Immigration and the Holocaust: Debunking The Myth

Washington Times ^ | September 17, 2003 | Robert Locke

[rmlew]

It

[rmlew]

ping and pass on

[SJackson]

Strange article.

I don't know who suggests the US could have saved 6 million by easing immigration policies.

Dismissing Palestine as "another issue" is certainly bizarre.

To my knowledge, the US doesn't have an "immigration problem" with political refugees that needs to be controled.

[ClearCase_guy]

I agree it's a strange article. The starting premise seems to be that "everyone believes" that immigration restrictions in 1920s and 30s contributed to the holocaust. Perhaps I've been under a rock, but the history of the holocaust is a minor hobby of mine -- and another minor hobby is America in the 1920's. Prior to this article, I have never seen anyone make this linkage. Perhaps its a strawman.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[denydenydeny]

I don't know who suggests the US could have saved 6 million by easing immigration policies.

There are countless books that advance this thesis, two of them listed below. I disagree with the thesis, which is why I think the above article is actually very valuable.

While Six Million Died: A Chronicle of American Apathy

The Abandonment of the Jews: America and the Holocaust, 1941-1945

[SJackson]

I don't think either book contends 6 million Jews could have been saved by immigration policy, which is the authors contention. Ten's or hundreds of thousands is a different issue, particularly if Palestine was open to immigration, that's a dramatically different issue, as it the lack of public recognition of Hitler's plans by the world community.

[STFrancis]

This article does not convince me that more could not have been done. The U.S. actually had Germany agree to deport thousands (for payment from the U.S.) of Jews to the U.S. but then refused from doing so (accepting them here). Roosevelt allowed a very small faction of Jews here after all (To pacify the Secretary of the Treasury and close personal friend Morgenthau).

People interested in this topic can read "The Conquerers" which is based on actual papers and recordings from that time period (Morgenthau had hiddden Microphones in his office and recorded every conversation he had).

[rmlew]

I don't know who suggests the US could have saved 6 million by easing immigration policies.

I hear it all the time when discussing immigration with Jews (Neoconservative or liberal) or liberals in general.

[rmlew]

Perghaps 100,000 could have been saved. Not 6 million.

At any rate, it was a failure of refugee policy, not immigration policy.

[lainde]

I just watched Americans and the Holocaust...it's excellent!

[STFrancis]

From what I read far more then 100,000 could be saved but you are right. Not 6 million. Also, the numbers for Germans being deported seems WAY low to me.

Fact is the Roosevelt knew what was going on in Germany way before the war ended.

[rmlew]

From what I read far more then 100,000 could be saved but you are right. Not 6 million. Also, the numbers for Germans being deported seems WAY low to me.

Until the Wnasee conference, the Nazis were amenable to expeling Jews. Afterwards, they had chose a "final solution." It is true that they allowed a few thousand Jews out afterwards. However, American leverage was limited since the window closed after December 8 of that year.

Fact is the Roosevelt knew what was going on in Germany way before the war ended.
And damn him and Harry Hopkins to hell. A lot more could have been done from working with Jewish partisans to bombing the rail lines. These were certainly more strategic targets than the average attack on a German city. Rail lines are a strategic asset. Many of the Labor (or work to death) Camps produced necceray materials for the Wermacht.