HOMES FOR REFUGEES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 November 1938, Page 6

HOMES FOR REFUGEES

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER’S SURVEY AREAS AVAILABLE IN AFRICAN TERRITORIES AND GUIANA. SEVERAL PROJECTS TAKING SHAPE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 12.34 p.m.) RUGBY, November 21. In his statement in the House pf Commons the subject of refugees from Germany the Prime Minister (Mr N. Chamberlain) dealt with the consideration which Britain had been giving to this problem and reviewed the results cf its inquiries on .the possibilities of settlement in the colonial Empire, and in British mandated territory. Referring to the position in Britain itself. Mr Chamberlain observed that the number of refugees Britain could admit, either for a temporary stay or permanent settlement, was limited by the capacity of voluntary organisations to undertake responsibility for selecting, receiving and maintaining them, but he made the point that since 1933, Britain had admitted about eleven thousand. refugee men, women and children, including between four and five thousand who had subsequently gone overseas. The Premier introduced the subject of openings in the colonial Empire with a reminder that despite the great extern of the territory, it was not necessarily capable of absorbing refugees in large numbers, and that it and the mandated territories contained native populations whose interests must not be prejudiced. This had already been made clear at Evian, but the Governors of Tanganyika and British Guiana had been asked whether land could be made available for leasing on generous terms, for the purpose of large scale settlement, to voluntary refugee organisations, provided the latter undertook responsibility for the cost of preparing land and settling refugees of suitable types. The Governor of Tanganyika had expressed his readiness to co-oper-ate. and although he had not had an opportunity to consult the Legislative Council, it had been reported that the only suitable areas for large-scale settlement would be in the Southern Highlands and part of the Western Province. The area available might be about fifty thousand acres. In addition. he had mentioned that a scheme of small-scale settlements, up to a total of two hundred settlers, was being considered. In the cash of Kenya, a small experimental private scheme, devised by one of the Jewish organisations in London, had been approved by the Governor after consulting the Legislative Council. Inquiries had also been made of the Governors of Northern Rhodesia and Nyassaland as to small-scale settlement, and the replies from both indicated that this might be possible. Provided the results of proposed surveys in British Guiana were satisfactory, the British Government contemplated leasing large areas of land on generous terms. The total area available for this purpose would certainly not be less than ten thousand square miles, and probably more.