Img. ID: 568414

Stone 128

THE EVIAN CONFERENCE 

THIS ASSEMBLY OF 32 COUNTRIES MET AT EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE
IN JULY 1938 TO ASSIST THE EMIGRATION OF REFUGEES FROM GERMANY
AND AUSTRIA, AND TO CREATE AN ORGANIZATION TO SOLVE THE
REFUGEE PROBLEM 

THE STATE DEPARTMENT URGED PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT TO
CONVENE THE MEETING TO RELIEVE PUBLIC PRESSURE FOR A MORE
LIBERAL U.S. IMMIGRATION POLICY FOLLOWING THE RISE OF NAZI
ASSAULTS ON JEWS. ROOSEVELT ANNOUNCED BEFORE THE CONFERENCE
THAT NO COUNTRY WOULD BE EXPECTED TO ALTER ITS LAWS. THE
BRITISH AND ALL OTHERS FOLLOWED SUIT STATING THAT POLITICAL
AND ECONOMIC CONCERNS RULED OUT A LARGE-SCALE ADMISSION
OF REFUGEES ONLY THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC VOLUNTEERED TO
CONTRIBUTE LARGE-SCALE AREAS FOR AGRICULTURAL COLONIZATIONS
THIS SOSUA SETTLEMENT ULTIMATELY TOOK IN 645 JEWS. 

THE WESTERN DEMOCRACIES GENERALLY INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD
REMAIN CLOSED TO THE STATELESS JEWS OF EUROPE. EUPHEMISTICALLY
REFERRED TO AS REFUGEES, EVIAN’S INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE
ON REFUGEES WAS EQUALLY INEFFECTUAL DURING THE HOLOCAUST.