Comments on: FDR Pushed for the Rescue of Jewish Refugees, Newly Revealed Documents Show http://www.historynet.com/fdr-st-louis.htm From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:50:37 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jake http://www.historynet.com/fdr-st-louis.htm/comment-page-1#comment-140090 Jake Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:46:23 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13681150#comment-140090 All that the newly available papers make clear is that Roosevelt was amenable to resettlement of Jewish refugees - so long as the United States wasn't their destination. He was not alone in his desire for the Jewish refugees to be someone else's problem; it was a sentiment common among WASPs of the day, perhaps most memorably exemplified by Roosevelt's cousin, Laura Delano Houghteling, who was the wife of the U.S. commissioner of immigration. In reference to the proposed Wagner-Rogers bill, she warned that "20,000 charming children would all too soon grow into 20,000 ugly adults." Again and again, Roosevelt's attitude regarding refugee resettlement was "anywhere but here". McDonald’s argument that "FDR saw the bill as a mere gesture—not a solution", is one of the most absurd attempts at apologism that I have ever encountered. Allowing inthousands of children would not be a mere "gesture" -- whatever the wider issues, that would be 20,000 human lives secured, period. The bill would likely have faced much opposition in Congress, but it might have had a shot had the President of the United States put his weight behind it. Roosevelt, however, stayed silent, and in an internal memo, ordered his staff to take no action on the matter, sealing its doom. All that the newly available papers make clear is that Roosevelt was amenable to resettlement of Jewish refugees – so long as the United States wasn't their destination. He was not alone in his desire for the Jewish refugees to be someone else's problem; it was a sentiment common among WASPs of the day, perhaps most memorably exemplified by Roosevelt's cousin, Laura Delano Houghteling, who was the wife of the U.S. commissioner of immigration. In reference to the proposed Wagner-Rogers bill, she warned that "20,000 charming children would all too soon grow into 20,000 ugly adults." Again and again, Roosevelt's attitude regarding refugee resettlement was "anywhere but here".

McDonald’s argument that "FDR saw the bill as a mere gesture—not a solution", is one of the most absurd attempts at apologism that I have ever encountered. Allowing inthousands of children would not be a mere "gesture" — whatever the wider issues, that would be 20,000 human lives secured, period.

The bill would likely have faced much opposition in Congress, but it might have had a shot had the President of the United States put his weight behind it. Roosevelt, however, stayed silent, and in an internal memo, ordered his staff to take no action on the matter, sealing its doom.

]]> By: Terence http://www.historynet.com/fdr-st-louis.htm/comment-page-1#comment-97576 Terence Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:18:18 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13681150#comment-97576 A bit rough on Roosevelt. There was no holocaust in 1938 and the Nazis had yet to occupy the bulk of Europe. In 1938 Jews were being rendered stateless in Germany, not being bumped-off. "Roosevelt's plan" was the Evian conference that resulted in effectively---nothing. No country ( except the Dominican Republic) wanted to let any more Jews in. It was the US Congress who had fixed the immigration quotas for 'Jews' and Congress that turned down the Wagner-Rodgers Bill ( to allow 20,000 Jews into the US) due to US anti-semitism. Even the Zionist organisations did not push for refugee Jews to gain entry to America as their political agenda called for them to go to Palestine despite the British immigation quota of 15,000 per year. 10,000 Jewish children under the age of 17 from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia were transported to Britain though ( The Kindertransport) and fostered out to (mainly non-Jewish) British families from 1938 until the start of WW2. A bit rough on Roosevelt. There was no holocaust in 1938 and the Nazis had yet to occupy the bulk of Europe. In 1938 Jews were being rendered stateless in Germany, not being bumped-off.
"Roosevelt's plan" was the Evian conference that resulted in effectively—nothing. No country ( except the Dominican Republic) wanted to let any more Jews in.
It was the US Congress who had fixed the immigration quotas for 'Jews' and Congress that turned down the Wagner-Rodgers Bill ( to allow 20,000 Jews into the US) due to US anti-semitism. Even the Zionist organisations did not push for refugee Jews to gain entry to America as their political agenda called for them to go to Palestine despite the British immigation quota of 15,000 per year.
10,000 Jewish children under the age of 17 from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia were transported to Britain though ( The Kindertransport) and fostered out to (mainly non-Jewish) British families from 1938 until the start of WW2.

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