840.48 Refugees/4920a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
8071. For the Ambassador and Bucknell. Department refers to the text of the revised mandate of the IGC as proposed at the Bermuda Conference which reads as follows:
“The Executive Committee of the Intergovernmental Committee is hereby empowered by the member states to undertake negotiations with neutral or Allied states or organizations and to take such steps as may be necessary to preserve, maintain and transport those persons displaced from their homes by their efforts to escape from areas where their lives and liberty are in danger on account of their race, religion or their political beliefs. The operation of the Committee shall extend to all countries from which refugees come as a result of the war in Europe or in which they may find refuge. The Executive Committee shall be empowered to receive and disburse for the purposes enumerated above, funds both public and private.”
You will observe that the second sentence reads “The operation of the Committee shall extend to all countries from which refugees come as a result of the war in Europe, etc.”.
Department has assumed and each of our delegates to the Bermuda conference concurs in the conviction that the area of operations of the Committee includes the German and satellite governments.
This understanding has been fortified by the minutes of the Bermuda conference22 at Part V immediately preceding the text of the mandate and on the same page thereof where it states, “In addition [Page 240] the IGC as it now exists is free under its mandate to negotiate with the German Government on refugee matters”. (This refers to the original mandate).
On the preceding page of the minutes in the third paragraph the third sentence reads “They envisaged the necessity for negotiations with Allied and neutral governments but not, of course, with enemy governments”. The Department understands that that statement was in the nature of a reservation on the part of the American and British Governments, themselves, of their inability and indisposition to communicate directly with the enemy governments. However, the reservation of the American and British Governments as to their individual or collective activities in that respect was not contemplated to affect the sphere of activity of the IGC comprising as it does neutrals as well as belligerents. The IGC was chosen as the agency because its membership included the neutral governments who were necessary for the wider activity of the Committee and for possible use in dealing with situations within the jurisdiction of the enemy governments and it has been the Department’s understanding that the whole movement to enlarge the powers of the IGC was for the purpose of rendering every possible aid and assistance to persons who were persecuted because of their race, religion or political beliefs wherever they might be. This is fortified by the record of the proceedings of the IGC held in London on August 4, 1943 where it states in Section 4: “The IGC shall extend its mandate so as to include as may be found necessary and practicable in addition to those already within the mandate those persons wherever they may be who as a result of events in Europe have had to leave or may have to leave their countries of residence because of the danger to their liberties on account of their race, religion or political beliefs”.
Yesterday a Representative from New York by the name of Celler, as the latest of a series of criticisms and attacks upon the Department, in a widely circulated statement refers to Mr. Long’s testimony before the House Committee where he stated (after reading the text of the revised mandate of the IGC), “In other words, they are given plenary authority to do whatever they can within and without Germany and the occupied territories”. Mr. Celler then proceeds to state: “I am now informed from headquarters of the IGC on Refugees in London that Mr. Long is absolutely incorrect, that the terms of the mandate do not permit direct negotiation with Germany for the relief and rescue of Jews and other persecuted peoples.”
In the light of this you are requested to obtain from the IGC a statement in denial of Celler’s allegation and in support of our understanding that the mandate authorizes the Committee to extend [Page 241] its field of activities to persecuted persons wherever they may be and further, that the mandate does not preclude indirect or direct negotiations by the Committee with any government when and wherever such negotiations may become necessary and promise success for the rescue of persecuted persons. Department will appreciate your very careful and prompt action in the above matter. Your early reply will be appreciated as you will understand that direct challenge to good faith cannot permit of delay in treatment. Also, who could give out a statement such as Celler quotes?
- Not found in Department files.↩