‘REPOR? OF BARD te HARRISON Wiission to Europe 40 inquire into the condition and needs of those among the displaced persons in the Liberated countries of Western : Eurepe and in the SHABF area of Germany -- with particular reference to the Jewish refugees —- who my possibly bo statelass or non-repatriable.London, England The President, es The White House, Washington. My dear Mr. President: / A Pursuant to your letter of June 22, 1915, I have the honor to present to you a partial report upon ny recent mission to Europe to Anquire into (1) the conlitions under which displaced persons and par- ‘Heularly those who may be stateless or nonerepatriable are at present living, especially in Germany and Austria, (2) the needs of such per sons, (3) how those needs are being met at present by the military authorities, the governments of residence and international and private relief bodies, and (J) the views of the possibly non-repatriable per sons a5 to their fiture destimtions, ly instructions were to give particular attention to the prob- lems, needs ani views of the Jewish refugees among the displaced people, especially in Germany and Austria. The report, particularly this partial report, accordingly deals in the main with that group. On numerous occasions apprecistion mas expressed by the victims of Nazi persecution for the interest of the United States Gevernment in them. As my report shows they are in need of attention and help. Up to this point they have been "liborated" more in a military sonse than actually. For reasons explained in the report, their particular prob- lens, to this time, have not been given attention to any appreciable ‘extent; consequently they feel that they, who were in so many ways the first and worst vietins of Nazism, aro being neglected by their libera~ tors. Upon my request, the Department, of State authorized Dr. Joseph J. Schmarts to Join me in the mission, Dr. Schwarta, European Director of the American Joint Distribution Committes, was granted a leave of absence from that organigation for the purpose of accompanying mo. His long and varied experience in refugee problems as well as his faniliar- ity with the Continent and the people made Dr, Schwarts a most valuable associate; this report represents our joint views, conclusions and reo- ommendations. During various portions of the trip I had, also, the assistance of Mr. Patrick M, Malin, Vice Director of the Intergovernmental Comittee on Refugees and lit, Horbert Ketzski of the War Refugee Board. Those gentlemen, Likewise, have Ind considerable oxperionce in refugee matters. Their assistance and cooperation were most helpful in tho course of the survey. 5 GERMANY AND AUSTREA Conditions eens (Q) Generally speaking, throc months after V-E Day and even longer after the liberstion of individual groups, many Jewish displaced persons and other possibly non-repatriables are living under guard behind barbed-wire fences, in camps of scveral descriptions, (built by the “ Germans for slave-laborors and Jews) including some of the most notorious ef the concentration camps, anidst crowded, frequently unsanitary and generally grim conditions, in complete idleness, with ne opportunity, except surreptitiously, to communicate with the outside world, waiting, hoping for some word of oncouragenent and ection in their behalf.Ses (2) While there has been marked improvenont in the health of ourvivors of the Nezi starvation and persecution program, there are many pathetic malnutrition cases both among the hospitalized snd in the Generel population of the camps. The death rate has been high since his Gtoeration ag wae to be expected, Ono Aray Chaplain, a Rabbi, pero <~ sinally atvended, since Liberation, 25,000 burials (90f Jews) at Berger yin a Belsen alono, one of the largest and most vicious of the eoncentration camps, whore, incidentally, despite persistent reports to the contrary, ed fourteen thousand displaced persons are still living, including over ree iovon thousand Jews. At rany of the camps and contera, including those /i*~ Shore serious starvation cases are, there is # marked and serious lack of needed medical supplies. (3) Although conc Camp Comandante hove managed, in spite of the many obvious difficulties, to find clothing of ono kind or another for clo Their charges, many of tho Jowish Qisplaced persons, late in July, hed no clothing other than their concentration ceap garb -- 0 rather hidecus striped pajena effect -- while others, to their chagrin, ware obliged to wear german .8. uniforms, It 18 questionable which clothing they hate the more. (4) With a few noteble exeertions, nothing in the way of © pro (Ear grom of activity or organized effort toward rehabilitation bas been in= ed +, Sugurated ani the intorness, for they are literally such, have Little to jihe~ do except to dwell upon their plight, the uncertainty of thoir future and, what 1s more unfortunate, to drew comparisons botwoon their trvet= nent ‘under the Germins* and “in liberntion". Boyond knowing that they are no longer in dungor of the gas chambers, torture, and other forms of Fielent death, they gue -- and thereis -- Little chenge. The morale of those who are aither statelese or who do not wish to veturn to their countries of nntionulity is vory low. Thoy: have witnessed gront activity and efficiency in returning poople to their homos but they heer or see nothing in the way of plins for them ond consequently they wonder and frequently ask what “Liberation” means. Tais situation is considerably cceantuated vhere, 3 in #0 many cases, they areunblo to Jeck from their crowded and bare quartors 1nd sea the German sivilinn population, par ticulnrly in the rural areas, ta all oppearnfiees living normal lives in thoir own homes. { ) (5) The most absorbing worry of ‘nbed-aéai ond war victima oon- «76 cerns relatives = wives, husbands, parents, children. Most of them have boon separated for three, four or five years and they cannot understand wy tay the Liberntors should not have undertaken imiedistely the organized ef” fort to re-unite fumily groups. Most of the very little which has been dons AL? 4m this direction has been informal action by the displieed persons then selves with the aid of devoted Army Chaplains, frequently Rabbis, and the American Joint Distribution Committee. Broadcasts of names and locations by the Psychological Warfare Division at Luxmbourg have boon helpful, s1- ‘though the lack of receiving sets has handicapped the effectiveness of the program. Zven where, as has been happening, information hus been received aS to relatives living in other camps in Germany, it depends on the personal sttituds and disposition of the Camp Commandant vhether permission can be obtained or assistance received to follow up on the information. Sore Camp Comandents are quite rigid in this particular, while others lend every 6f- fort to join family groups. 4 (6) Tt is difficult to evaluate tho food situation fairly because ede one must be mindful of the fact that quite generally food 1s scarce snd te yi") likely to be more so during the winter ahosd. On the other hend, in pro= senting the factual cituntion, one must raise the question ss to how much — , 31? longer many of these people, particularly those who have over such a long 4 .f ¢ poried felt porsocution uni near starvation, eon survive om a diet composed principally of bread and coffee, irrespective of the cvlorie content. In mony comps, the 2,000 calories included 1,250 onlories of = black, wot and extrenely unappetizing bread. I received the distinct impression and con siderable substentisting informtion thet largo numbers of the German popu- ination <= again principally in the rural ereas -= hive a more varied and palatable diet than is tho case with the displaced persons. The Cxmp Gon- Randante put in their requisitions with the German burgeomister and rary Seemed to accept whetover he turned over ns being the best that was available.=r (7) Many of the buildings in which displaced persens are heused 77 ave clearly unfit for winter use and everywhere there is great concern about the prospect of a complete ack of fuel. There is every Likelthood thst close to a million displaced persons will be in Germany and lustria shen © The outlook in muny aresa so fer as shelter, food and fuel u NaEDS OF THE JEUS ynile it is impossible to state accurately the number of Jews now in that pert of Gemmanynot under fussian ocoupation, ati indications point to the fect that the number is small, with one hundred thousand probsbly the top figure; some informed persons contend the number is considerably Smaller: he principal nationality groups are Poles, Hungerians, Rumeniane, Germans and Austrians. the first and plainost need of these pooplo is » recognition af their actual status and by thie 1 mean their status as Jews, Meat of then have spent years in the worst of the concentration camps. In sany easea, although the full extent 1s nob yet know, they are the sole surrivers of their fanflies aad many have been through the agony of witnessing the de struction of their loved ones, Understandably, therefore, their present condition, physical and mental, is fer worse than that of other groups. Walle SHAEF (new Combined Displaced Persons Executive) policy directives have recognized formerly perseexted persons, including eneny and ax-encny nationals, as one of the special categories of displaced persons, tha general practice tius far has been to follow only nationality lines. fihile admittedly it as not normally desirable to seb aside particular racial or religious groups ftom their nationality categories, the plain truth 1s that this was done for 50 long by she Nagis that o group has been created Mich bas special needs, Jews a Jows, (not as members ef thelr nationality groups) have beon gore severoly victimized than tho nen-Jewish members of the same or other netionalitiss. Ginen they are now considered only 2s nembors of nationality groups, the result fs thet special attention cannct be given to their aduittedly greater needa bacause, it is contended, doing so would constitute pref erential tre’ ‘and lead to trouble with the non-Jewish portion of the particular nabios ‘Trms thore is = distinctly unr Refuasl to recog of closing one's eyes to their former cnd more barbaric peraceutt has already mide thon a separate group with grecter needs. nige the dews as such has the effect, in tile situation, n, which Their second groat need can be presunted only by discussing what I found to be their JTSHES AS TO FUTURE DESTINATIONS (2) For reasons thet are obvious and need ack be lee! sd, mast Jows want to leave Cereany ond Austria as soon us possible, *Thot is thelr Tiret ond groat expressed wish and while this report necessurily deals with other nouds preaont in the situation, many of the people themselves fear cther suggestions or plans for thoir benefit bacause of the possibility that attention might thereby bs diverted from tie cll—dmportant wetter of evacuae ‘ion from Germany. ‘Their docira to leave Germny is an urgent one. Phe Lite which they have led for the past ten years, a life of feer ond minder- ing end physical torture, hea made then inpatient of delay. Tey went to novoyaouated to'Pélestine now, juat as other nations) yroups ere being tepatriated to their home, They do not look kindly on the idee of weibing, Hound dn ddleness aed 4a discomfort in a German canp for many months until a loisuraly solution is fousd for them. 3(2) Sone wish to roturn to their countries of nationality but as to this there is considerable nationality variation. very few Polish or Baltic Jaus wish to return to their countries; higher percentages of the Hungarian and Ruranian groups want to return although some hasten to add that it may be only temporarily in order %o Look Yor relatives. Some of the Ger- man Jews, especially those who have internarricd, prefer to stay in Germany. (3) With respect to possible places of resettlement for those Tho may be stateless or who do not wish to return to their homes, Palestine ts definitely and pre-eminently the first choice. Many now have relatives ubile others, having experienced intolerafce and serseewtion in their home— lands for years, feel that only in Palestine will they be welcomed and find pesca and quiet and be given an opportunity 40 live and work. In the case of the Polish and the Baltic Jes, the desire to go to Palestine is tased in @ great majority of the cases on a love for the country and a devotion to the Zionist ideal, It is also true, however, that there are nany who wish to go to Palestine because they real: that their opportunity te be admitted into the United States or into other countries in the Festern hemisphere is limited, if not impossible. TJhatever the mobive which causes them to turn to Palestine, is undoubtadly true that the great majority of the Jews now in Germany do sh to return te those countrics fron which they cane. not (4) Palestine, while clearly the choice of mest, is net the onl: naned placa af poset Some, but the number is not large, wish to omigeate ta the Unised States vhere thoy hava relatives, others to mgland, the British Dominions, or to South Anoriea, “mt of a plan te, ‘Thus the second great need is tha prompt develo; get owt of Germany and Austria a5 meny as possible of thase sho wish it. Otherwise the needs and wishes of the Jemish placed persons can be simply stated: among their physiesl needs are clothing and shons {most sorely needed), Horo viriod and palatable diet, medicines, beds and mattresses, reading materials. ‘he clothing for the camps tee is Toquisitioned from the German population, and whether there is not sufficient quantity to bo hed or the Gorman pon hot’ Boch willing of has not Bech compelled to give up suf: , the interness feel particularly Bitter about the state of their clothing whon they sce how well the German population 45 still dressed. ‘he Gortign poplilation today 1s atill the best eresscd population in all of Buropo. groups aneng the dis- % ae jm MANNER IN THIOH 1 SRE BRING MEP Aside from having brought ralief iron tho fear of oxtermination, Heal atdeat lon fom Sie) dont sus) st-ulval tou seees| endl eco eaiese LICyeR nent in conditions under which the remsining displaced porsons are compelled to iva, rolaiively Little boyord the planting stage hea ben dona, during the period of mass repatriation, to meet the special noeds of the formerly persucutad groups, UWRRA, being neither sufficiently organized or equipped nor_auth— ovized 0 operate displaced persons camps or centcr's on any large scale, hag not buon in position to make any substantial contribution to the situation. Regrettably there has been a disinclination on the part of many Camp Conmandants to utilize UNRRA personnel even to the extent avail. | able, though it must bo admitted that in many situotions this resulted fron unfortunate exporicnecs Arny officers had with (vRRA personnel cho wore un ed and inadequate for the responsibility involved, Then, tos, in the Ancrican and Fritish zones, it teo frequently occurred that UNRRA porsonnol did not include English-speaking momburs and this hanpored proper working relationships.inden these cirounstences, WAR}, to which hae been ageigned the for co-ordinating activities of private social welfare agensies, has been in avdward position when it cane to considering and v acting upon proposals af one ikind or another subaitt woll qualified ee i agencies whieh would eid and supple responsibilities. -~ ‘The remit has been that, up to thie point, very fon private social 3 are worldng with displecod p , including the Joys, although ation orles out Zer their services ore Ib mist be seid, tee, that because of their pro-veei 4stdon and bee. f howsing, persone? and transzort. dif rable resis ec, no matter how qualified sting needs ef displaced persona. 1, Now that » ib is not unreasomal difficult period those tho h first and nob last attention st and Tongest be given Specéfically, in and Austria should have @ of the United States end sonnel vho rebresent than Hvacustion from Ger ny show nd practice, (a) Recognizing point of ll concerned, tha Jews w should be thot fur needed to accom ep ailitory or other authorities should be undert tion, Unless this an setion, about to be a stantial unofficial and umuthorized movenenta ¢ those will require considerable foree to prevent, the persons involved io, and in oy opinion mith ju breaking point. Tt cannot be overemphnaized ny of those people non desperate, that they have Gecos accustencd under Gorman rule $0 ann slog every possible mane to reach thair end, and th doos not rostrain then, eens real (b) (ath respect to’ these tura 40 their h connection, the dssue of Palestine must be bers are no longer involved and if there is any germine syapebhy for what these survivors have o: sonable extension ification of tho British Uhdbe Paper of 1939 ought. to be nescilile without too earious reo Percussions, For som of the Suropean deus, there is no acceptable or oven decent solution for thei an Pa, alsa tine, This is said on a pure- ty immanitardan ba: cal, or political considcra- tions so f do net, for good reasons, viish to Yo= sewise be untc ‘ton, In this ‘faced, Now that such large num based upon relisble information, thet cer- don to Palestine will & ctically cxhausted by the ie the future bb be? To any 1d tho hoz talked with the de= emitous to contenjlate that one who has visited tho eoneentration car spairins survivors, it is nothing shortSees Qhe Jowish Agency of Palestine has subx: the British Govern- tition that one hundred thousand additions] immigration certificates tion makes a persuasive Palestine and nent be mide avaliable. A memorandw: accompanying the pe showing with respect to the innediate absorzbive capacity th rent, ectual man-power shortages there. Walle there cay be room for difference of opinion as to the preeise mmber ef such certificates which might under cir stances be considered reasonable, there 4s on but that the %, thus mada would, if geanted, contribute much to the sound solution for the future of Jt in Gormany and Austrie and even ether dis: placed Jews, whe do not 1 eithor to remain there or ta raturn to their countries of nationality. single matter is, therefore, 30 important from the view= + and Austria and those elsewsere who have known ag is the disposition of the He ot! nt of deve i Tr. Ih Delton, a prominent nent, is reported as having azid at Z slleeee This Panty has laid it down and rageated it so recently se last ‘that thie time, having regard to the unspeakable horrors ya been perpetrated won the Jews of Germany and other occupied i mong ani politically indefensible obstacles to the entry inte Palastine now of any Jews who de— sire to go theres. inte also have stated clearly that this is not e metter which should be regarded as one for which te Dritish Gevermment alone should take respon— but as it comes, aa do many others, in the international indispensable that there showld be close agreenant and co— the British, American and Soviet Governments, particular- 2 are going to get a sure settlenent in Palestine and the surrounding ly if countries. If this can be said to > Great Britain, it certainly + d States Government to expre sons equitable solution of the question which would make 4+ possible for some reasonable mubor of Europels perscouted Jews, mow hongless un— der any fair view, te resettle in Palestine. That is their wish and it is rondsred desirable by the generally-accested policy of parmitting family groups to unite or reunite, viewpoint of the new Gev- of be inappropriate for port of (ec) The United States should, under existing immigration 7 47 laws, vernit reasonable numbers of such persons to com here, again par yy ‘icularly those wha have fantly tise in this country. As indicated wt Oo earlier, te nucber whe desire emigration to the Ualted States is not If Great Britain and tha United States were to take the actions recited, i might the more readily bo that other countries would like= wise be willing to keep their doors reasonably open for such hunani— tarian considerations and to denonatrate in a practical manner their disapproval of Nasi policy which unfortuniguly has poisoned so much of Europe. 3, To the extent that auch emigration fron Germany and Austria is delayed, some inmediate temporary solution aust be found, Th any: event thore will be a substantial number of the persecuted persons who are not physically fit or otherwise presently arepared for emigration,Mere I fest strongly that greater and more extensive efforts shouté bo made to got thas out of carts for Luey are sick of Livi comps. In the firet place, there i uch special 2 is real need for places as (a) tuberculosis sanitaria and (b) rest homes for ‘ein who. are mentally 41) or who need a period of readjustment before living agein in the world at large - anywhere, Some will require st least short pericds of training or retraining befare they ean be really useful citizens. But speeking more broadly, thre is an opportunity here to give sone reel meaning to the policy agraed upon at Fotedaa, If it be true, as seems to be widely conceded, that the German people at large do not have any sense of quilt with respect to the war and its causes and re~ sults, and if tha polley 4s to be "Te convince the German people that they have suffered a total military defeat and that they cannot escape responsibility for what tl brought upan themselves, "then it is digficwlt to understand why so many displaged persons, particularly those who have so long bee persecuted and vhose repatrietion or re~ scttlonent is Likely to be delayed, should be compel live in crude, overcrowded camps wl German people, in rvral areas, continue undicturbed in th fe matbore now stand, we appear te be treating the Jews as the Mazis treated them exeept that we do nct exterminate thon. They are in concentration canpa in large mumbera under our military guard instead of 8.8, troops. One 4s led to wonder whether the German people, seeing this, are not supposing that we are following or at least condoning Nagi policy, Tt seems much more equitable and as it should be to witness the very few places vhere fearless and uncanproaising miiitary officers have either wequisit en-antire village for the benafit of displaced persons, compelling the German population to find housing where they can, oF have required the local population to ber of then. ‘Thus the displaced persona, including the persecuted, live more like normal peopl sor criminals or herded se They are in Germany, moot of nd certainly the, Jews, through no fault or wish of thelr own. tis in this fashion being brought hens to the Gerrian people but it is being done on too saall a scale. Ab many places, however, the military government officers mani- feat the utmost reluctance or indisposition, if not timidity, about Azeonvonioneig, tho Gorman population. Thuy even say that their Job is to get commnitics operly and soundly agein, that they must "Live wlth the Germans while the dps (displaced persona) are a more temporary problem". Thus (and I am ready to cite the example) if a group of Jews are ordered to vacate their temporary quarters, needed for military purposes, and there are iwo possible sites, one a block of flate (modest epartaents) with conveniences and the other a series of shabby buildings with outside toilet and wasiing facilities, the burgomeister readily succveds in persuading the Town Wajor to allot the latter to the displaced persons and to save the former for return ing Cemen civilians. This tendency reflects itself in other ways ly, in tho euployment of Geman elvilians in the offiees of nilitary governnent officers when equally qualified personnel could casily be found anong the displaced persons whose repatriation is not imminent, Actually there have been situations where dleplaced persons, cspsclally Jaws, have found 4¢ difficult te obtain audicnece with military governaent authoritics because ironically they have been obliged to go through German eaployees who have net facilitated matters.ha Quite generally, insufficient use is mada of the services of sh displaced persons. Many of then are able and eager to work but ap— parently thoy are not considered in this regard, While appreciating that language difficulties are somstimes involved, I am convinced that, both within and outedde camps, greater use could be made of the personal ser- vices of thore displaced parsons who in all likelihood will be on hand for sone tine, Happily in soma camps avery effert is made to utilize the services of the displaced persona and these are apt to be the best camps in all respects. \. To the extend that (a) evacuation from Germany and Austria is not immediately possible and (b) the formerly persecuted groups can— not be housed in villages or billeted with the German population, 1 re- commend urgently that seperate camps be set up for Jews or at Issst for those who wish, in the absence of & better solution, to be in such camps. There are several reasons for this: (1) n great majority want it; (2) it is the only way in which edministratively their speciel needs end problems can be met without charges of preferential treatment or (oddl; anough) charges of discrimination” sith respect te Jewish\ agencies now prepared and ready to give them assistance, G ] ae In this connection, I wish to emphasize that dt ts not a ose of singling out a particular group for special privileges, It is = met~ ter of raising to a more normal level the position of a group which has ‘been depressed to the lowest depths conceivable by years of organized and inhunen oppression, ‘The measures necessary for their restitution do not come within any reasonable interpretation of privileged treatment and are required by considerations of justice and humanity. There has been some tendency at spots in the direction of separ= ate camps for those who might be found to ba stateless or non-repatriable or whose repatriation is likely to ba defarrad soe timc. Actually, too, this was announced some time ago as SHAEF policy but in practice it has not been taken to mean much for there is (understandably if not carried tco fer) a refusal to contemplate possibla statelessness and an incis- tence, in the interests of the larga repatriaticn program, to consider allas repatrisble, ‘This results in a resistance te anything in tho ray of special planning for the “hard core", although all admit it is there and vill inevitably appear. While speaking ef eamps, this should be pointed out: “hile it may be that conditions in Germany and Austria arc still such that certain control moasures sre required, thers seems 1it- tle justifieation for the continuanes of barbed-wire fences, armed guards, and prohibition against leaving the camp except by passes, which st some places are illiberally granted, Prevention ef looting is given as the reason for these stern measures but it is interesting that in portions of the Seventh Army arca whare greater liberty of movement in and out ef eaxps ie given there is setually much less plundering then in other areas where people, wishing to leave casp temperarily, must do so by stealth. 5. As quiekly as possible, the actual operation of such camps should be turned ever to a civilian Agency - UNRRA. ‘Tht organization gay! is aware of weaknesses in its present structure and is pressing to A remedy them. In that connection, it is believed that greater assistance could be given by the militery authorities, upon whom any eivilian geney in Germany and Austria today Ss necessarily dependent so far as housing, transport snd other itons are concerned. While it is true the military have been urging UNRRA to get ready to aeswne responsibility, it is also the fact that insufficient cooperation of an active nature has been given te accomplish the desired end. A 6, Sinee, in any event, the ailitary authorities must necessarily eontinus to participate in the program for all displaced persons, e=- er pecially with respect to housing, transport, security, and certain sup- © plies, it is reecnended that there be a revicw of the military per Sonne selected for Canp Commandant positions. Some serving at present, while perhaps adequate for the mass repatriation job, are manifestly unsuited for tha longer-term job of working in s crap composed of peo ple whose repatriation or resettlement is likely to be delayed, Officers who have had sone background or experience in soci] welfare werk are to ba preferred and it is believed there are some who are available, It is most important that the officers selected be sympathetic with the pro- gram end that they be tepermentally able to work and to co-operate with IRRA and other relief and welfare agencies,plon of responsibility for operations by A, it would a more extensive plan of field visita- tion by appropriate Army Group Headquarters be dns It iste- ‘of the conditions now existing dn the camps would not” yea tolerated if pore intimately known by supervisory, of. inspection tours. §. Th $s urgently recommended that plans fer tracing services, now urmer consideration, be accelerated to the fullest extent possible smi that, in thic cane direction, commicetion services, if on open fer postel oande only, be made available to displaced thin Ger- many end ductria de coon as possitle, The diffiow bub £b ic believed thet af the ar and havassea, were fully mnderstood, in the near firbure to minis such Soeenio and tracing of relatives possible, I believe also th mate agencies could be helpful in this direction if ctLon. v OTHER COMMENTS I dto report conditions ag T found thea, the following should be added to make the picture complete: @ c task confronted the occupying arcies in Germany and Austria in patting back to their hones as many a5 possible of the more than six million displaced persons foun in those countries, Less than three months efter T-E Day, more than four million ef such persons eve bsen repatriated — a phenomenal performance. One!s first in pression, in surveying the situation, 1s that of complate aduiration for that-han ben eenemplishsd=by-themlUitaryeauthorities in dally reducing the time co predicted to bs requirad fer this stupen task. Prat: je highest order is dus all military units spect to this of the postfignting job. in directdn ‘dens which unqueationcbly requir wish to detract one particle fro rat no intention or nents. the preceding etate— (2) ‘While I did not actually seo conditions as they existed in mediately after Hberation T had then deser: n detail sufficient to make entirely clear th hag been, during th eraning period, sone improvenent in % dons under wilch most of the remaining displaced persona are living p have come out of Germany refugees thease roups indicate something of = ths full seope of the owermielning military authorities. mile it is ee that atient at whet eppears to eeenesne deing in meeting their ic, Fairness dictates thet, in ovaluating the progress mode, problem and all of its ranificaties be kept in mind. bh effort has been, therefora, to weigh quite carefully the many complaints nade to me in the course of my survey, both by displaced pergons thet selves and in thetr behalf, in tho Light of the many responsibilities which confvontad the military aubhorlides, (3) While for the sake of trevity this report: necessarily con= sisted larguly of general statencnte, it should coptions exist with respact to practically all of One high ranking military swthoritp predicted, in advance of ny trip rough Gernaiy ond Austria, that T vould find, with respect. so, carps containing displaced persons, "some shnt are quite good, som that aro very bad, with the average something under antiafantory!. My subso— quent trip confirmed thet prediction in all respects.Eo In order to file this report promptly so that possibly some remedial steps might be considered at as early a date as possible, T we not taken time to enalyzs all of the notes made in the course of the trip or to commetit on the situation in Frances, Belgium, Hollend or Switzer land, also visited. Accordingly, I respectfully request that this report be considered as partdal in nature. The problems presettt in Germany and fustria are mch wore serioun and difficult than in any of the other countries ad end this fact, too, seemed to mike desirable the “faling of a partial report immediately uron completion of the oe iN In conclusion, I wish te repsat that the iain gottich, in many soya the only real solution, of the problem lies in the quick evacuation of SIL nonerepabriabie Jews in Germany and Austria, who wish it, to Palestine, In order to be effective, this plan mst not be long delayed. Tae urgency of the situation should be recognized. It is inhuman to ask people to con— tinue to live for eny length of tite under their present conditions, The svaouation of the Jews of Germany and Austria to Palestine will solve the problem of the individuals involved and will also emovs a problem from the military authorities who have had to with at. The anny ability to nove millions ef people quickly and efficiently has been amply demonstrated, The evaguetion of a reletavoly mall nuiber of Jers fre Germany and Austria Gil present no greet problem to the military, With the ond of the Japanese far, the shipping situation chould also becom cufficlently improved to make such nove feasible. The civilized world owes it to thi: handful of sur- yore to provide them with o ho! they can again settle dow end be- gin to live as homan beings. Respectfully, EARL G. HARRISON.