867N.48/36: Telegram
The Consul General at Jerusalem ( Wadsworth ) to the Secretary of State
Jerusalem
, September 27, 1940—2 p.m.
[Received September 28—8:15 a.m.]
[Received September 28—8:15 a.m.]
123. Referring to Department’s telegram of September 23, 6 p.m.
- 1.
- In conversation yesterday with the Chief Secretary and confirmed today by informal personal note after discussion with the High Commissioner, he expressed keen appreciation of the provisional offer of American Red Cross funds and termed the suggested amount of $25,000 “very handsome indeed”.
- 2.
- At the same time, he said, he felt it only fair to add that the Palestine Government did not view the situation resulting from the air raids to date on Haifa and that on Tel Aviv as being in the nature of an emergency such as would ordinarily warrant an appeal for Red Cross assistance from abroad.
- 3.
- The immediate needs of victims of the raids and their dependents, he explained, had thus far been cared for by local social welfare organizations, notably the Tel Aviv and Haifa municipalities, aided chiefly by Jewish organizations, the expense being borne from funds already at their disposal supplemented by a special Government grant of 2000 to the Tel Aviv municipality, by donations from local Red Cross funds of 500 each to Haifa and Tel Aviv municipalities, by a similar donation from Hadassah to the latter and by small gifts from many individuals wishing to show their sympathy for the victims.
- 4.
- Evacuation, and finally medical aid and direct relief to the air raid victims.
- 5.
- In the last mentioned field, he said, the Government is preparing a scheme based on current British practice and which will be retroactive for the payment of compensation to civilian victims, but this may be restricted to persons engaged in work contributing to the prosecution of the war or in vital industries and in transport in particular areas.
- 6.
- Thus far, we estimated roughly, there have been in the 8 raids on Haifa some 85 fatal casualties. In that on Tel Aviv there were 124. Of all these, however, but few would be considered victims in the sense of such a scheme. The same may be said of the somewhat lesser number who suffered serious injury.
- 7.
- There is no Palestine Red Cross but, in addition to the military service unit of the British Red Cross mentioned in my despatch under reference, there has been established a joint organization of the British Red Cross and Order of St. John of Jerusalem under the presidency of Lady MacMichael and the chairmanship of the Financial Secretary of the Government.
- 8.
- It was this organization which made from funds previously collected locally the two mentioned LP500 donations for expenditure by competent municipal agencies in Haifa and Tel Aviv. While it has not as yet seen the need for a centralized program of direct relief of air raid victims it could readily undertake and ensure through such agencies the impartial distribution of American Red Cross funds both for that specific purpose and, if desired, for general emergency needs of the Jewish and Arab communities such as those mentioned in paragraph 4 above.
Wadsworth