Speech #800079823

Obviously a forum of interested nations can fulfill these objectives far more completely. quickly. and satisfactorily than can any one country acting unilaterally. Efficient solution of such matters will directly or indirectly benefit every country involved. and especially thosesuch as the United Stateswhich are importantly involved in the displacedpersons problem. The international scope of the refugee problem was officially recognized by the first meeting of the General Assembly of the UN in January 1946. Failure to achieve such results will bring chaos to the worldrefugee problem. and ultimate repercussions of a farreaching nature. Politically. the United States cannot afford to avoid international participation in one of the great world problems emerging from the war. Even if we had not a single displaced person in our zones. the moral and political obligation to accept international responsibility toward the succor of more than a million antiFascist refugees would be inescapable. House Joint Resolution 207 authorizes United States membership and partici�pation In the work of the International *Refugee Organization. a temporary organization within the framework of the United Nations. which was formed December 15. 1946. to deal with the problem of war refugees and displaced persons who are being cared for at present by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and the occupying armies. The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. however. will terminate on June 30. 1947. throwing the entire burden and expense of this problem on the United States Army and other occupying armies unless the International Refugee Organization takes over. Our joining this United Nations organization is an act of international cooperation that will save money for the United States. will carry out our agreed share in the support. repatriation and resettlement of these victims of war and Its aftermath. without change in our immigration laws or policies. and will terminate existing responsibilities for the displaced persons -in the United States occupied zones. During the war Hitler had more than 10.000.000 people from the countries he occupied in concentration. camps or at slave labor. It is estimated that on VEday there were over 8.000.000 of these war Victims. They were the survivors of the diabolically ingenious system of torture. terror..and starvation by which the Nazis suppressed the occupied countries and got their work done. Since VEday over 7.000.000 of them have been repatriated. returned to their homes. or resettled. placed in other lands. Others have come to the camps as refugees from postwar Soviet terror and persecution. There remained on December 31. 1946. slightly more than 1.000.000 displaced persons in Germany. Austria. and Italy. as follows: In camp: Polish --------------------- 278. 868 Jewish ------ ------------ 193.332 Baltic --------------------- 180.838 Yugoslav ------------------- 39.494 Soviet ---------------------- 13.800 Western European ----------- 2.400 Others ------------------- 86.003 Total -------------------- 794. 735 Out. of camp ----------------- 242.669 Grand total ------------ 1.037.404 These displaced persons. men. women. and children.