840.48 Refugees/1661: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 9—2:33 p.m.]
811. From Pell. Jewish leaders here have received information from the British Consul General in Frankfort that the Gestapo is making another drive against former Polish nationals who through steps taken by the Polish Government have become stateless. Bearsted and Rothschild have approached the Foreign Office on the basis of the Consul General’s letter and requested governmental action to discourage the Germans from adopting shock tactics against this group. The Foreign Office informed me this morning that the British Government is prepared to bring this matter to the attention of the German Government through the British Ambassador at Berlin and would welcome parallel action by the American Chargé d’Affaires at Berlin. In any event, before sending instructions to Henderson they would wish to have your views.
It is unnecessary for me to point out that the group in question has not so far been included within the scope of action of the Committee although the British Government at the February meeting sought to have the Committee’s mandate extended to include this group and later agreed with the Polish Government to do its utmost to have this group included in the Committee’s action. Subsequently Winterton circularized the participating governments to the effect that if no objection was received within a period of 6 weeks it would be assumed that this group came within the Committee’s scope. Chile and Bolivia in reply informed him that their opposition to the extension of the Committee’s scope was unchanged and as matters now stand, therefore, the American Government is not, as a member of the Intergovernmental [Page 122] Committee, under obligation to take action with regard to the group of former Polish citizens. [Pell.]