The Security Service of the Reichsfuehrer SS SD leader of the SS Regional Department Danube II 112 Vienna, 17 July 1939 To the Head of the Security Main Office Department II 112 Berlin Re: Emigration Projects
For your information, you will find enclosed a report of the Palestine Office, Vienna, regarding the larger emigration projects that are presently being worked on. SD leader of the SS Regional Department Danube Emigration Projects Among the emigration projects that are most discussed, three are areas in the British Empire - British Guyana, British Honduras and Rhodesia - and two are territories belonging to North America - Alaska and the Philippines. Furthermore, there are discussions about a project in San Domingo, a project of mass settlement in New Caledonia and an eventual mass settlement of Jews in China.
British Guyana
The most advanced project is the Guyana project. An American commission of experts, joined by experts of the British Government, was sent there. Their report was submitted several weeks ago. On the basis of that report, Prime Minister Chamberlain and Colonial Minister MacDonald have announced to Parliament that a successful conclusion of this project may be expected. The report states that mass Jewish settlement could be made possible in some areas of Guyana, about 5 degrees north of Equator. In the first stage, about 3,000 - 5,000 young men and women should clear the jungle and build model farms. The conditions for such a project are: the building of access roads, the strict isolation of the immigrants from the local population for hygienic reasons and the guarantee of a £600,000 fund for the project, to be furnished by the Jewish aid organisations.
British Honduras
Mass settlement in British Honduras has been repeatedly promoted in recent months by British people who know the country well. According to one of them, W.E. Simnett, the local governor assured him that British Honduras is in urgent need of settlers. It is being estimated that about 40,000 Jews could find accommodation in British Honduras, in a plateau that is situated about 100 meters above sea level and has a surface of about 900 square miles. The western part of this area has thick forests, much water and rich grazing. A British commission is presently investigating the conditions for Jewish mass settlement.
Rhodesia
The initiative to settle Jews in Rhodesia was raised a few years ago. There was even talk about the creation of a Jewish territory in this land during the Evian Conference. A commission of experts is presently at work to investigate the possibility of settling Jewish emigrants in Rhodesia. The commission's expert, Campbell, proposes the development of a separate Jewish state in the Mwilunga territory, at the north-eastern tip of northern Rhodesia between Belgian Congo and Portuguese West Africa. The territory is twice the size of Palestine…and is rich in water. At this time there are only two white farmers in that region. However North Rhodesia wants to grant residence only to a select group of immigrants who have sufficient capital.
Alaska
At the end of the year, a proposal was raised that a large number of Jews be settled in Alaska. Circles in the administration in Washington reacted positively to the idea. According to a report of the Interior Ministry, the climate of southern Alaska - the part that could be regarded for settlement - is similar to that of Sweden, Norway and Finland. The density of population is only 0.1 person per square mile whereas that of Scandinavia is 29.65. The administration in Washington would welcome a reinforcement of the population and investment of private capital.
The Philippines
The representative of the Philippines at the Evian conference stated at that time that his government would be willing to admit about 1,000 emigrants yearly. At the moment, an American commission is on the spot to examine the plan for a mass settlement. The intent is to settle about 30,000 Jews on Mindanau, the second largest island situated in the south. The chosen region would be Davao, which is especially fertile and exports wood, hemp and fish.
San Domingo
The San Domingo representative to the Evian Conference declared that his government was willing to admit 100,000 Jews under certain conditions. A similar declaration has been made recently by San Domingo at the International Labour Organisation in Geneva. Regarding New Caledonia, Dr. Lasersohn, a member of the executive of the Jewish aid organisation Ort-Ose, who went on a tour of Australia and the islands of that part of the world, has stated that limited immigration to New Caledonia, a large island near Australia, was possible. It also should be mentioned that the government of Tchang Kai Chek declared that 20-30,000 Jews could be admitted to inner China if they had capital or were qualified technicians.
All of these projects have as yet not gone beyond the stage of investigation, but one can already see that they have strict limitations. One the one hand, in most of the cases the tropical climate that is so difficult for Europeans will render massive colonisation impossible. One the other hand, the circle of people who can be considered for such immigration is reduced because only healthy young people will be capable of doing agricultural work under these difficult conditions. After all, British Guyana, British Honduras, Rhodesia, Alaska and the Philippines can only use farmers who wish to settle in hitherto uncultivated areas. The main reservation, however, is that the people who are to be sent to these countries have no internal affinity to these lands they are to settle in, and they therefore lack the enthusiasm and drive that motivated the Jews who settled in Palestine. In addition, the Jews' national capital would not be invested in these areas to the same extent as it is in Palestine. Therefore, only a few thousand people could be settled in the proposed territories over a long period of time, and for most of them, this would be the first and last attempt to settle.
