840.50 UNRRA/5–2345
The Counselor of the British Embassy (Marris) to the Assistant Secretary of State (Acheson)
RS 10AM/93/45
Washington, May 23,
1945.
My Dear Dean: We have now had a reply from the
Foreign Office about the Yugoslav displaced persons problem.71
I attach a copy of this telegram and I suggest, if this is agreeable to you,
that you should let me know how we both ought next to proceed.
I fancy the Governor himself is away so, if this is so, perhaps we ought to
talk to Hendrickson.
Yours sincerely,
[Annex]
Telegram From the British
Foreign Office to the British Ambassador in
Washington (Halifax), May 22,
1945
Addressed to Washington telegram No. 5281, 22nd May, repeated to Caserta
and Belgrade.
Comply
Your telegrams Nos. 3410 and 3411.
This raises a vital issue on principle. Many Poles and other East
European displaced persons with whom UNRRA now has to deal in Germany
will be unlikely for the present at any rate to have the “approval” of
the Governments in power in their countries of origin; and if the
principle were once admitted that a Government could exclude large
categories of its nationals abroad from receiving relief on political
grounds UNRRA would be unable to take care of very large numbers of
people in Germany or elsewhere for whose relief no other provision
exists.
- 2.
- In accordance with Resolution 2, paragraph l,72 UNRRA must
distribute relief “without discrimination because of race, creed or
political belief”. In accordance with Resolution 1 part 2 paragraph
2,73 UNRRA has to
undertake first to care for persons “found in any areas under the
control of any of the United Nations who by reason of war have been
displaced from their homes” and secondly “in agreement with
appropriate Governments, Military Authorities or other agencies to
secure their repatriation or return”. Thus although the
[Page 983]
consent of the appropriate
Government is necessary for repatriation it is not necessary for
care. We agree with Acheson that the words “in agreement with the
country of which they are Nationals” in Resolution 5774 apply not to
the words “for the care of” but only to the words “repatriation and
return”. There is therefore in our opinion sufficient legal ground
to rebut the Yugoslav contention.
- 3.
- It is a fundamental principle of UNRRA’s work that there is to be
no discrimination on grounds of race, religion or political belief;
but if UNRRA is precluded from assisting large categories of
displaced persons not in sympathy with the Governments which have
since come into power in their countries of origin, discrimination
on grounds of political belief will certainly be being applied and
there will be a serious risk of UNRRA relief becoming simply a means
of political pressure. This would be open to the strongest
objection.
- 4.
- In any case it has always been contemplated that UNRRA should look
after all displaced persons until their non-repatriability has been
established and for a reasonable period thereafter. This surely
presupposes, that UNRRA will be looking after people who may not
(repeat not) be approved of by the Governments in power in their
countries of origin at any rate for some considerable time.
- 5.
- In these circumstances we feel strongly that objections of
Yugoslav Government should be disregarded and that UNRRA should
assume responsibility for care of these Yugoslavs in Italy, Greece
and elsewhere irrespective of their political colour.
- 6.
- We agree with Marris that appeal to Central Committee75 would be
valueless.
