340.1115A/1418
The Consul General at Jerusalem ( Wadsworth ) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 27.]
Sir: [Here follows information similar to that brought up to date in despatch No. 1411, November 15, printed infra.]
As to the general problem of evacuating American Jews from Haifa, and possibly Tel Aviv, I early suggested to Jewish-American leaders that these communities would do well to consider, through their local organizations, the question of how their position might be affected by a possible spread of hostilities to the Eastern Mediterranean, adding that the Consulate General would be glad to furnish advice and all possible assistance. This matter—the fourth and last subject to be treated in the present despatch—will be discussed in some detail below.
About the middle of May, also, I arranged for the formation of a small committee of three representative Americans with whom the Consulate General might consult informally regarding any emergency which might arise. Its members were:
- Dr. J. L. Magnes, President of the Hebrew University
- Dr. Totah, Director of the American Friends’ Schools
- Mr. A. L. Miller, Director of the Jerusalem Y. M. C. A.
Subsequently, and largely on Dr. Magnes’ recommendation, we decided it would be advisable to form a special subcommittee of leading American Jews to consider the problems especially affecting resident citizens of that faith. Such a committee finally met with me on June 26. Its members were:
- Dr. J. L. Magnes, as Chairman
- Mr. J. Simon, President of the Palestine Economic Corporation
- Dr. I. Kligler, of the Hadassah Medical Organization
- Mr. H. Viteles, of the Central Bank of Cooperatives
- Mr. H. Margalith, head of the Jerusalem branch of the American-Jewish Association of Palestine.
With members of this subcommittee and with representatives of the other two branches of the American-Jewish Association (at Tel Aviv and Haifa) the matter of organized arrangements for the assistance of American Jews has been discussed on several occasions. Tentative plans have already been made to receive and care for any needy refugees who may be forced by circumstances—such, for instance, as further bombing of Haifa—to leave dangerous areas.
The most notable contribution in this field is an offer made by Drs. Magnes and Kligler to house such refugees in buildings to be made available by the institutions they represent. And Mr. Simon has made a generous offer of financial assistance towards putting such buildings into “habitable” condition should need therefor arise.
Officials of the American-Jewish Association are also cooperating with the Consulate General in effecting a more complete registration of American Jewish residents of the country. In this latter connection the matter of the financial situation of these citizens will also be considered.
The ultimate aim of this move, which is the sub-committee’s own proposal, is to perfect some arrangements for the collection of funds for the assistance of any who may find themselves evacuated and in real need. The investigation is at present proceeding.
In conclusion and to recapitulate the major points made in the present despatch and its enclosures:
- 1)
- Some 250 resident citizens have left Palestine since receipt of the Department’s telegram of May 16 advising Americans to return to the United States; and an approximately equal number are known to wish to leave and to possess funds more or less sufficient for the purpose;
- 2)
- There remain in the country some 7,000 citizens (roughly 6,500 Jews, 400 Arabs and 100 others) against at least 3,000 of whom presumption of expatriation is believed to have arisen; and
- 3)
- Some 1,000 of these remaining citizens reside in Haifa, in which connection there exists a potential emergency evacuation—and possibly relief—problem of some magnitude.
Finally, and in explanation of the relative smallness of the numbers of citizens who have left or made known their desire to leave the country, I venture to quote the following paragraph from my telegram of May 20:
“About 90 per cent are Jews of whom at least two-thirds are naturalized citizens. They have been admitted to Palestine under immigration schedules on visas authorizing permanent residence. For the most part ardent Zionists their dominant interest is Jewish settlement and realization of the National Home ideal. Their first and preeminent loyalty is to that ideal and its concomitant concept of Jewish statehood in their lifetime.”
Respectfully yours,