While Six Million Died

Book excerpt: The American government, which had had records of successful intervention on behalf of persecuted Jews in Morocco, Russia, and Romania, as well as on behalf of Armenians in Turkey, failed to act during the Nazi era to save Jews or alleviate their plight. It refused to change the immigration restrictions for refugees from Germany, nor did it protest against the Nazi anti-Jewish policies, not even against the deportation of German Jews in 1940-41. It failed to do anything to prevent the murder of six million Jews, even after it received reliable information on Nazi mass murders of Jews. The passive stance of the U.S. government was seconded by the anti-refugee sentiments of many lower rank officials and of the American populace. The reluctance of the U.S. government to act on behalf of the Jews of Europe was noted by the Nazis and used in their propaganda. Dwells on the successful activities of the War Refugee Board, established in 1944. Paradoxically, the WRB activities, as well as other rescue initiatives, were sometimes obstructed by U.S. diplomats abroad. Concludes that the WRB represented a small gesture of atonement by a nation which, during 1933-44, showed apathy toward the victims. Contrasts the inaction of the United States with the active stance of one man - Raoul Wallenberg - who actually rescued thousands of Hungarian Jews.