Bidspirit auction | Lord Halifax – Three Holocaust-Period

Lord Halifax – Three Holocaust-Period Letters – Washington, 1942 – The S.S. Struma Disaster, Atlit Detention Camp and the Prohibition on Jewish Immigration to Palestine – ”…Security Involves the Denial of Asylum to Some Hundreds of Jews from Central Europe…” - Three letters, typewritten on official British Embassy letterhead, signed ”Halifax” (Lord Edward Frederick Lindley Wood) – one of the senior British statesmen of the Second World War and British Ambassador to the United States; sent to the President of the Zionist Organization of America, Judge Louis E. Levinthal. Washington, 1942. English. The letters were sent in March-May 1942, at a time when Britain was strictly enforcing restrictions on Jewish immigration to Palestine, shortly after the disaster of the immigrant ship 'Struma' – the sinking of approximately 800 Jews who had fled Romania, were denied entry to Palestine, and perished in the Black Sea. The tragedy provoked outraged reactions among Jewish and Zionist organizations worldwide, particularly in the United States, where Lord Halifax was then serving as ambassador. Among other statements, Halifax writes: ”…I fully share your sense of horror at the disaster which happened to the ‘Struma'. I could only wish that the statements put out by the Emergency Committee for Zionist Affairs and others, had not made the mistake of saying that 'the powers fighting for justice and freedom' are 'responsible'. It was after all the Nazis who drove the unhappy victims from their homes and it was apparently a mine – not British – that sank the ship… It is the Nazis who have created this problem for us and bad blood between the British Government and the Jews, especially in America, is what they most hope to achieve thereby” (4 March 1942); ”The security of Palestine, in the heart of the Middle Eastern theatre of war, is a vital factor in the struggle. If that security involves the denial of asylum to some hundreds of Jews from Central Europe, you may be sure that the members of His Majesty's Government regret this necessity as sincerely as yourself” (21 March 1942); ”You will remember that on March 5th… I promised to ask for information about the reports… alleging ill-treatment of the detainees at Athlit in Palestine… The allegations of ill-treatment which reached you here no doubt originate from exaggerated accounts of the foregoing occurrences… I am assured that only such repressive measures were applied as were necessary to prevent mass outbreaks and Mr. Shertok [Moshe Sharett] of the Jewish Agency commenting to the Chief Secretary on what had taken place, observed that the police 'naturally had to take action'… I realise, of course, that you and those who share your views would rather see these internees admitted as legal residents of Palestine…” (6 May 1942). Enclosed is a copy of a reply letter sent by Judge Louis E. Levinthal to Lord Halifax on 7 April 1942 (two typed pages): ”'The denial of asylum to some hundreds of Jews from Central Europe' to which you refer, is in fact a denial of the right of the Jewish people to its homeland and of the right of Jews to the same treatment as any other human being, which may involve as it did in the case of the 'Struma', the elementary right of mere physical existence… Permit me, with deep respect, to say in conviction that it is our conviction that the policy pursued at present by His Majesty's Government in Palestine does great damage to the cause of the democracies and is a denial of everything for which the peoples in America and Britain are fighting”. Three letters. [1] page (1 leaf); [1] page (1 leaf); [2] pages (2 leaves); 16.5 cm. Good condition. Stains, creases and blemishes. Minor tears and pinholes at margins. Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax (1881-1959), was among the most senior British statesmen of the 1930s and 1940s, one of the architects of Britain's policy of appeasement toward Nazi Germany, and Winston Churchill's principal rival for leadership at the outset of the Second World War, following Neville Chamberlain's resignation. Halifax was closely identified with British efforts at rapprochement with Germany and in 1937 met Adolf Hitler, expressing principled agreement to the annexation of territories in Poland and Central Europe. In 1940, following the fall of France, he advocated exploring negotiations with Germany and was among the leading opponents of Churchill's aggressive policy. In December 1940 he was appointed British Ambassador to the United States, a position he held until the end of the war. Louis Edward Levinthal (1892-1976), was a Jewish-American judge and Zionist activist from Philadelphia, and son of Rabbi Bernard L. Levinthal. During the Second World War he served as President of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) and as a member of the American Jewish Conference. In 1947-1948 he served as Advisor on Jewish Affairs to Lucius D. Clay, Military Governor of the U.S. Zone of Occupation in Germany.