Why Was King Wrong
On the 27th of May 1939 the St.Louis was refused entrance to Havana after a 14 day long journey. It had left its port two weeks earlier in Hamburg on the 13 of May. It was carrying 937 passengers(Holocaust memorial). Most of the passengers were Jewish German citizens but there was also some Europeans, Spanish and Cubans aboard the ship(Historica Canada). Most of these were refugees searching for a new home where they would be safe from Hitler. Once the ship was refused entrance to Havana Its captain was forced to ask Canadian Prime Minister William Mackenzie King if he would be willing to take the refugees. King was Prime minister at this time and he had been head of the Liberal party since 1919(Historica Canada). King declined and even though
…show more content…
For example we now know what Hitler did to all the Jews and how many were killed. We also know that the boat would not find anywhere else for the refugees to go and would end up distributing its passengers among Belgium, France, The Netherlands and Great Britain. Soon after France and the Netherlands would be captured by Germany and 254 of the passengers would not survive the holocaust(Historica Canada). It is also discussed in modern day if we would have made the same decision as King made all those years ago. Gerry Lunn, curator of exhibits at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic says “Would I have behaved any different, have said to let them in, had I been alive at that time?” “It would be self-deceiving to claim to know. My sense of values and how they have been guided are a product of a different time and different experiences.”(Holocaust Memorial). This statement again proves that King was going off what he knew and the information he had been given in that time and era. To have insight into a situation is to have a deep understanding of it and King did not have a deep understanding of the situation when he refused the refugees. King knew something bad was happening to the Jewish because of Hitler but he also didn’t know what Hitler’s potential was at the time. If King was given other options he may have let the refugees in as he claims in a letter written to Blair in which King tells of how George Wrong and a group of others had asked him to grant sanctuary to the refugees on humanitarian grounds. King advised Bair in this letter to “Strongly consider this request”(Holocaust Memorial). King also met Hitler roughly 2 years before the war began on June 29, 1937 and Hitler seemed to make a good impression on him during his visit. In the book Canada: Understanding Your Past by Ian Hundey and Michael
For example we now know what Hitler did to all the Jews and how many were killed. We also know that the boat would not find anywhere else for the refugees to go and would end up distributing its passengers among Belgium, France, The Netherlands and Great Britain. Soon after France and the Netherlands would be captured by Germany and 254 of the passengers would not survive the holocaust(Historica Canada). It is also discussed in modern day if we would have made the same decision as King made all those years ago. Gerry Lunn, curator of exhibits at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic says “Would I have behaved any different, have said to let them in, had I been alive at that time?” “It would be self-deceiving to claim to know. My sense of values and how they have been guided are a product of a different time and different experiences.”(Holocaust Memorial). This statement again proves that King was going off what he knew and the information he had been given in that time and era. To have insight into a situation is to have a deep understanding of it and King did not have a deep understanding of the situation when he refused the refugees. King knew something bad was happening to the Jewish because of Hitler but he also didn’t know what Hitler’s potential was at the time. If King was given other options he may have let the refugees in as he claims in a letter written to Blair in which King tells of how George Wrong and a group of others had asked him to grant sanctuary to the refugees on humanitarian grounds. King advised Bair in this letter to “Strongly consider this request”(Holocaust Memorial). King also met Hitler roughly 2 years before the war began on June 29, 1937 and Hitler seemed to make a good impression on him during his visit. In the book Canada: Understanding Your Past by Ian Hundey and Michael