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

840.48 Refugees/707: Telegram

The Ambassador in Poland ( Biddle ) to the Secretary of State

Warsaw , August 30, 1938—noon.
[Received August 31—12:50 a.m.]

160. The following is substance of Minister Beck’s confidential remarks during our discussion of various aspects of Jewish problem.

1. He was profoundly sensible of the constructive service the President and the Secretary had rendered the cause of humanity by initiating the Evian Conference. To his mind this Conference had served to give notable stimulus towards bringing the question as a whole into the category of international consideration and had proved an excellent beginning for further study and search for a solution of the Jewish problem as a whole and not limited merely to the refugee aspect.

2. Indeed recent reports of Turkey’s and Brazil’s willingness to receive large numbers of Jewish refugees under certain conditions was a symptom of international disposition to appreciate gravity of problem but even these potential outlets did not mean a definite solution of the problem as a whole.

3. His own observations and his current reports through confidential channels had convinced him that if the Permanent Refugee Committee confined itself to the treatment of refugees, such in his opinion would only serve to provoke acute anti-Semiticism amongst the ranks of radical anti-Semitics not only in Poland but also in Rumania, Hungary and other countries where the Jewish problem was steadily becoming a more acute social-economic-political issue. In other words he had already detected in radical quarters here distinct evidences of recalcitrant reaction which might conceivably give rise to a malicious movement to turn the local Jewish issue into a refugee problem in the event the Permanent Committee did not treat the question in its broader aspects.

4. Having long “lived with” all phases of the problem and having maintained daily personal touch with trend of reactions amongst divergent Jewish factions, Beck had recently sensed and concluded that before an effort to solve question as a whole could become effective the Palestine question had first to be settled definitely, no matter what the basis might be in terms of territorial dimensions, before the Jewish groups might be expected to collaborate wholeheartedly in a search for other remedies for the problem. In connection therewith the following reasons had contributed to Minister Beck’s aforementioned conclusion and had led him to postpone his own hitherto vigorous search for alternative emigration outlets:

(a) The Jews felt that as long as they concentrated their efforts on Palestine they might acquire some part thereof (even though limited in area) as a nucleus for a Jewish state. This they wanted for sentimental reasons as well as to establish a principle, namely the “right to be taken care of”;

(b) Jewish fears of Britain’s using offers of alternative outlets as a pretext to push them out of Palestine. Moreover, the Jewish leaders fully realized that acquisition even of the maximum area of Palestine envisaged in their greatest hopes would be insufficient to accommodate future expansion. Thus Jewish leaders insisted on concentratedly pressing for a Palestine settlement.

5. Moreover to Beck’s mind the following, among other reasons, were contributing to delay of a Palestine settlement:

(a) Complexity of local difficulties confronting Britain;

(b) Attitude of Arabs who in jockeying for position continued to play Britain and Italy against each other.

(c) Inclination of Jewish leaders to take advantage of any and all openings to retard settlement in hopes of bettering their position.

6. In Beck’s opinion, therefore, little could be accomplished in solving the Jewish problem in terms of the global aspect until the Palestine problem was definitely settled. Meanwhile he felt no time should be lost in making surveys covering all possible international outlets, potential financial accommodations to cover emigration, distribution of emigres according to economic-climatic and other local conditions prevailing in the case of each potential outlet, with a view to discussions thereof with Jewish leaders immediately subsequent to a potential Palestine settlement. Indeed to his mind, once realizing that the Palestine area might not meet their needs for future expansion, the Jews would become panicky. It was therefore necessary to prepare various proposals to submit to the leaders on the heels of a Palestine settlement. Even though at first no concrete results might thus have been attained nevertheless evidence of such effort might serve to instill the Jews with hope and thus replace the potentially dangerous effect of currently increasing despondency over their dismal outlook.

7. In conclusion Beck heartily concurred in my conviction that a solution of the Jewish problem in a global sense was a matter for our generation to settle for the signs of the times held little promise of the oncoming generations’ dealing with the problem with the same degree of tolerance, objectivity and liberalism as our own.

8. To my mind an objective survey of conditions prevailing amongst Jewish communities of Poland and other countries of Eastern and Central Europe would result in the conclusion (a) their social economic position was becoming steadily less tenable, (b) the outlook for current and oncoming generations was grim, and (c) that their dismal outlook warranted the Committee’s eventually including them in a consideration of the Jewish problem on a global basis.

9. While aware that concern over Poland’s own Jewish problem (hitherto outside the refugee category) importantly contributes towards Minister Beck’s zeal as above described, I feel he is objective and sincere in his approach to the problem. In view therefore of his lengthy exhaustive study and his clear grasp of all phases of international questions as well as his sympathetic concern over the black outlook for the Jews particularly of this section of Europe, I strongly recommend that an officer of the Refugee Committee discuss various aspects of the problem with Minister Beck in Geneva during forthcoming meeting of League Assembly for I earnestly feel an exchange of ideas would prove mutually interesting and constructive. In response to my discreet question on this point he assured me he would welcome the opportunity to meet informally with any official of the Committee who might care to talk with him at Geneva.

Biddle