Speech #860058375

I cannot escape the clear word of my Lord: "Inasmuch as you minister unto the least of my brothers you do so unto me." What then. positively. may we do? Our action must involve both governmental and citizen programs. Already the United Nations has begun to implement a resolution approved last December by 31 nonCommunist governments who. in observing a World Refugee Year which will begin June 1. will promote study of. and provide additional opportunities for. assisting the refugee. President Eisenhower has issued a proclamation designating the year beginning July 1. 1959. for observance of the World Refugee Year in the United States. In Congress. Representative WALTER introluced legislation last week (H.J. Res. 397) which may well be the basis of providing a national example to other governments for a more fair and equitable distribution of those refugees whose need and desire is to emigrate. Our State Department has announced a fivepoint_ program including a modest $4 million increase above its current expenditures in refugee assistance and a substantial increase of between $10 and $20 million in the distribution of food to refugees under the surplus agricultural commodity program. Some of us may regard such proposals as being insufficiently bold and imaginative. but it does represent an increase over current programs. The opportunity for us as citizens to participate in refugee assistance is splendidly available in the establishment and activity of the United States Committee for Refugees. whose chairman is our distinguished and dynamic Christian neghbor. the.Very Reverend Francis B. Sayre. dean of the Washington Cathedral. I am hopeful that you may be so personally concerned and determined that we will. both as citizens and through our Government. resourcefully meet this challenge. that you will come up with what Victor Hugo is reported to have described as "tbe most powerful influence in the world. an idea whose time has come." Until I hear from you let me briefly suggest two or three ideas of my own: 1. I propose that every church and synaggue in our land incorporate into its budget during the World Refugee Year a generous amount of money which will United States Committee for H use such moneys where it may maximum benefit. 2. I propose that each church gogue. wherever possible. make ments through the World Refuge fice. United Nations. New York through the United States Con Refugees (11 West 42d Street. I. to sponsor some refugee or a per ect in his behalf. providing a lo ample. enabling a person whose know to learn a trade. or to allo in Hong Kong whose name we w and that. of her child. to receiv medical -attention to arrest tuber tion. 3. I propose that we as citizens I give our support to every endea United States Committee for Refu in Congress. and the White Ho would allow the words inscribed of the Statute ofLiberty in New bor to be more than mere words: "Give me your tired. your poor. Your huddled masses yearning free. The wretched refuse of your teer Send these. the homeless. tem to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden I also hope that you will say t this sermonand that you will deeply 6 months from now: "I among those in our church who a and planning with reference to oi participation in the World Ref program." Let me say one more thing through. We have been concer the question. "Do refugees have Well of course they do. and as a fact the name of one of them is pr displayed just now from billboard marquees across our land: Anne urge you to see this film which tel and poignant story of a remarkabl and intelligent young girl of 13 diary she faithfully kept for 2 having fled from Germany. hid ou family in Amsterdam during the pation of Holland. The Gestapo their hiding place. however. and A was sent to a concentration cam Belsen. where 7 months later. at 15. she died. Among a pile of magazines. and newspapers whicl lying on the floor of the Amster annex was Annes diary.