840.48 Refugees/1662: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy)
431. For Pell. Your 813, June 9, 8 p.m. We feel it most important that you should discourage in every possible way the introduction of any official plan which makes the financing of the emigration of refugees dependent upon governmental participation. This Government has made it clear from the time it first issued the invitation to the Evian Conference that, while it desires to assist in the orderly solution of the refugee problem, the responsibility for financing rests with the private groups. Such discouragement on your part will undoubtedly dispose of Emerson’s scheme.
Only in case Emerson wishes to pursue the matter further should you point out the obvious impracticability of the scheme. The idea of this Government matching dollar for dollar the amounts raised by private subscription here would mean an appropriation in an undetermined amount, which would be counter to our Congressional practice. The proposal presumably also means that the more generous the citizens of one country show themselves to be the greater would be the governmental contribution of that country. A variation of the Emerson proposal reported to us from New York calls for a guarantee by the British and American Governments of the securities privately subscribed for, a suggestion which this Government obviously could not consider.
From our point of view it would be most unfortunate if any cross current such as a new and far reaching proposal were introduced at this stage. We have one problem before us on which all effort must be concentrated: that is to set up the Refugee Foundation. We still hope that this can be completed before the meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee next month.