Hon. John J. McCloy
Under Secretary of War
War Department
Washington, D.C.
My dear Mr. Secretary:
I beg to submit to your
consideration the following excerpt from
a message which we received under date of
July 29 from Mr. Ernest Frischer of the Czechoslovak
State Council through the War
Refugee Board:
"I believe that destruction of gas chambers and crematoria
in Oswiecim by bombing would have a certain effect
now. Germans are now exhuming and burning corpses in
an effort to conceal their crimes. This could be prevented
by destruction of crematoria and then Germans might
possibly stop further mass exterminations especially
since so little time is left to them. Bombing of railway
communications in this same area would also be of importance
and of military interest."
Sincerely yours,
A. Leon Kubowitzki
Head, Rescue Department
Dear Mr. Kubowitski:
I refer to your letter
of August 9 in which you request consideration
of a proposal made by Mr. Ernest Frischer
that certain installations and railroad centers
be bombed.
The War Department had
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 use 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
promoted the suggested operation, but for
the reasons stated above it has not been
felt that it can or should be undertaken,
at least at this time.
Sincerely,
John J. McCloy
Assistant Secretary of War