Ickes Charges “dog in Manger” Attitude Balks Alaskan Refugee Project

Secretary of Interior Harold L. Ickes charged today that only a “dog in the manger” attitude prevented the opening of Alaska to refugees. He told newsmen that he planned to present his Alaskan colonization plan to the conference of the Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees.

“There isn’t any reason,” Secretary Ickes said, “why people can’t live in Alaska and make a living there and build up a civilization in Alaska like that in Scandinavia. Private capital is available to establish such a colony.

“We have been able to call attention to the opportunity there, and some modification of existing quota and immigration laws is needed. This is not favoring people from foreign countries at the expense of Americans. Any American can pack his bag and put on his hat and go to Alaska tomorrow if he wants, but they haven’t been doing it.”

Pointing out that Alaska’s population was now only 60,000 and that half of these were Eskimos, Ickes said: “It is a dog in the manger attitude to say we should save Alaska for our own people when our own people won’t have anything to do with it.”

The Secretary said his plan contemplated adequate financing to overcome objections of the Alaskan civil authorities, who would not welcome indigent refugees.

Meanwhile, a technical committee to consider all phases of President Roosevelt’s long-range settlement program was selected here today with Robert Pell, State Department expert on refugee problems, as chairman.

Christopher Bramwell, First Secretary of the British Embassy, and representative of the Netherlands Legation and French Embassy are included in the committee, which will report to the officers of the Intergovernmental Committee when they reconvene next week.