August 14, 1944 The Jewish Refugee Deception of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945)

“Late in July, the Emergency Committee to Save the Jewish People of Europe wrote President Roosevelt calling for bombing the deportation railways and gas chambers. The letter emphasized that the railroads were also used for military traffic and that an attack on Auschwitz could open the way for inmates to escape and join the resistance forces. Both proposed actions would thus assist not hamper, the war effort. Nothing at all came of this overture.

The next proposal issued from the World Jewish Congress in New York and went directly to the War Department. On August 9, A. Leon Kubowitzki sent McCloy a message recently received from Ernest Frischer, a member of Czech government-in-exile. It called for bombing the Auschwitz gas chambers and crematoria to halt the mass Killings. It also proposed bombing the railways.

The reply, drawn up in McCloy’s office and approved by Gerhard, was dated August 14. It followed a familiar pattern:

Dear Mr. Kuboitzki:

I refer to your letter of August 9 in which you request consideration of a proposal made by Mr. Ernest Fischer that certain installations and railroad centers be bombed.

The War Department has been approached by the War Refugee Board, which raised the question of the practicability of this suggestion. AFTER A STUDY IT BECAME APPARENT THAT SUCH AN OPERATION COULD BE EXECUTED ONLY BY THE DIVERSION OF CONSIDERABLE AIR SUPPORT ESSENTIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR FORCES NOW ENGAGED IN DECISIVE OPERATIONS ELSEWHERE AND WOULD IN ANY CASE BE OF SUCH DOUBTFUL EFFICACY THAT IT WOULD NOT WARRANT THE SUE OF OUR RESOURCES. THERE HAS BEEN CONSIDERABLE OPINION TO THE EFFECT THAT SUCH AN EFFORT, EVEN IF PRACTICABLE, MIGHT PROVOKE EVEN MORE VINDICTIVE ACTION BY THE GERMANS.

The War Department fully appreciates the humanitarian motives which prompted the suggestion operation, but for the reasons stated above, it has been felt that it cannot or should not be undertaken, at least at this time.

Sincerely,

John. J. McCloy                 ”

Source: Wyman, David. The Abandonment of the Jews. P 295-296; NYT, July 5, 1944; Kubowitzki to McCloy, August 9, 1944, ASW 1, McCloy to Kubowitzki, August 14, 1944;