In November 1938 , two weeks after '' Kristallnacht '' , Ickes proposed the use of Alaska as a " haven for Jewish refugees from Germany and other areas in Europe where the Jews are subjected to oppressive restrictions . " Resettlement in Alaska would allow the refugees to bypass normal immigration quotas , because Alaska was a territory and not a state . That summer Ickes had toured Alaska and met with local officials to discuss improving the local economy and bolstering security in a territory viewed as vulnerable to Japanese attack . Ickes thought European Jews might be the solution
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Slattery Report