548.D1/245
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 26.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s third person instruction of May 9, 193575 enclosing a copy of the memorandum of a conversation which took place on May 8 between Mr. Moffat, Chief of the Division of Western European Affairs, and Professor Chamberlain, American representative on the High Commission for Refugees (Jewish and others) coming from Germany. In this regard, there are set forth below the chief points brought out by Mr. Johnson, Secretary of the Nansen International Office for Refugees, in an informal conversation which I have just had with him. I might add [Page 423] that Mr. Johnson has been absent from Geneva most of the time since the May Council, and has only recently arrived here from London.
Respecting the desire which has been evinced in certain quarters for a unification of all refugee administration under one body responsible to the League, Mr. Johnson said that various private organizations favored such a plan. He said that the principal advocate of this scheme was the British League of Nations Association, and that certain groups interested in the welfare of the German refugees likewise endorsed it. Mr. Johnson personally entertained doubts as to the feasibility of placing the Germans under any sort of League administration. He pointed out that the original reason for creating an organization for German refugees independent of the League had been consideration of German feelings; and that this reason still held good in view of the desire of many League members that Germany return to Geneva. He added that it might of course be possible to work out a formula applicable to all refugees which would place no emphasis on the situation of the Germans and might thus escape German criticism. However, Mr. Johnson stated that the League had not yet been seized of this matter, that he had heard of no definite movement to bring it to the attention of the League in the immediate future, and that his knowledge of the question was confined to the views which he understood were held by groups in Great Britain, officials of the McDonald High Commission, and others interested in the German refugees.
In discussing other refugee problems, Mr. Johnson mentioned the scheme for raising funds by the issuance of surcharged postage stamps, to which I referred on Page 2 of my Despatch No. 1291 Political of June 8, 1935.76 He said that Norway and Luxemburg have arranged for issues of these stamps, and that France had agreed to do so in the near future. He feels that if the scheme is adopted by a few important countries ample funds will be forthcoming.
Mr. Johnson had little to say regarding the Saar refugees. He is not yet fully informed about their welfare; and his Office is sending a representative to France to inspect the camps where they are housed and to make a report on the situation. It is still uncertain where the money will eventually come from to take care of the Saarländers; but it seems that the French Government is counted on to finance them for the time being. Mr. Johnson said that he did not know whether the funds raised by surcharged stamps would be shared by the Saarländers, inasmuch as that depends on the conditions fixed by the governments issuing such stamps.
Respectfully yours,