548.D1/226

Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Western European Affairs (Moffat)71

Professor Chamberlain, the American representative on the High Commission for Refugees (Jewish and others) coming from Germany, called this morning. He said that many of the German refugees in this country had property in Germany, but were unable under present German regulations to get more than ten marks a month. In the circumstances, they were faced with the dilemma of returning to Germany, where they would probably be put in a concentration camp or extending their stay here with the possibility of going on public relief. He inquired whether we could not informally persuade the Germans to release more than ten marks a month to German citizens living abroad, notably refugees. I pointed out the difficulty of asking for more money to be released for German citizens, when there were hundreds of Americans who had money tied up in Germany either in the form of vested property, bank deposits or of legacies. Some of these Americans were in abject poverty, fully comparable to the situation of the refugees. We are making strenuous efforts to obtain some of their money for them and I failed to see how Mr. Dodd could ask for preferential treatment for refugees ahead of Americans.

Professor Chamberlain admitted the difficulty but hoped none the less that we could find a way sub rosa to carry out his suggestion.

Pierrepont Moffat
  1. Transmitted to the Ambassador in Germany by the Department as an enclosure to instruction No. 398, April 18, 1935 (not printed).