Exhibited Photo: U.S. Consulate, Marseille, France, 1940.

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On July 10, 1940, the French Government in surrendering to the Nazis divided France into 2 zones: a Nazi-occupied zone that included Paris and administrated by Nazis and, a so-called unoccupied zone in the southeast with its administrative center at Vichy and administrated by French ultra-nationalists.

In 1940, as Nazi invaders occupied France, tens of thousands of refugees from all over Europe fled south toward Marseilles. (Courtesy of International Rescue Committee) <holocaust-trc.org/vfplay.htm>

The Vichy government, as was known to be called, operated on the proposition of "returning France to French." Alien "influence" was set to be combated at any cost and of course the anti-Jewish sentiment was at all time high. The Vichy regime did much indeed to cooperate fully with Nazis in their campaign of prosecuting the Jews. The United States at that time wanted to maintain good relationship with the Vichy government and this, in turn, was reciprocated by the Vichy regime that was courting Nazi Germany in order to extract more concessions from the German authorities.

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Marseille under the pro-Nazi Vichy Government

Marseille at that time was under the control of the pro-Nazi Vichy government and Hiram Bingham IV (known at that time as Hiram Bingham, Jr.) with Miles Standish were the two American vice-consuls in Marseille in charge of visas. In that capacity, both men were extremely busy in issuing visas from the growing number of people trapped in Marseille trying to escape the Nazi regime.

In August 1940, Varian Fry --an American journalist arrived in Marseille from New York determined to save all intellectuals of Europe trapped in Marseille --the great majority being of Jewish descent. (For more on Varian Fry visit our commemorative site.) In the pursuit of his plan and rescuing operation, Fry was able to work with both vice-consuls and yes, both men issued visas to Jewish and other refugees attempting to escape France to Portugal and other countries outside of the Nazi regime's influence.

Varian Fry, in his memoirs "Surrender on Demand" (Johnson Books, 1945, p. 10) characterized as follows Bingham IV while in Marseille:

"... he has a heart of gold. He does everything he can to help us, within American law..."

Since when does a person with a "heart of gold" doing his "ordinary job" of issuing visas to Jews and non-Jews alike qualify for a "hero" status? In other words, if a person did not turn Jews away or turn them to the Nazis -- is this the "qualification" and the "mark" for an hero status?

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A Holocaust crematorium at Buchenwald
Courtesy: The Simon Wiesenthal Center

Furthermore, if one's life has not been at any time in peril due to the consular activity performed, how that squares with the definition of a hero? There is irrefutable historic evidence that the Vichy government to establish its credibility and legitimacy had no intention of breaking established international laws with the United States and thus no intention ever to break the diplomatic immunity doctrine. There was nothing, but absolutely nothing, from his activities as a diplomat that Bingham IV could have done, while in Marseille, to place his life in jeopardy or danger. The absolute worst scenario (which actually did happen) was the removal of the offending diplomat from Marseille.

Why Mr. Robert Kim Bingham, son of Bingham IV, sets the "bar" so low when it comes to Jewish lives? Why Mr. Bingham believes that his dad should be considered a hero merely because his dad did not send away Jews to the Holocaust's crematoria?

 

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