On this day in Yorkshire 1937

Plans are being made for the accommodation of some of the Basque refugee children in Yorkshire.

Mr. J. H. Sykes, of Sandal, near Wakefield, has arranged for the use of Scarborough Old Hospital for housing a number the children, and has guaranteed that those it is hoped to bring to Wakefield shall not be destitute.

He has made himself responsible, through khe Wakefield Spanish Relief Committee, for finding suitable premises for them in the city. The Scarborough scheme was discussed at a meeting held at the Scarborough Public lbrary, yesterday.

The Old Hospital has been rented by the National Joint Council for Spanish Relief, and, although the children will be accompanied by Spanish teachers or priests there will be need for assistance from local oeople.

At the conclusion of the meeting a local committee was formed to organise the children’s stay.

Mr. David H. Thompson, of the National Committee said hundreds of people all over England had written offering to take refugee children into their own homes, but quite naturally the Basque Government objected to this, because they felt that the children should have the kind of religious education they thought they ought to have.

Further, the people who took the children into their homes might get very fond of them, and there might be some difficulty in getting the children back.

The result was that the Committee found themselves faced with the necessity for finding hostels for over 4,000 children.

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