The Dodecanese and San Francisco
Mavris, Dr. N. G.
The Dodecanese and San Francisco By Dr. N. G. Mavris NO people has suffered more tragically because of the failure of previous attempt* to achieve eofleetive security than the inhabitants of tka...
...These policies affect the stability of international relationships as truly as tariff policies, which are now seen- to reqaire consideration in a framework ef world trade...
...III order to aplasa the settlement ef the above mentioned territorial isssstioai...
...The official view of the United States and the British Government is that "territorial settlements rannet be mad* prior to the termination of hostilities...
...No «sp?ri of the world situation is more widely kaown thsn th* cruel treatment of the Jews under Nasi and Fascist tyranny...
...One receives the impression that the Big Three consider it a political matter, and that they have avoided making a clear statesaent for fear that this would const...
...Nati re* of the hdaad* ase servra...
...Mora) and humane sentiment would be effectually structured...
...hot a* friend...
...N. G. Mavris NO people has suffered more tragically because of the failure of previous attempt* to achieve eofleetive security than the inhabitants of tka Dodecanese Islands, in proportion t* tAetr p-pmiatum, nu people have contributed more te> the Allied cause dares* the present ever...
...It not only depicts s "plight" in terms of privation and suffering but makes startlingly clear what "statelessness" means...
...Information ia aet lacking...
...Such a «ettie-ment would ais* dem owa tret* to eil setoff naiwne that the dectarationi of their groat allies are not idle ??roars uttered for tha take of expediency...
...The problem is all of a piece with that of creating some rational ordering of global affairs...
...The problem ef refugees cannot be wholly separated from that of populations affected by drastic boundary revisions...
...To nM the word refugee haa acquired dignity, because I have seen what human beings, uprooted front their own culture and compelled to start life snew, ess achieve...
...Bet the asere firmly our geverameat adhere* to the rule of national antonomy with respect to immigration, the mere important it becomes * to ledge ia some international authority responsibility for mitigating the let ef thoae wheee nationality statua i* forcibly changed or becomes unbearable...
...Mor* ?i· nr meint to the Jewish people, aa * manifestation of genuine ami effectual concern, would be tha opening of the gatee of the United State* to a proportionate share ef Jewish immigration a* an emergency measure in one of IM greatest disasters */ history...
...Most of ua believe that as a general principle it is sound, though susceptible ef unwise and unfair application...
...Certainly it ahould not be too much to hope that the conditions of naturalisation aa citizens may be liberalized and to a large degree staeeardiasd by international agreeaxeat...
...Even if this were the case, aetUement would ia no way thrsatsa the relation* among the United Nations...
...J . .* At.Hmg-seiayee sswigaiioa Furthermore, en February 23, 1924, Great Britain officially declared through her Prim* Minister that th* continued severance of the Dodecanese people frant Greece "is hardly conducive to that general tranqaiTffty which ? ?. Govern merit have ae much at heart" On May 17...
...For what reason, then, ia thia on* question subjected to some sort of taboo...
...Inevitably it will be asked: Why have the Big Three passed over the issue of the onion of these islands with Greece which hss beeh repeatedly sought by their inhabitants...
...No such fesr csn be entertained, however...
...They are a gift to our civilisation...
...It costs nothing to advocate * settlement for the Jew* of Europe soma thousands of mile* from our shores...
...They are not beneficiaries of hospitality...
...l^rssjsyrvaaa* (saajut to cosslrmetioa...
...Latvia, LMInaaaia...
...Kares...
...Bssssogaihaaaa...
...It is, therefore, quite difficult to understand why no settlement of the Dodecanese question haa been effected, when so many decisions have been reached upon territorial and controversial issue...
...not be treated as eaemiea or e?-enaaaia...
...Aastrie...
...Ssathwa Dsbraj*, Northen...
...Italy has already surrendered the islands to the Allies, in accordance with the Armistice of September 8, 1943, and aha raises no objection to the union of the Dodecanese with Greece...
...Such a legal entity may or may not be in process of evolution...
...From a moral point of view, in a world of nations that acknowledge Increasing interdependence, the determination of immigration and naturalization policies cannot remain wholly unilateral...
...it is a legal issue...
...Yet, the inhabitant* of the Dodecanese will oe without representation at the Saa Francisco World Security Cenforeace...
...For these reasons, the Dodecanese qaestion is not a political or otherwise controversial one awaiting a "dirhnan " The issue is pasa?y legal...
...The Plight of the Refugees By F. Ernest Johnson THE admirable summary of the refugee situation by Joseph Chamberlain puts a grievous problem in perspective...
...For good or ill we Aoe* accepted tha principle ef absorptive capacity as determining the volume of immigration...
...Mow superbly many of these people who bar* come to our shores have taken everything in their stride, written off their misfortunes and "looked on life fnee-fronted, standing up...
...But this response, benevolent ss It appears, f*)l« f*r «h?rt ef effectual magnanimity...
...The juridicsl lack seems obvious...
...Americans have been very responsive to the pleading of the Jewish people for s homeland in Palestine...
...Most grievous of all the aspects of this global problem is the plight of the Jews...
...ia that case it would sees* both just sad wholesome that all peoples so affected should have the protection of some supervisory authority to which appeal can be made as a matter of right...
...But to say this is merely to emphasize the fact that, the major problems' of the world are at bottom moral problems and eon be solved only as our collective intelligence- is directed toward moral ends...
...Palasa Cat aa aa aad Banes fossae baaadsilia...
...It may be that extensive exchange of populations will be undertaken as a measure of preventing outbreaks of irridentism...
...Consequently, for technical reasons, the Greek delegates to the Conference will not represent the Dodecartesian people, while, even if Italian delegates were present there, this would afford no representation for the Dodecanesians...
...Would not the moral value of rendering the stateless articulate and kespiag their case before the world be very great ? What now depends on the voluntary effort of magnanimous souls would be assigned to s legal authority...
...To a layman, however, it seems that it should not be impossible to devise, as one aspect of postwar world organization, a jurisdiction to which the politically homeless might appeal...
...tions are continuing ander the Geras*» »reo pa Use In consideration of these facts, the U. S. Government ofteiaily recognized the Dodrx asssssaSaa ss friends by reaaoving them ia 1942 f rona the Enemy Aixen rtawurtes-tion, although their hoaaeland was under Italian domination at that time...
...What is needed is a will on the part of the American people, on whose homeland not a bomb bos fallen, to aeeept responsibility lot measures that no other people would And it as easy to take...
...The Dodecanese qaestion is not s territorial one...
...Even those who might have had objections, now oltii-cially agree to the union of the Dodecanese with Greece, Moreover, the inhabitants have repeatedly asked for and demanded this union...
...The commitment already exist*, and awaits only fulfilment There is no room for debate or diae nasion...
...Th* case is entirely unique, for no country claim* those islands except Greece...
...The Palestine problem is, under existing international si rangrments, a responsibility of other governments then ours...
...Proeednres at* not difficult to devise...
...The concept of a world-state is as visionary...
...Dearie- IT* ? ? ht even taranie emeag "territorial adjawfaef...
...Thea 41 will be clear that the great members of the united Nations have the same regard for all, whether they deal with a mighty nation of 150,000,000 persona, or with a small and weak group of only 150,000 souls— for this i* aboot the total number ef Dodecanesiaas throughout the world...
...One of the worst consequences flowing from the principle of exclusive national sovereignty Is large-scale enforced denationalisation...
...No longer U this country an nsylnm for all tha people* of Europe who want to follow the trail of tha Pilgrim Fathers...
...Then the Dedecsnesiyi people will not be absent from the San Francisco Conference...
...Turkey has twice, in international treaties, renounced her "rights and titles" on the Dodecanese and recently sh* has declared that she wishes to see them become part of Greece...
...It is not very impressive, looked at through European eyes, for American statesmen to demand that other countries solve the problem of Jewish resettlement, when this country is far sad away the best able to do something effectual...
...The idea would be to eliminate the no-status interim for those who are for a time without nationality aad to facilitate reabsorption ef the alienated by national states...
...Likewise, Stettinius recalled oa December 18, 1944, what hie predecessor...
...Like summary dispossession from · domicile, it leaves people legally homeless...
...Territorial settlements" and adjustment* refer, of reuree, to change* ia prewar boundaries...
...Let us hope that the Great Powers may immediately declare that the Dodecanese are to be assigned to Greece...
...Since the capitulation of Italy, the island* are aet internationally recognised a* belonging to airy state, pad they have, of course, no government of their own...
...Physical separation from one's homeland is only s part of the agony of enforced expatriation...
...Similarly the British Government, i* an saVtal stetssssat ia the House ef Cosaansaa, d*v rlared on October 18, 1944, that the Dodeeaaesiana "nil...
...The doeiaiea waa reached twenty-five year* *g* by the Allies, tartesttag the United Stale* The fact that Italy has 1 wasted existing agreements, aad haa npaa var is— pretexts remained ia the island*, deee net »Her their legal status...
...1920...
...CordeU Hull, had said: that "this dees net mean that certain questions may not and should net in the moaatim* be settled by friendly conference aad agreement," to which the present Secretary of State sdded that "if a mutual agreement is reached by the United Nations directly concerned, the [U.S.] Government would have no objection...
...Since then, we have printed article* by John Sias son aad Jacob Pat Others who will contribute in future issues include: Clarence B. Pickett, Charles R- Joy, Nethen Reich...
...Thar* is no counter* claimant, aad no dispute, Local or international, as to their ownership...
...For the sake of argument, however, iet BS* SWlMtf it a political question...
...Joseph Chamberlain initiated the aerie* with a cempreheasive survey ef the problem ia The Nam Leader tat March 17, 194...
...ia the Greek and as*erirsa araaed form, la the »Und* themnlrei, the populates* hats .offered starvation sad anspeahahaa rroetty, sod the** taa...
...The remedy Is, I suppose, s problem for lawyers and statesmen...
...Joseph C Heymaa, Joseph K. Beck, Ulead Rex Kebia-aoa, and Sheha Steunaky...
...Justice, international law and the seemingly forgotten Atlantic Charter demand the settlement of the Dodecanese question...
...da*pita the eaaclal deehsra-tians that they ought to be left in abeyaac* until the termination ef hostilities and be considered at the Peace Caaforenre, Cbarrhill declared ia the Hoe** of Commons oa March 14...
...The receed shew*, however, that territorial aettlemeata and adjustment* *f prewar h saa ear to* hmic bee* made "prior to the termination of hostilities" in the follow leg area*: Bniesea...
...JoSEPH CHAMBERLAIN'S realistic account of the way voluntary migration across national boundaries may be accomplished snd the barriers that impede it calls attention to the passing of one of America's traditions...
...the people of the Uaited States, through, tha anonimowa veto of their Senate, affirmed that th* Dodecanese must be awarded to Greece...
...The repeated claim of the Doaeeaeesiaaa to be officially recognized a* part ef their mother country, Greece, still await* final conffnnstioo by the Great Powers...
...Rather it caB* mere argeatty far tweedy faMlhaent ef this I--J -1...
...the rsltoeaashtng by Great Britain aad the United State* of extraterritorial righte ha China ha 1943...
...ThIS is the feerth in a aerie* ef articles am The Plight at the Kefageee...
...tote a commitment...
...But when one considers the unprecedented displacement of populations as a result of this war the question inevitably srises whether the growing category of "freedoms" should not include freedom from national homeless-neee...
...1945, that "these are, as is kaown, cases which fall outside that category...
...There is nothing substantia) above and beyond the national state to which an individual may "belong...
...Psim saa, ats?c» aria, the Pasc a nor a...
...On* becomes like · branch cut off from a tree, or an uprooted plant...
...F. freest Johnson ia Rxeeative Secretary at th* Federal Ceaaeil of Churchea ef Christ...
Vol. 28 • April 1945 • No. 17
