840.48 Refugees/9–744: Circular telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Turkey (Steinhardt)93
The following WRB cable no. 106 is for Hirschmann. Several requests have already been received by the War Refugee Board for financial assistance in the relief of refugees in areas liberated by the Allied military forces.
For your information and guidance War Refugee Board activities are to be strictly limited to the rescue and relief of the victims of enemy oppression who are in imminent danger of death, that is, who are still in enemy-occupied territory. Refugee problems in liberated areas are not regarded as being within the Board’s functions. Accordingly, if you receive requests limited to the relief and assistance of refugees in areas liberated from the Germans, you should refer such [Page 1149] problems to UNRRA, the appropriate military authorities, the Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees, private refugee organizations, or other national or international groups which are authorized to deal with matters of this nature.
The foregoing shall not be construed to limit the activities of the Board dealing with arrangements for the removal of refugees in liberated areas whose presence serves to discourage or prevent the rescue of additional refugees from enemy-occupied areas.
This message has been repeated to the other WRB Special Representatives abroad.
- Repeated on the same date to Stockholm, Lisbon, Caserta, London, and Bern.↩