868.48/683a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Greece (Atherton)
84. The Red Cross has received various requests for its assistance in the Greek refugee situation to which the Department understands it is answering substantially as follows:56
“Your appeal to the Red Cross for assistance for the Greek refugees has been given careful consideration. It is the opinion of the Central Committee, as set forth at its recent meeting, that the conflicting evidence which has thus far been received does not indicate a situation of such an emergency character as would justify the Red Cross in making a fresh appeal to the public for contributions or in reopening its relief work in Greece.
It is fully appreciated that it will necessarily take a considerable period of time to effect the assimilation of the refugees in Greece and that in the meantime hardship and a degree of suffering is unavoidable. This is a situation, however, which exists not only in Greece but in many other parts of Europe.
It is felt from the information before the Red Cross that the principal work which remains to be done in Greece relates to the settlement of the refugees on the land and engaging them in occupations of a productive nature—a task continuing and not of the emergency character to which the foreign relief activities of the Red Cross must necessarily be confined.”
Your comments on the attitude of the Red Cross are desired by the Department.
- Quotation not paraphrased.↩