More than a year after the American administration received unequivocal reports about the rampant murder of Jews in Europe, President Roosevelt made a modest gesture to rescue such Jews as remained aliveΓÇöif only to preempt Congress in taking swift action and receiving the credit for it. The War Refugee Board was established by special request of U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, who had presented the president with evidence about the State DepartmentΓÇÖs systematic efforts to sabotage rescue efforts. The board was instructed to take action to rescue and assist the victims. Theoretically, it was given impressive powers and was promised assistance from all Administration agencies. Practically, it was established at a very late stage for most Jews in Europe, was under-funded, and received little assistance from the rest of the Administration. The board was put to its first real test when the Nazis occupied Hungary in March 1944, putting the last remaining large Jewish community at risk. It was instrumental in the rescue activities that developed there. As the war wound down, the board played a crucial role in saving additional Jews, mainly by threatening to have Nazi officials, as well as accomplices from the Axis powers, prosecuted as war criminals after the impending surrender.
