Letter from Arthur Greenleigh to Paul Veret, May 8, 1950

Twenty thousand Jewish men, women and children, survivors of the world's worst persecution, have now become eligible to enter the United States a result of the recent liberalization of the Displaced Persons Act. These uprooted and homeless Jewish victims of war and Hitler have been given their final chance to come to a free country of their choice. Their decade of oppression can be ended if every Jewish community acts promptly in providing the community assurances necessary to make possible their immigration to our country.

The European Inmigration Headquarters of the Joint Distribution Committee urgently cables as follows: "20,000 AND PROBABLY MORE INDIVIDUALS REQUIRING ASSURANCES. CONSEQUENTLY REQUIRE 10,000 COMMUNITY ASSURANCES." This is in addition to all those previously eligible of whom 25,000 Jews are expected to arrive in the United States in 1950.

You must act quickly since the over-all total of displaced persons who can come to the United States under the revised Act is limited. Otherwise, we run the very real risk of having a Jewish DP pre-empted of his last chance to enter the United States as a result of the prior presentation by other sectarian agencies of their assurances. You must therefore forward the additional assurances at the earliest possible moment.

It is imperative that we receive from your community an additional quota responsibility of 50 units. In determining the total quota responsibility for each community, we have very carefully considered the essential factors, including the Jewish and general populations, the economic situation, your quota acceptances to date and other conditions in your community. Every effort has been made to achieve an equitable allocation and distribution throughout the country.

Large-scale immigration is resuming with the passage of the revised Bill and the arrival of Jewish survivors during the next six months   - 2 - will exhaust all previously given commnunity assurances. It should be clearly understood that the overwhelming majority of the 20,000 newly eligible Jews will arrive in 1951 and we believe that your acceptance of these additional families will be your final commitment under the Displaced Persons Act.

The United Service for New Americans is the only national Jewish organization engaged in resettling displaced persons requiring community assurances. The overwhelming majority of those remaining in Europe will need community assurances since the number who can obtain individual assurances is negligible. To insure the emigration of the 20,000 additional Jews and to complete the resettlement program, 10,000 community assurances must be secured from the Jewish communities of the country. It is furthermore important that the assurances be without restrictions so as to avoid unnecessary delay at the ports of entry.

In planning its reception and resettlement program, each community should anticipate the mass flow of immigrants until October 30, 1951. The extended Act expires June 30, 1951, but U.S.A, visas, once issued, are valid for four months, thus permitting the entry of DPs until October 30, 1951. Because of delays in processing and shipping schedules, approximately three-fourths of the 20,000 Jews newly eligible will arrive in 1951.

I am aware of the many demands which have been made upon your community since the end of the war and appreciate the splendid record you have established in making a place for Jewish survivors in your community. However, Jewish organizations and individuals have long urged and insisted that if our government would open its gates, they would do everything possible to receive the Jewish men, women and children who have lived through a brutality unexceeded in the history of modern civilization. The revised Displaced Persons Act affords not only the last chance for these stricken Jews to emigrate to the United States but also gives us our final opportunity to fulfill our obligation and to finish the job.

I am confident that you will join with all the resources at your command, together with hundreds of other American Jewish communities, in restoring to normal living these last remnants of European Jewry. Time is pressing. We cannot in good conscience delay the departure of those who have endured so much and waited so long. The House and Senate Conference Committees will meet May 12th to put the revised Bill into final form. We must be prepared to respond instantly in forwarding the assurances to Europe immediately after the Bill becomes law. I urge you to assemble the responsible leadership in your community for speedy and humane action.