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DECLASSIFIED AND RELEASED 131'MORAL INTELLIGENCE AGENC1MIRCESMETHOOSEXEMPTION 3926NAZI WAR CR IMES DISCLOSURE AC1DATE 2006

CRIT

I. Tab “ FADS " hi*

PeP9risiltitties IMO*. 1. leader of the "FUN" group,

age : blue green eyes, browncurly hair; slim; well educated. Speaks manylanguages, 0011114 Polish, French, Englidk„has some kneeled. of Italian.Very clever l knows how to use his strong personality.Definitely a man of action, has a very strongascendancy over the whole group with whom hisword is low.Speaks very freely of the Jewish problem butbecome very reticent when spooking of his ownpast. Very strongly aniti-Eritith.Maim of ClermaM/Oolish extraction, osfilridto PALESTINE at the beginning of the mowpersecution after spending some time into aninternment eamP, managed to return to centralEurope soon after the German collapse.Most probably an executive of the JEWISHPALESTINE COMMITTEE.

2. CANTON, a Roman lawyer, head of the Italian. Jewish Community. In charge with the negotiations

with the Britioh and Italian Government*.

3. EASON, a wealthy Roman Jew, member of the NAMEfamily leaders of the Jewish community of TRIPOLIof LIBIA.

4. Signora BOOM, a blonde, good looking womanfrom MILAN0, supposed owner of the nIPBDE".

5. Fratelli MARCUCCI, shippers of the boat, withoffices at SAVONA.

6. BARGIACCRI, owner of the shipyard of the samename at LA SIMIA, arrested by the British andpresently jailed at GENOA.

7. Captain ?ARUM, Ugo - skipper of the FRAC./.

A.

B. Thq Iniggnts 1. A mixed lot, numbering over 13 hundred. All young,

mostly in their twenties, the majority men.They come from all parts of central Europe, thelargest nucleus is formed by Poles, the rest areGermans or Austrians with a small percentage ofRumanians and Hungarians.The average is visor poorty dressed, Out they alllook well fed andlinAllery good phisioal conditions.A sturdy let that can gives a lot of troUble shouldla strong measure be taken to stop AA* fromleaving for Palestine.

UP *Ow The "PEDEN a motor boat of about SOO tons,recently built at WEGLIA, registered atSAVONA in the name of Mrs. DACCO I , Passengersaccomodations are very poor and the ship istotally unfit to carry over 300 or 400 peopleat the most. The ship speed is little oversix biota in favourable 'heather conditions.Raving the Italian Authorities refused to grantShipping certificates for over six hundred _andfifty passengers a new motor boat, the "VENICE"has arrived at PIRELLI PIER and will take aboardthe rest.The VENICE a sister ship of the VIDE is alsomoistered at SAVONA and Managed by the same -*WPM*.AccordtnE to current 11006*s the 44wigh Committeeowns fOur more aIitja of the same type of thetwo medtionod abo

3. The 4144 leMittMe _A committee composed or PELDMANN• two tooter',and the " I egnere",runs the life of thecommunity on military lines.

4. Organizatiop

The organization is almost perfect. After reveilleno one is allowed to remain on the ships, whichare used only as sleeping quarters.

./.

SA% 3

The meals are prepared and consumed on the pier.Special squads attend to the cleaning of the shipsand the pier.Washing and sanitary facilities have been installed.Medical attention is provided by two Jewish doctors.Everything and everybody looks neat and clean. Sincethe Italian authorities have suspended policing thepier, the Jews have their own guards at the gate andno one is allowed to enter the pier without theauthorisation of the committee. Regular passes areissued daily to those who want to go to LA SPEZIA.A Post-Office has been set up and a special post-mark is being used.The meals, three a day, are good and substantial,and are prepared mostly with fresh supply boughtat LA sPEzIA. The cigarettes isuued are of Britishor French make, the latter bear the marking, inFrench, "for prisoner of war ".

5. Transvoitatiog

The whole group arrived at LA SP)SZIA on a convoy.Composed of trucks belonging to the PALWTINE BT.At present the only mean of conveyance is a smalltruck provided by the British authorities.

6. ri#apcgs

Money seems plentiful, is provided by AmoatoCANTON; the main sUbscribsr is the JOI311 AMERICANJOINT OOMMITTM who has also sent on the 24 Aprila large supply of clothing.

7. 9atside 4els,

UNRRA help in the form of a refugee camp and cashhas been turned down and so local offers of foodand clothing.The only things accepted were two trucks load offlour, Jewish bread and wine, cognac sent fromCASERTA N. and money - mostly american bills-and cigarettes offered by American Officers and

/

silt 4

Journalists.

C. lieaqiiictiv3 or the British st4thoritgeA Auck the _Ittakism.

1. The British, who at first showed a very stiffattitude and seemed determined to prevent thesailing of the “FEDEH at any cost, since theintervention of Mr. LASE have taken the roleof passive observers. A captain of the FSS hasbeen left to LA SPEZIA to watch for futuredevelopments.The Jewish committee feels sure that, shouldthe British Government refuse to legalise theFEDS departure, no action, if will betaken until the ship enter* the ALESTiNE waters.The measures taken by the British were thefollowing :a. A captain of the FSS came from GENOA on or aboutthe 5 of April, tried with the help of the ItalianPolice to seize all foodstmff stored on board the?EDE and have the leaders and the ship crew arrested.After hours of discussion gave up the whole scheme,but before leaving went over the BAROIAOCHI shipyardconfiscated about six trucks/loads of foodstuffbelonging to the Jews, arrested the shipyard ownerand took him to GENOA.

b. Three days later a Captain of the Anti* Navyarrived on board the ?EDS with twenty sailers, theparty was armed with autematie weep.= ant two

They ooduplei the deck and the engines room,seized all charts and nautical instruments, thenThe officer gave orders to everybody $0 como Onboard as the FMB was going to sail at WACO forOHIAVARI vim a refugees camp had been set up forthe *migrants.Having met with a most determined refusal on thepart of the committee and realizing that thecarrying out of his plan would have caused muchbloodshed, left after a few hours.

2. The Italian authorities have tried to please bothparties and naturally made some blunders.

./.

a. When the convoy was captured by the ItalianPolice at SARZANA and taken to PIRELLI PIER allthe emigrants were looked in the pier, the wholearea heavily policed and all the ship-crew putunder house-arrest.

b. After the arrival of the British authoritiesthe police acted only according their orders.

0. The Italian Navy then intervened, the SkipperFARIDOKE was approached by an officer of AdmiralKAVGICHI s s staff and asked to have the ship enginessabotaged. Having the Skipper refused, a party ofofficers came on board for inspection on thefollowing day and one of then managed to stealaway with a fuel pump and one in jector. The damagehowever was readly repairedeas on the same Manga car was despatched to Genoa to buy replacementsfor the partestolin. This incident caused a lotof resentment and a strong letter of protest wassent by FELDMANN to DE COURTIN. The Navy Ministeranswer, a long telegram expressing the Governmentregrets for what had occurred and their sympathyfor the Jewish cause, although not yet deliveredto FELDMANN, by order of Admiral MAUGERI, has beenmade known to the committee by an officer of theAdmiralty.

d. A few days before Easter a representative ofthe Admiralty has again approached the PSDB Skipperwith the offer of another employinomi for hin andhis crew and some kind of premium if they411leave the ship. The offer has been turned down.

C. 014041111. OM the ;Local population anti Political

1. The whole population is full of sympathy forthe Jews and should anything happen it is certainthat they will be given all kind of help.

2. Although all the political parties have sentwords of sympathy and offers to help, the onlyfrequent callers to the pier are representative

./.

Sh. 6

of the Comunis% Party.On Easter Monday John FELDMANN and fifty Jewswent over to LA SPEZIA as official representativesof the "FD" to a Colonist ceremony. On their returnto the ship a Comunist demonstration took place onthe piereimprovised by the 800 or so people who hadescorted back the Jewish party, with party's flagsand band. A couple of speeches were made by theItalians on the rights of the oppressed, freedomaccts. followed by a mass singing of the"red-flag.After Feldmann words of thanks and gratitude forItalian hospitality, the meeting was Galled Of.Incidentally, the Commiseario Politics of LA SPEZIAQuestura, well known for his leftist leaning isone of FELDMANN good friends.

A. EttnaljakFARIDONX, Ugoft,: Angelo and fu Caterina COLOTTO;born at LERICI, LA SPEZIA, 1699;5 ,7"; brown hair and eyes; slim; wide scar onthe left cheek;married, two children;address: LERICIreligion t catholic;politics well known anti-fascist, a memberof the Demo-Christian Party.

B. Hamlin1. atThe arr a Marsh.According to ?ARID= , none of the Orew or himself,had any knowledge of the shippers plans for the%rip.Before leaving =MIA there had been rumoursthat the FOE was going to be used for therepatration of I.P.W. from North Africa, but theonly instructions he had received, from the shippersbefore sailing was to go to LA SPEZIA and wait therefor orders.

5/1. 7

Oa the following day the ship was moored at thePIRELLI PIER, belonging to the Royal Navy, andworkmen of the BARGIACOHI's shipyard started atonce to erect slopping berths.

Three days later a convoy of British Trucks loadedwith foodstuff , mostly army rations arrived at thepier: part of the load was taken on board, the restwas stored at BARGIACCHI's shipyard. The two officers,who were wearing British uniforms and the insigniaof the PALESTINE BS, in charge of the convoy nevergave any informations and left as soon as the vehicleshad been unloaded.

2. lIallo.alal_IBIUMAILIBLOa the 31 March a Captain of the FINANZA inspectedthe FDE and as the Skipper could not offer anysatisfactory explanation for the large amount ofallied rations found and for the works that hadbeen carried out, seized all the materiel and

vs the order that no one was to leave the shipuntil some orders from CAsERTA ALLIED Hq. hadbeen received.In the evening a strong police force arrived on thespot.

3.14v4val of the OOnYOY.

Oa the 3, April, late in the afternoon, two alliedofficer, wearing the British uniform, arrived atthe pier on a Jeep. Went on board the PEN and toldthe Skipper to get ready to take on board aboutone thousand people.To the Police Officer they told briefly that theyhad orders from CASERTA and all the official papersincluding the passengers' list was in the hada Ofthe convoy commander. The Police Officer not knowingwhat to do, asked the two to accompany him toLASPEZIA and make together a phone call to OASERTAAllied lig., at first the two agreed,but as soonas the vehicle was out of the pier gates, theItalian was thrown out of the car which disappearedin the dark.Later in the night the rumour was spread that alarge convoy of Germans and memebrs of the SAM,

Si.

Sh, 8

heading for LA SPEZIA, had been captured by thePolice near SARZANA.Little after daybreak:, about twenty trueks,escorted by jeeps and police cars, entered thepier, unloaded their passengers, well over athousand people and left almost at once. Thetrucks, of British make, bore the markings of thePALESTINE BT.The Police authorities, not knowing what to do,ordered everybody on board and reiforced thearmed watch on the pier.

4. British interVentiop

Early afternoon a Sgt. of the F88 arrived, butdid not stay long. Left with the promise thatan officer would soon be dawn to straightenmatters out,A Lt, and two Sgts. , also of the FS'S, were onboard on the following morning, and they informedthe Jewish leaders that all foodstuff was goingto be confiscated . Further, transportation wouldbe provided by the British authorities to takethe emigrants to some refugee camp. After mucharguing the F38 party left contenting themselvesto seize all the provisions that had been StStedat the BARGIACCHI's shipyard, about six trucksloads, and arresting Mr. BABOIAOCHI.On the 6th , a party composed of two British andone American , all officers, arrived from CASERTA,but soon left without making any decisions.The morning of the 7 , an armed rty of H.M.N,composed of one officer and two men, allarmed with automatic weapons came on the FMB,seized all charts and nautical instruments, tookpossession of the de* and of the engines room,then curtly told /MADMAN)! to gall everybody onboard as the ship WWII going to sail for CHIAVARI,where a refugee camp had been set 1211.Again FZIADUANN refused to obey. For a while itlooked like serious tremble could not be avoided,then the Officer somehow frighted by the veryhostile attitude of the crowd, gave up and left.

5. Thp *per 0;40,

As a protest against the attitude of the British

.1.

authorities, on the same evening the whole communitywent on a hunger strike, strictly observed by everybody, children included.

6. azip_l_gjarold LOKI

On the night of the 10, Mr. LASKI, Avvoeato CANTONIand Signor NAHON arrived at the pier and shortlyafterwards were joined by a British Captain.After two hours conference with the boat committee,orders were issued for the strike be ceased.Laski left the same night with the promise to intervenpersonally with mr.

• First news from LASKI were received on the 10 April,when the British laborite wiroithat he had amplehopes to obtain from H.M. Government permissionfor the ship departure, at the same time he askedeverybody to be patient abd at least await, beforemaking any move, until the 26 April.The night of the 26 no comunication from Londonhad been received by the committee.

7. ItaiLtazi

First the Admiralty informed FELDMANN that thesailing papers could not be granted to the FDEas it was their opinion that the boat could notcarry more theta 450 people.Then, Admiral MAUGEHI on learning that the Jewshad other ships available, had the FEU skipperapproached and asked to have some vital partstaken away frOm the engines. Having the Skipperrefused to have anrthing to do with the scheme,a party of Navy officers came on board and oneOf them managed to sneak away with a pump and afuel injector.The damage was easily repaired the next day asnew parts were obtained in 02N0A, but since thenno Italian Navy Officer has been seen on the boat.A few days before Easter the Skipper was againapproached by the Admiralty and promised anotherjob and a reward if he would persuade his crewto abandon the FEU. The skipper has refused theoffer and states that he is ready to make thetrip to Palestine with or without the Britishblessing.

III - John F4LD4AN $040mInt

1. According to FELDLANN , the Jews are verydisappointed by the way the Allies are handlingtheir problem.True, they are thankful' for the assistance theyhave received and are receiving by the Americansand the British but they point out that althoughnearly a year has passed since the collapse ofGermany, the majority of the Central Europe Jewishcommunities are still in concentration amps, anumbearable condition ; even if to-day the Alliesdo their best to make them forget the years of.horrors they gone through.

2. The Jews to day fear EUROPE, they are convincedthat the Germans have really won their racial war.In every country that has been under German occupation,anti-Jewish feeling is running high. There havebeen pogroms in RUMANIA and HUNGARY, in POLANDJews are being murdered everyday. The Russian auth000611.have done nothing to put a stop to it; moreovermany Russian Jews fear the outbreak of racialpersecutions in the Soviet territory.In the areas occupied by the British or the Americana,the local population does show a very hostile attitudeagainst the Jews.

3. Of the 8 millions Jews living in central Europebefore the outbreaok of the war, WI one millionand half have managed to survive. Their leadersintend to transfer the whole lot in Palestine inlittle over a year. They feel that if left alonethey can work out an agreement with the Arabs.

4. They believe that the main fear of the Britishis that a Jewish State of Palestine will form aspear head of the Soviets in the Middle East.FELDMANN denies any leanings on the part of theJews for Comuniam, admits that some of the Jewsare strong comunist supporters, but also statesthat once they '11 find themselves in PALESTINEall politics will be forgotten. (1).

5. All offers for the settling of Jewish communityin other parts of the British Ompire or in SouthAmerican countries have been turned down.Centuries of cruel persecutions have taught the Jewstheir lesson. They all believe that only a freePALESTINE can give them a full securety for everand they are determined to reach their goal at anycost.

8. Italy was chosen as a concentration and sailingpoint as the other route , the Balkan one, has provedtoo difficult and costly in money and lives.Many Jews are today in refugees camps located innorther Italy, Turin Padua sects. Moreover theJews have found the Italians very sympathetictowards them.

Iv. otympos

1. From dirferent sources it is learnt that otherShips of the FEU type are moored in small portsOf the Ligurian coast and more shipment are beingorganized.

Z. It is almost certain that should the British,succeed to seize the ”FIONft , a good part of herpassengers will be shifted over night to anotherbest, transportation seems to have been alreadyfound at LA IPIZZIA.

3, The main concentration points in Northern Italyare in the province of BRESCIA and in the soirountinseof PADUA, There the Jews arrive in small gronos fromCentral Zurope. Incidentally PADUA to the centreof a very, prosperous Jewish communiV.To every traveller is issued a pass written in Hebrew,and a few addresses where they will found enough helpto reach the embarkation point.

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