The Wilmington morning star., 1940-03-01
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK
By PRESTON GROVER

WASHINGTON, Feb. 29.-Secretary Ickes of
the Interior is having a bill drafted to make
Alaska a promised land for European refugees.
Already several senators and representatives
have asked for the privilege of introducing it.
In substance, the bill would permit organiza.
ton of colonial development companies based
on the idea of the Hudson Bay company and
East India company in pre-colonial days. Each
would be given a particular tract in Alaska to
develop and would be permitted to bring refu-
gees from Europe in excess of immigration
quotas.
Ickes first began plugging to have Alaska
opened up to Jewish refugees a year or SO
ago. At that time they were the only refugees
available in mass quantities. Now the idea is
that Poles, Firms (f they are overwhelmingly,
and perhaps a few Swedes and Norwegians
might like to come in.
They would be restricted to life in Alaska
until their numbers came up on the immigra-
ton list, when they would be privileged to
apply for full citizenship, like any other i'm
migrant. The last is still a tentative provision
in the framework of the bill.
PrivateIy-Run
The development companies probably would
be largely philanthropic in nature. as the Mata-
nuska colony has demonstrated that making
money out of development colonies is no snap
job in Alaska, regardless of how brightly it is
being painted these days.
The Ickes idea is that privately-run COM
munities would not be nearly so expensive
as Matanuska.
There are man, tracts available along the
southern shoulder of Alaska where it is al.
ready demonstrated that a wide variety of
crops can be grown.
Presidential Mumbo7Jumbo
Deadly Twenties: A certain senator who
won't be identified as thinking of such things
.~;,+- o+ +Io+ .to i,+ ILL., 4 ntn - -.-
for a President to be elected. Since 1910, every
President who has been elected in a 'twen-
tieth" year has died in office. Here they are:
Henry Harrison.
1S6O-President Lincoln (after re-election).
1SSO-James A. Garfield.
190O-William Mckinley (after re-election).
G. Harding.
1910?
In the same chatty vein the senator asks if
the line of "Double-O' Presidents may run out
this year. He notes woodrow Wilson, (Harding
an interruption), Calvin coolidge, Herbert
Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt. a wag asked:
How about DOGGY?
Indian Lands
Greatest indoor sport at the Indian Office is
figuring out inheritances among tribesmen
whose ancestors once owned a piece of allotted
land. Under various acts of congress many IN
dian allotments must be held Gin trust by the
government while the heirs pile up and gain
title to part of the income-if any. Here is a
sample of what happens:
Lizette Denomie, Chippewa Indian, died in
1897. Her land was held in trust. In 1910, a law
was passed providing for division OF certain
types of Indian allotments among the heirs.
Lizette's little S0-acre estate has been split up
until the largest holders have 1888 acres, and
the least II of one acre.
Abigail Crawford, a Sioux, died in 1897 after
having three husbands. One heir gets II, 544/-
19,051 200 of the estate.
The big trouble is that consent OF SO per
cent of the heirs must be obtained before the
land may be leased or rented. In an effort to
get clearance on a 15O-acre tract, heirs were
traced into At states. Mexico and Canada. The
bureau could. not get SO per cent, so it gave
up. This land, along with 100000 acres in a
similar Might, must remain idle.