Several hundred Jews from Germany and Austria have left the Reich in a sealed train on their way to Lisbon, provided with United States quota visas, as result of modification by the American Consulate in Berlin of its policy on issuing immigrations visas under the German quota, it was reported here today.
Permitted to take with them not more than ten German marks, the immigrants will be cared for in Lisbon by the Joint Distribution Committee and by the HIAS-ICA offices there. Their fare to the United States has been arranged by their American relatives, who are reported to have paid the cost of the steamship tickets to American travel agencies.
While emigrants from Greater Germany are permitted to leave the Reich for overseas countries, via Lisbon or Japan, it is practically impossible as yet for natives of Poland to secure exit permits from the Nazi authorities. In Holland, however, the authorities are issuing such permits to persons leaving for overseas lands who are in possession of transit visas and prepaid passages.
It was learned here today that in Italy the authorities make no difficulties for Jewish refugees to leave by airplane from Rome to Lisbon. For transit through Spain, however, restrictions are in force for emigrants in possession of Polish or Czechoslovakian passports.
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