[Beilage 3 zu SM, Nr. 32, 1941] [Seite: 0 = Title page] STRUGGLING REFUGEES Contents: 1. Refugees in France 2. The problem of interned refugees 3. Events of 1941 4. Radio-talk to the German workers -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- [Seite: - 1 - ] EXTRACTS from the "S o z i a l i s t i s c h e _ M i t t e i l u n g e n" News for German Socialists in England ======================================================== REFUGEES IN FRANCE[1] Report and appeal. In the following pages the flight of German Socialist refugees in France and the work for saving them is described. June, 1940. - Armistice. A vast stream of refugees - about 13 million men - flooded over France. Villages became cities. Toulouse grew, in 72 hours, to a city of 700.000 inhabitants, being formerly a town of 150.000. There were no empty rooms, no beds available. Masses lodged in halls, station buildings, barracks, schools, or in the streets. Defeat and flight had deprived them of everything: of hope, energy, home and property. The only thing they had got was the certainty, relieving and at the same time disgraceful: "For us, the war is over!" The alien refugees Among these millions, there were some thousand German and Austrian refugees who had every reason to think quite differently. A time of terror started for them. Clause 19 of the armistice conditions provided the extradition of Germans. Almost all the refugees feared that this clause might apply to them. Their mental situation was quite as miserable as their material situation. Almost all of them had been interned for some time. The former Spanish fighters had been kept behind barbed wire for two years. Only a few had succeeded in saving their belongings. The majority were nearly destitute and did not possess more [Seite im Original:] - 2 - than the clothes they stood in. Numerous refugees were still - or once more - in internment camps. The rest spread all over unoccupied France; Montauban, Toulouse and Marseilles being the main centres. Some refugees hid in lonely country places - for reasons of security. Very few returned into the occupied territory. Aliens forbidden to travel An order to this effect prevented most of the refugees from leaving their residences, chosen by chance and frequently unsuitable. At first there was no centre of organisation or information in this unspeakable disorder. The local organisations of the French Socialist Party and of the French Trade Unions could offer only limited assistance, and mostly for a very short time. They had their own sorrows, were without any means, without central leadership, and soon they became victims of the Laval-Government. In spite of all that, not only they, but also the leading comrades of the Russian, Italian and Polish emigration gave proofs of international solidarity, which will be gratefully remembered for ever. The hatred of aliens Incited by reactionary propaganda during the preceding years, increased in these days of disaster, want, unemployment, and shortage of goods and food. The crimes committed by parachutists and the Fifth Column had effects unfavourable for the German refugees. There they were - without money, home, food, jobs and even the right to work, without permission to stay or permission to go; no chance of being assisted, threatened by hostility, by re- internment, by labour-camps and camps for suspects, by extradition, by the fact that Gestapo officials inspected those camps, and the result was a desperate mood of the political refugees. Only one thought was in their minds: "To get out, at any cost, out of this country!" But that was no easy matter. Switzerland returned non-French refugees. Passenger shipping was prohibited. The Spanish frontier was closed. In spite of that, hundreds and thousands of refugees crossed the frontier in adventurous ways, with visas and passports of sometimes dubious character, and went to Spain and Africa, to Lisbon and overseas jobbers, smugglers, and adventurers enjoyed prosperity. [Seite im Original:] - 3 - Money unlocked many doors, as always. Needless to say that our political friends hardly belonged to those who could do the trick. The Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Party. The exact figure of Social Democratic refugees in France is unknown, since no registration had taken place, It can be assumed that the figure was 700 or 1000 incl. dependants. At the end of June, 1940, almost all the members of the Executive Committee of the German Social Democratic Party and some of their collaborators were assembled at Castres, in Southern France, after some trouble. Connections with the other members of the Executive Committee and with Friedrich Adler could be re-established in time, and further measures could be discussed. The Executive Committee, although deprived of all means and, for some time, even of all foreign relations (wires abroad took six weeks to arrive), tried to seek help for the German political refugees, even those outside the rank and file of the party. Our friends in England started action immediately after the collapse of France, and they applied successfully for visas on behalf of a number of comrades who were known in this country. But, unfortunately, the visas could not be issued in time, as the British Consulates in France were closed at the end of June. The German Labour Delegation in New York which is the representative of the Executive Commitee of the German Social Democratic Party in USA, had applied for emergency visas, greatly supported by the Jewish Labor committee, and sponsored by the American Federation of Labor. The German Labor Delegation sent one of its friends, Dr. Frank Bohn, from Washington to Marseilles. He made great selfless efforts to initiate the work of rescue. This work, started at the critical moment by German Social Democrats, secured life and liberty for hundreds of refugees of various nationalities. The work of rescue was carried out, not according to partial views; if for instance, a number of German writers (non-Socialist), representatives of Socialist groups and other political [Seite im Original:] - 4 - organisations are now free and safe in USA, they owe it to this well-timed Social Democratic action. It was much later that other people also took part in this work of rescue. - In July, 1940, the Executive Committee of the German Social Democratic Party was informed of this work, and was asked to assist the American Consul and Dr. Bohn. The Executive Committee agreed and delegated two members to Marseilles. At the same time, the Executive Committee wired an additional list of political leaders (incl. leading members of other political groups) to USA. This list was accepted; the visas were granted. Discussions with USA-authorities, with Frank Bohn, representatives of other political groups followed. There was, however, nobody who could give an estimate of the Number of required visas. The Executive Committee of German Social Democratic Party compiled therefore, in touch with the representatives of other groups, a provisional list of all Socialist refugees of different groups. (It contained 451 names, Marseilles, Mediterranean port and biggest city of unoccupied France, had an American Consul General and consuls of many other countries; it became the centre of emigration and the "Mecca of emigrants" who tried to invade it in spite of the travel-restrictions and the strict control of railways and roads. The Executive Committee of the German Social Democratic Party also went to Marseilles. It was impossible to carry on the former activities on French soil. It was therefore agreed to emigrate and to make efforts to resume the activities in England or USA. One member of the Executive Committee was appointed as worker for the care of Social Democratic refugees in France. He was to work in closest touch with Frank Bohn. American emergency visas. The State Department in Washington had granted about 400 emergency visas for distribution: 118 for Germans, 23 for Austrians, 47 for Italians and the remainder for Russians, Poles and other refugees. The distribution quotas and the names of the recipients had been decided upon in USA. Not even 50% of the German quota were given to Social [Seite im Original:] - 5 - Democrats. Most of the other visas were given to non-Socialist writers, journalists etc. Many Socialists, especially the underground workers - who, of course, were unknown in USA - had not received visas. It was a most important task to provide visas for these persons and to organise the emigration of those who had received their visas; but that was not the only task. Difficulties of emigration were extraordinary. Visas could not be given before the Consul General in Marseilles had re-examined the cases, which sometimes caused difficulties, sometimes even refusal. Visas were not given unless the Consul was satisfied what the applicant was either a famous writer or scientist or the leader of a Workers movement, or a man in immediate danger. It was not always easy to prove that. The Consuls, who were not so familiar with European conditions, had a limited knowledge of persons only. Later on, these difficulties were overcome by the following arrangement: The Consul accepted written certificates from the representative of the Executive Committee of the German Social Democratic Party, by which the danger, threatening the applicant or his leading activities, were confirmed. The consuls did what they could; but the number of the applicants was so big that it was impossible to meet even a considerable part of the requests and applications. Sometimes the mail was 4000 letters daily. The French authorities refused exit permits for German refugees. Thereby the distribution of emergency visas was stopped for some time, for the American Consul regarded this exit permit as the condition for giving the immigration visa as well as the emergency visa.