Then there should be some explanation of this. It will be noted that the young woman In question. who visited Alaska a few times during the 4 years and 11 months she was on the pay roll of the Alaska Railroad was interested mainly in getting some refugees sent over from Europe to Alaska. She attempted to sell a number of leading citizens of Alaska on the Ickes proposal of importing the socalled refugees from countries in Europe. but such a storm of protest went up against the idiotic plan that the Department of the Interior was finally forced to change the program and the socalled refugees were sent to Oswego. N. Y.. Instead. The same Ruth Gruber. according to the record. was even sent by plane to Italy during the war despite the serious shortage of planes and gasoline to travel as the Secretarys official representative to round up these refugees. For this act the great Secretary of the Interior decided that she should be decorated and that her services should go down in history as a great achievement and he actually had the gall. as the gentleman from Oklahoma. Chairman JOHNSON. pointed out. to ask the President of the United States. by letter dated January 31. 1946. to award.the said Ruth Gruber the Medal of Merit for her work in connection with bringing a contingent of refugees from Europe to the United States. This. it will be recalled. was shortly before his blowup as Secretary. After having been turned down unanimously by the Presidents board which makes such recommendations. the Secretary then called upon the Secretary of State to give her what is known as the Medal of Freedom.
Keywords matched
refugees