Speech #860030050

Mr. President. I wish to draw attention to the special report of the Zellerbach Commission on the European refugee situation. which was published earlier this month. Under the leadership of Harold L. Zellerbach. one of this countrys outstanding businessmen. and Angier Biddle Duke. president of the International Reserve Committee. and former U.S. Ambassador. to El Salvador. this Commission has carried out two surveys of the European refugee problem. Its most recent study is focused on the salient aspects of the problems which confront the free nations as they prepare to embark on World Refugee Year. which begins in June 1959. The Commission has proposed that the western nations. accepting the refugees from communism as a collective responsibility. should meet in conference and work out a united plan of attack on the problem of the residual refugees. It believes that if each nation were prepared to accept its fair share. there would be no difficulty in resettling over a 2year period the 165.000 nonsettled refugees estimated to be in Europe. the 10.000 European refugeeg who remain in mainland China. and the influx of some 25.000 refugees which may be anticipated over the next 2year period. provided. of course. that there is no emergency comparable to that resulting from the suppression of the Hungarian revolution. The Commissions report points out that since the end of the war approximately 1.900.000 refugees have been settled. that just over 50 percent of these have been integrated into the European economy. and that America has absorbed approximately 25 percent. and Australia. Canada. and Latin American and other countries the remaining 25 percent. In addition. during this period Israel absorbed some 200.000 European Jewish refugees. Applying this rule of thumb formula. the Commission recommends legislation that would admit approximately 50.000 refugees to this country over the next 2 years. What would a crash program of the magnitude proposed by the Commission cost? After weighing the matter carefully. the Commission informs me that it would cost approximately $6 million per annum for 2 years over and above our current commitments to various refugee programs. This is broken down roughly as follows: Additional contribution to ICEM to cover cost of increased volume of movement. $1 million. Additional appropriation for U.S. escapee program for integration projects in Europe. $1 million. Grants to American voluntary agencies to finance economic rehabilitation of 1.500 handicapped refugees. $1.500.000. Additional contribution to ICEM for movement of European refugees from mainland China. $300.000. Additional contribution to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to make possible integration programs for outofcamp refugees on the same scale as those now planned for incamp refugees. $2 million. In connection with the lastnamed item. I believe it is important to point out that our contributions to the United Nations Refugee Fund have been matched on a very generous scale by the other free nations. Of the total of $14.485.000 of governmental contributions to programs of the U.N. High Commissioner through 1958. the United States contributed $5.333.000. or just over onethird. Of the governmental contributions received by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. $12.935.000 was disbursed by the U.N. Refugee Fund through 1958 for integration projects in the asylum countriesAustria. Belgium. France.