persons whom they would take annually during this period thus continuing with us in the leadership of the humanitarian movement which the President has initiated. [Taylor and Rublee.]

Bullitt

22. August 31 and September 1.