Roosevelt Tells Wise U.S. is Helping Victims of Nazis
(March 4, 23, 1943)
Rabbi Stephen Wise wrote to President Roosevelt about the desperate plight of Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe. Roosevelt replied on March 23, 1943 that the UN might formulate a proposal to rescue the Jews. In the meantime, he assured Wise the U.S. government would continue to help victims of the Nazis “so far as the burden of war permits.” Note he doesn’t specifically mention Jews, but victims of “racial, religious and political oppression.” This is consistent with the policy of the State Department (and the Vatican) not to specifically refer to Jews as victims.