840.48 Refugees/4115: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:44 p.m.]
5069. The Executive Committee of the Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees met at the Foreign Office at 11 o’clock this morning. The following Governments were present, Argentina, Brazil, France, Netherlands and United States, with Lord Winterton in the chair [Page 200] representing Great Britain. The program you asked me to support was accepted by the Executive Committee with unanimous agreement of those present to so recommend to their Governments.
It was understood that Sir Herbert Emerson will continue as Director. The Executive Committee accepted Patrick Malin as Vice Director and the Secretary was to be a national from another country. We are trying to get Van Weede of the Dutch Government, to accept this post but his name did not come up at the meeting this morning. The Director was empowered to find a suitable candidate and then ask consent of the members of the Executive Committee here.
There is a matter on which I would like your opinion as it has not come up in our interchange of messages. The Director on his opening remarks said that he hoped that the relationship with the League Committee would not be diminished. As you know he has served as Director of the Intergovernmental Committee and also as High Commissioner of the League of Nations Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees. I find that he has taken no salary from the Intergovernmental Committee but continues to receive his salary as High Commissioner of the League Committee, a position he held at the time he was made Director. His salary as Commissioner is free from British taxation. If he were paid by the Allied Governments his salary would be subject to income tax here.
I think the British were inclined to accept the League’s formula of proportional payment on administration costs. I intervened by recommending that administrative expenses of the Executive Committee be borne equally by all Government members. This was accepted by the Committee for the present year and was made part of the general recommendations. This you asked be done. When the full minutes have been received by the Embassy we will forward a more complete report.
Please tell Mr. Taylor that he was very much missed.