White House Press Release, Message from President Harry S. Truman to the United States Congress

72 HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE February 24, 1947 CONFIDENTIAL: To be held in STRICT CONFIDENCE and no portion, synopsis or intimation to be given out or published until the READING of the President's Message has begun in either the Senate or House of Representatives, Extreme care must therefore be exercised to avoid premature publication, CHARLES G. ROSS Secretary to the President TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I recommend that the Congress authorize the United States to participate as a member of the International Refugee Organization. As an aftermath of the war, there are more than one million displaced persons remaining in Germany, Austria and Italy. Almost two- thirds of these are under United States care and control. The Allied military victory over the Axis Powers brought with it a practical and moral responsibility with reference to these victims of the Axis. The General Assembly of the United Nations has considered the problem of these displaced persons carefully and at great length. At the first session in London, certain basic principles were established. It was agreed that this problem is international in scope and nature; that every effort should be made to facilitate the repatriation of displaced persons who desire to return to their homelands; that displaced persons who have valid objections to return should not be forced to do so, but should be cared for by an international agency until new homes can be found for them elsewhere. Between the January and October sessions of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council made a detailed study of the entire problom and recommended the establishment of an International Refugee Organization which would provide an integrated and effective solution. At the meeting of the General Assembly in New York which ended in December, the draft constitution recommended by the Economic and Social Council was adopted. The United States represent- ative to the United Nations, Senator Warren Austin, signed the consti- tution of the International Refugee Organization subject to subsequent approval by the Congress. This constitution represents an earnest effort by the United Nations to solve one of the most; poignant and difficult problems left in the wake of the war. The organization to be created will have no governmental powers. It can in no way alter the statutes of any of its members. It can obtain funds only by appropriations by the constitu- tional processes of its members. It will be solely a service organiza- tion to aid in the solution of a common problem. I am confident that with the full support of the United States, the International Refugee Organization will demonstrate the practical effectiveness of cooperation and understanding among nations. The participation of this Nation in the Organization was proposed in my Budget Message for the fiscal year 1948, and provision was made for the necessary funds within the proposed budget. With respect to those displaced persons in our own areas of occupation, the United States Army has an excellent record of per- formance in a field which is not traditionally the responsibility of soldiers. The Army from the first recognized the need for making the maximum use of international civilian agencies, and has done so. With the forthcoming termination of the supply of civilian personnel from other organizations now used in the care and supply of displaced persons,