[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15296-15298]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING JOHN PEHLE FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS IN HELPING RESCUE JEWS AND 
                  OTHER MINORITIES FROM THE HOLOCAUST

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 226) to recognize John Pehle for his 
contributions to the Nation in helping rescue Jews and other minorities 
from the Holocaust during World War II, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 226

       Whereas some 6,000,000 Jews were slaughtered pursuant to 
     Adolf Hitler's diabolical plan for the total extermination of 
     the Jews during the Third Reich, and even more would have 
     perished had it not been for the efforts of a number of 
     United States Government officials who spoke out forcefully 
     against American policy and persuaded President Franklin D. 
     Roosevelt of the need for extraordinary measures to save 
     Jewish lives;
       ``Whereas on November 9, 1943--the 5th anniversary of 
     Kristallnacht, when pogroms against Jews and the burning of 
     synagogues and Jewish businesses and homes were carried out 
     throughout Nazi Germany--identical Congressional resolutions 
     were introduced in both houses of Congress calling for the 
     creation of a United States Government commission ``to 
     formulate and effectuate a plan of immediate action designed 
     to save the surviving Jewish people of Europe from extinction 
     at the hands of Nazi Germany'';
       ``Whereas the Senate version was introduced by Senator Guy 
     Gillette of Iowa with the support of Elbert Thomas of Utah 
     and Edwin Johnson of Colorado and was unanimously approved in 
     the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on December 20, 1943, 
     and scheduled for a full Senate vote in early 1944;
       Whereas the House version was introduced by Representative 
     Will Rogers, Jr., of California and extensive hearings on the 
     resolution were held by the House Foreign Affairs Committee;
       ``Whereas United States Government agencies were receiving 
     extensive credible information about the extent of Nazi 
     atrocities against the Jews and other minorities in Europe, 
     nevertheless, the policy of the United States as developed 
     and implemented in the Department of State opposed American 
     government action to save the lives of Jewish and other 
     minorities who were being systematically exterminated by the 
     Nazi German government;
       ``Whereas in 1943 and early 1944, an extraordinary group of 
     officials at the United States Department of Treasury sought 
     to change those policies and Secretary of the Treasury Henry 
     Morgenthau directed the preparation of a memorandum to the 
     President of the United States urging more direct and 
     forceful American action to aid Jewish victims of the Nazi 
     atrocities, and this document, prepared by Josiah DuBois, 
     Jr., Assistant General Counsel of the Treasury Department, 
     and John Pehle, a 33-year-old attorney in the Foreign Funds 
     Control unit of the Treasury Department, was presented to 
     President Franklin D. Roosevelt by Secretary Morgenthau, 
     Randolph Paul and Pehle on January 16, 1944;
       Whereas President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9417 on 
     January 22, 1944, affirming that ``it is the policy of this 
     Government to take all measures within its power to rescue 
     the victims of enemy oppression who are in imminent danger of 
     death and otherwise afford such victims all possible relief 
     and assistance consistent with the successful prosecution of 
     the war'' and creating the War Refugee Board, composed of the 
     Secretaries of State, Treasury and War, to carry out this 
     policy;
       Whereas John Pehle was appointed the Acting Executive 
     Director and subsequently Executive Director of the Board and 
     Josiah DuBois, Jr. was appointed General Counsel of the 
     Board;
       Whereas on January 25, 1944, the Board issued a critically 
     important diplomatic cable to all United States diplomatic 
     missions abroad ordering that ``action be taken to forestall 
     the plot of the Nazis to exterminate the Jews and other 
     persecuted minorities in Europe'' and developed new programs 
     to increase the flow of Jewish and other refugees from Nazi 
     persecution to neutral countries in Europe, including Turkey, 
     Portugal, Switzerland, Spain, and Sweden, from where they 
     were assisted to go to North America, Palestine and North and 
     South America;
       Whereas the Board assisted the International Red Cross to 
     provide food parcels to ``stateless'' civilians in internment 
     camps, to support and protect some 3,000,000 Allied and Axis 
     prisoners of war, and to streamline Federal licensing 
     procedures for the transmission of funds to pay for Red Cross 
     relief supplies and rescue operations, thus saving the lives 
     of thousands of Jews and other internees;
       Whereas in April 1944, John Pehle, on behalf of the War 
     Refugee Board, urged all neutral nations to increase their 
     diplomatic representation in Hungary to help prevent the 
     accelerating deportation of Jews to Auschwitz-Birkenau and 
     other Nazi extermination camps and to begin providing vital 
     funding and other resources to assist in saving Hungarian 
     Jews from concentration and extermination camps;
       Whereas the War Refugee Board sought out Swedish citizen 
     Raoul Wallenberg and, with the support of the Swedish 
     government and its legation in Budapest, supported one of the 
     most extensive and successful rescue efforts during the 
     Holocaust; and
       Whereas subsequent academic studies have credited the War 
     Refugee Board with rescuing as many as 200,000 Jews from Nazi 
     occupied countries through the efforts of Wallenberg and 
     others: Now, therefore, be it

[[Page 15297]]

       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) honors the efforts and contributions of those who 
     worked for the establishment of the War Refugee Board and for 
     a more active United States policy to rescue Jews and other 
     victims of Nazi repression who were in imminent danger of 
     death and to provide these persecuted minorities with relief 
     and assistance during World War II; and
       (2) commends in particular the actions of Secretary of 
     Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Josiah DuBois, Jr., and John Pehle 
     for their dedication and devotion to helping rescue Jews and 
     other persecuted minorities in the Holocaust.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Woolsey) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Lantos, chairman of the committee and my Bay 
Area neighbor, for working so closely with me to bring this resolution 
to the floor today. As the only Holocaust survivor in the Congress, his 
support of this resolution means very much to all of us, and 
particularly to me.
  H. Res. 226 is a resolution to recognize American government 
officials who played a critical role in the creation and activity of 
the War Refugee Board in an effort to help rescue Jews and other 
persecuted minorities during the years of the Holocaust.
  Because of their actions and because of their bravery, an unknown 
number of people were saved from the horrific reign of Adolf Hitler and 
his followers. Specifically, we are commending the actions of Secretary 
of Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Josiah DuBois and John Pehle for their 
dedication and devotion to helping rescue Jews and other persecuted 
minorities during the Holocaust.
  To many, World War II and the Holocaust may seem long, long, long 
ago. For others, however, this is a memory which will be imprinted in 
their soul forever. Six million Jews were killed under the brutal and 
evil reign of Adolf Hitler while many countries turned a blind eye to 
their ethnic cleansing and genocide.
  During this dark time, some brave men and women stood up and demanded 
that every person, no matter their ethnic background, be treated justly 
and humanely. The people serving the War Refugee Board sent a historic 
cable to the diplomatic missions ordering that ``action be taken to 
forestall the plot of the Nazis to exterminate the Jews and other 
persecuted minorities in Europe.''

                              {time}  1545

  They developed new programs to increase the flow of Jewish and other 
refugees from Nazi persecution to neutral countries.
  After the horror of the concentration camps and extermination 
campaigns were revealed, the world said ``never again.''
  And yet, Mr. Speaker, we look around the world to see hauntingly 
similar events occurring, particularly in places like Darfur. Mr. 
Speaker, if we truly wish to honor the memory of the Holocaust victims, 
we must come together to stand up in the face of bigotry and hatred all 
around the world today. The action of the War Refugee Board is an 
amazing example of courage, human kindness, and compassion.
  Today, we rise to recognize their service to this country and to 
humankind. We rise to remember the Jews and minorities who perished 
under a reign of terror. But it is with hope that we look to the 
future, a future of peace and human dignity where ``never again'' means 
never again.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 226 recognizes American government officials who 
played a critical role in the creation of the War Refugee Board in an 
effort to help rescue Jews and other persecuted minorities during the 
Holocaust.
  In the early stage of World War II, there was an extensive flow of 
information about the extent of Jews and other minorities being 
systematically murdered by the Nazi regime.
  A heroic group of U.S. Government officials from the Treasury 
Department, including Secretary of the Treasurer, Henry Morganthau, as 
well as Joseph DuBois and John Pehle, urged President Franklin 
Roosevelt to take more direct and forceful action to help the victims 
of the Nazi atrocities.
  President Roosevelt later signed an executive order creating the War 
Refugee Board. Mr. John Pehle became the executive director of the 
board which helped to rescue Jews and other victims of Nazi persecution 
and prevented thousands of people from dying in extermination camps.
  Furthermore, the board assisted the International Red Cross to 
provide food and shelter to over 3 million prisoners of war. Efforts by 
those who worked to establish the War Refugee Board, particularly of 
Secretary of Treasury Henry Morganthau, Joseph DuBois, and John Pehle, 
were instrumental in saving thousands of lives during the Nazi 
extermination policy.
  H. Res. 226 recognizes and honors these government officials for 
their efforts, and I urge support for this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega), chairman of the 
Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global 
Environment.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Woolsey) not only as chief sponsor of this proposed 
legislation, but also for her leadership and her compassion and 
commitment in the field of human rights for fellow human beings all 
over the world.
  I cannot help but stand here on the floor and share with my 
colleagues some of the thoughts that came to my mind when my colleague 
from California was explaining about the provisions of this important 
legislation.
  Usually I am not a person who gets emotional watching movies, but 
recently I watched the movie ``Freedom Riders.'' I cannot help but 
recall the experience that these teenagers in Long Beach went through, 
and how creative this teacher was in trying to get kids who were from 
basically low-income areas and who had no idea or concept what it means 
to read. Somehow the teacher was able to get these high school students 
to read ``The Diary of Anne Frank.'' It got to the point where the 
students became so interested in what happened when they read this 
book, ``The Diary of Anne Frank,'' that they invited a Holocaust 
survivor to speak to them in Los Angeles. She testified personally what 
it meant to be not only a prisoner but I would say a slave during the 
Nazi period and the terrible time that the Jewish people went through 
during that period of their history.
  I thank Chairman Lantos not only for his leadership, but as a 
Holocaust survivor himself, I cannot think of a better person who can 
share with our colleagues what it means to be part of that period and 
the pain and suffering 6 million Jews went through during that process.
  I recall a statement made by one of the great poet philosophers, 
Santayana, who said: ``Those who don't remember the past are condemned 
to repeat it.'' Some say why should we worry, this happened in the 
past. Why worry about it. I think we have to remember so these things 
never happen again.
  Yes, I visit the Holocaust Museum and what do I say: Never again. 
Never again. That racism and bigotry and hatred should never be a part 
of the legacy of our great Nation.

[[Page 15298]]

  I commend my friend from California for bringing this resolution 
before the Members for their consideration, and I urge my colleagues to 
support this bill.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to reclaim 30 
seconds of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arkansas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am remiss in not complimenting the 
gentlewoman from California for bringing this forward. It is very, very 
important that we do remember what people have done and when good 
people have stepped forward.
  We are sitting here and you always want to do your best on the 
pronunciation of names, and it is sad we don't know these names better 
than we do. I think you bringing forward this resolution, again it just 
highlights the importance that we do remember what has happened in the 
past and we keep it from happening in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from 
American Samoa and the gentleman from Arkansas for their kind words.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, while we often celebrate the 
efforts of those who admirably risked their lives to protect others 
during the Holocaust, there remain many whose efforts have gone largely 
unnoticed. The American Government officials who helped create the War 
Refugee Board may not have put their lives in danger, but their efforts 
on behalf of the victims of Nazi power helped save thousands. 
  As early as 1942, our Government had received extensive, credible 
information confirming the atrocities being committed against Jews and 
other minorities throughout Europe. In spite of these substantiated 
reports of Nazi instigated genocide, the United States Government 
refused to assist those in need of our help, choosing instead to pursue 
a policy tantamount to acquiescence.
  John Pehle, a young lawyer in the Treasury Department, however, chose 
to act. He, along with Josiah Dubois, Assistant General Counsel of the 
Treasury Department, and Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, took it 
upon themselves to ensure the American Government not only acknowledged 
the crimes being committed in Europe, but also played an active role in 
aiding those suffering at the hands of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi 
collaborators. In 1943, they presented a memorandum to President 
Franklin D. Roosevelt urging him to take immediate action to assist the 
victims of Nazi crimes.
  Largely as a result of these men's efforts, President Roosevelt 
created the War Refugee Board on January 22, 1944. Roosevelt stated 
that through the work of the Board, the United States would ``take all 
measures within its power to rescue the victims of enemy oppression . . 
. to afford such victims all possible relief and assistance.'' Despite 
its monumental mission, the War Refugee Board was only comprised of 30 
employees and allocated $1 million to carry out its tasks.
  With the generous financial assistance of thousands of American Jews 
and others, the War Refugee Board was able to save as many as 200,000 
Jews and other persecuted minorities. Of those, 15,000 were evacuated 
from areas controlled by Germany and its allies, 48,000 were 
transferred from Transnistria to safe areas of Romania, and at least 
another 10,000 were protected throughout other parts of Axis Europe by 
War Refugee Board funded underground activities. Additionally, through 
their assistance to the International Red Cross, the War Refugee Board 
helped to provide food parcels to civilians in internment camps as well 
as support and protection for some 3,000,000 Allied and Axis prisoners 
of war.
  In passing this legislation, the House will recognize not only the 
noble efforts of the War Refugee Board, but also the efforts of those 
Government officials who made it their personal mission to ensure that 
America's policies abroad reflected our Nation's ideals of justice and 
compassion. The work of John Pehle, Henry Morgenthau, Josiah Dubois, 
and the War Refugee Board embodied the American tradition of reaching 
out to those most in need and helped make America the beacon of hope it 
has come to symbolize for so many.
  Mr. Speaker, at a time when America's moral authority is questioned 
as strongly as it is today, it is important to remember those Americans 
in our history who have worked tirelessly to ensure the United States 
meets the ethical responsibility that comes with our standing in the 
world.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 226, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``A resolution to recognize 
American government officials who played a critical role in the 
creation and activity of the War Refugee Board in an effort to help 
rescue Jews and other persecuted minorities during the Holocaust.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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