Evening Star Newspaper, July 17, 1921, Page 31

i Society News l PLAN TO LEGISLATE" FOR ALASKA’S BENEFIT Proposed to Consolidate in One Board the ' EDITORIAL SECTION WASHINGTON, D. C, SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 17, 19_?.1. Republicans See Gain for Party In President’s Disarmament Call EDITORIAL PAGE NATIONAL PROBLEMS ™~ SPECIAL ARTICLES - " Part 2—10 Pages RADIO DEVELOPMENT AND ITS REGULATION Federal Control and Supervision of Wire- less Communication Companies Declared Necessary to Protect the Public. BY WILL P. KENNEDY. ITH radio admittedly the . most progressive method of communication, imperative in war and essential to mod- ern commerce in times of peace, the fed- eral government is studying the problem of how radio communication may best Re developed while the interests of the People are properly safeguarded. The Navy Department, which is the only agency of the government actually operating a radio service, says that the effective direction of the United States fleet is dependent upon radio communi- cation. The War Department, which fn the process of building up the air service is developing a great system of airways gridironing the entire United States, says that “radio communica tion is the very lifeblood of aviation.” The airways are designed to be the most important commercial carriers of the future. The problem with which the govern- ment is now wrestling, and in which private enterprise is virtually interested, s this: By its very nature radio com- munication can be most efficiently de- veloped and operated as a monopoly. The administration, Congress, cabi- net members and practically all of those who are best informed regarding the radio situation are unanimous in the opinion that development of radio com- munication can best be carried along by private enterprise. They are equally as positive in saying that there must be careful federal control and supervision, to see that the Interests of all the people are protected as against a monopoly. Proposals forn Supervision. Several definite proposals for defining governmental supervision are before the Joint congressional committee on reor- gnnizsation of the administrative branch of the government, of which a personal yepresentative of President Harding is chairman. Ome of these is for a dis- tinct department of communication and transportation,. which would give In- tensive and specialized study to all re- Iated questions concerning common carriers—the airways, railways, water- ways and highways. Each of these has its own problems, but there are com- tacts and constant problems between all of them. Because communication systems are essential to the operation of each of these common carrier systems of trans- portation, the same administrative au- thority should, it ta argued. have gen- eral supervision over radio, cable, tele- graph and telephone commuynication. Another proposition before the. reor- ganization committee is to bring the In- terstate Commerce Commission and the Shipping Board under one Judictal con- trol, 8o broadened as to provide similar agencies to consider'the particular con- troversies and necessary regulatory measures thgt will arise regarding avia- tion, radio communication, stc. There are several bills already awalt- ing hearings and consideration befors both House and Senate committees with regard to radio communicstion—but the authors of these bills admit that they are offered merely as a working basis, and. that the entire subject must be carefully considered at public hearings and in conference with experts. One of these bills was introduced by Senator Kellogg at the request of Secretary Hoover. It is the firm conviction of those who are In charge of legislation with respect to radio development that private enter- prise must be allowed just as much freedom as possible in bullding up a communication system that will pro- mote commerce. This means that radio communication between the United States and foreign countries, or “shore- to-shore” messages, must be done by private commercial concerns. Navy Department System. The only exception to this is that the Navy Department, which now has 180 stations, having recently abandoned twenty, not including radio compass sta- tions, of which there are seventy, should continue to operate the radio communi- cation with the outlying dependencies. The argument is that these stations are there, they must be maintaimed for op- eration of the fleet. Being there, they should be used for the advantage of the American citizens in these outlying pos- sessions and dependencies. According to existing conditions, this would not bring the government Into competition ‘with private concerns. The development of commercial sta- tions along the shore line and of com- mercial stations throughout the interior of the country should be distinct phases, or independent monopolies, under the general radio development, those Who have studied the problem closest say. They point out that entirely different conditions and problems have to be met in the handling of messages over- seas and in inland service such as will be required for the operation of a sig- nal system for the proposed airways. Development of Radio. The radlo business began about 1900. Then each government department started in to build up & system of its own, and private companies did the same. The Marconi company” was not going to allow its stations to communiy cate with any other station that did not use the same kind of apparatus, so this would have meant that ships <ould not communicate. In fact, a complete radio monopoly was contemplated. Then President Roosevelt foresaw trouble and decided that at least the government establishments should have a clear definition of their respective spheres. So the interdepartmental board for in- vestigation of the wireless telegraph in the service of the national government ‘was organized and drew up a policy for the federal departments on which they have been operating ever since. It has been regarded that coast-to- ship radio communication is a logical function of the Navy Department. The interdepartmental board gave the Navy paramount interests along the coast, al- though private companies have not been debarred, with the understanding that they would handle private business and the government was not in competition. The Marconi company was financed largely by the British Marconi Company and its policies were controlled by the British company, the Navy has always maintained. The Navy has been opposed to that element in the Marconi company and has succeeded in eliminating the British influence. Then an attempt was made to get legislation regulating radio communication. International conven- tions were held in St. Petersburg and Berlin. sented at Berlin, but the conclusions there reached were never accepted by the United States. At the London con- vention in 1912 the United States was well represented and its conclusions were adopted. Then the United States had to pass laws to put certain of these determinations in effect. Recently a public resolution has au- thorized the Navy Department to handle Press messages. This was brought about by the fact that cable messages across the Pacific were at a prohibitive rate. The Philippines were getting practically nothing but forelgn news. China was not getting reliable mews from this country, and Porto Rico was faring just badly. Under the very low rate by Navy wireless the press associations are now able to send 1.000 words a day across the Pacific and 500 words to Porto Rico. Thus the United States is now able to get to its own possessions accurate news about what the United States is doing. There has been some agitation for government ownership and operation of all radio stations. Secretary Danlels was a strong advocate of such a policy, but the present administration is equally as earnest in the desire and conviction that private enterprises should be given every proper incentive to build up radio communication service as a commer- cial enterprise. Coast-to-Ship Service. The coast-to-ship service offers a problem. For the commercial concerns to handle adequately this business there must be monopolies within certain areas, 80 that the entire coast line may have reliable service, otherwise there would be unprofitable rivalry at congested port areas, such as Boston, San Francisco or New York, where the bulk of the shipping is, and there would be no serv- ice at the smaller ports. With four or five. gtations fighting for the business, none Wwould find it profitable. From the government viewpoint the greatest ob- Jection to such rivalry would be inter- ference, resulting in failure to handle the messages with dispatch. The ex- perience of the Navy in handling port |- business during the congested period was that the ideal method is to have & central control, which would direct which of the three stations in New York and two in New Jersey would handle the call from any particular ship, thus facilitating the dispatch of the message. Fitty large steamship companies asked to have this continued, but Congress did not see it that way and said the| private companies should go ahead and operate. The big argument for monopoly in radio development is that it can thus handle more correspondence and best ) avold interference. The Radio Corpora- tion of America is said by Navy officials 10 be a thorough American concern. It bought out the American interest in the American Marconi company and is (backed principally by the General Electric Company, which furnishes the principal apparatus. If federal legis- lation allows a monopoly to take charge of radio development it is believed this concern will get the business. It oper- ates about three ship-to-shore stations and circuits to Norway, Germany, France, England and Japan via Ha- wailan Islands. It contemplates a big station in South America, at Buenos Alres. Thelr big radio control is being built at Rocky Point, L. I, and will be the biggest radio plant in the world. The Federal Telegraph - Company is bullding a high-power station in China and by dealing direct 18 expected to take a very prominent part in trade develop- ment in the far east. Messages From the Interior. The concern that does get a mopopoly for shore-to-shore or United States-to- (Continued on Third Page.) Assists Secretary Hoover In Great Trade Campaign,; DR. JULIUS KLEIN, Who has been appointed director of the bureau of foreign snd domestic| commerce. ot - The United States was repre- | ‘BY N. 0. MESSENGER. RESIDENT HARDING has raised the spirits of republicans in Congress to an exultant degree by his course in tak- ing the initiative in assembliag the dis- armament and peace conference. No one ques- tions that important results will ensue for the benefit of mankind, and the President will be given his due meed of credit for the good ac- complished. Already basking in the anticipated Jrafllctod glory of 'his achievement, the poli- ticlans in Congress take unction unto them- selves that the administration, the Congress and the republican party will share the appre- clation of the public. This may seem a sordid sidelight upon a great altruistic action of practical effect, but politics is politics, and many republicans were beginning to look somewhat anxiously to the future in the past few weeks. Mists were gathering and there were rumblings of discon- tent from™the people because of conditions which, rightly or unjustly, were being laid at the door of the party in power. ‘Then, lo and behold, arose this refulgent sun to dissipate the clouds. “This one act,” de- clared an eminent republican in Congress, “if he accomplishes nothing else, will make him and his administration famous for all time.” * K k¥ There is no thought in the minds of coa- gressmen that any element of failure can at- tach to the great undertaking upon which the President, by his initlative, has embarked the principal alied and assoclated powers. Thelr confidence in afirmative action of lasting good to the peace and prosperity of the world is based upon realization that the project marches in step with the overweening desire of the vast majority of the peoples of the nations con- cerned, echoed by other peoples everywhere, and that its foundation is common sense. A high official of the administration pointed out the other day that it would be futile to dis- cuss limitation of armaments until existing sit- uations which present an excuse for main- tained armaments are cleared up. It is regard- ed as probable that the order of business of the conference will-bring the settlement of these guestions as the first step, to be followed by agreements for limitation of armaments. The greater the success in the settlements, in the removal of causes of possible friction, the more extensive and effective will be the dis- armament. There is no doubt, it is declared, that the President’s plan to include questions of peace agreements in the disarmament conference has caught the imagination of the American people as grippingly as it has the emotions of Europe. At first there were some murmurings in the Senate for fear that the inclusion of consider- ation of the broader aspeots of the world sit- uation might militate against swift disarma- ment, but public sentiment did not seem to re- flect that apprehension. The mere saving of the money involved in disarmament was held secondary to the ghlef consideration, the stabilization of world peace, and, as the ad- ministration official pointed out, the latter is essential to the first. President Harding, it is known, believes that the people of the United States still cherish interest and a degree of faith in the possibllity of working out alternatives to war through in- ternational agreements. He himself is coms mitted to the general principle. * * k % In considering the carrying out of plans for limitation of armaments, no one should make the mistake of thinking that there is to be a general laying down of the arms of the world, or that the peace millennium has arrived. Coincident with announcement of the calling of the conference, officials of the administration took pains to make it known that the policy of the United States under this administration to be prepared toidefend and sustain its rights at all times would not be impaired by agree- ments to limit expenditures for naval and mili- tary purposes; that a margin of safety would always be maintained: It is to be assumed that other countries will take the same stand. But, the big point is, that these margins of safety are belleved to be pos- sible of maintenance, and that yet a Q’:a! les- sening of expenditures can be brought about, the total for the five powers to make an im- pressive showing. It is believed that the greatest practical benefit will arise from first, the removal of causes of international irrita- tion and, second, from the stopping of further increase in armament expenditures, even though the immediate saving may not look so large. It was the appaling growth of expenditures that was horrifying and frightening the states- men of the world; the possibilities of what pro- portions this monster might attain in a few years if not checked. * % k¥ ¥ Comment is heard in Congress upon what is declared to be the logical and practical way the President has gone about mitigating the inevitable disappointment of the people at the impossibility of reducing taxation instanter, out of hand. President Harding had been in office but a short time when he realized that in the order of things, as they were going, the tax- payers could not be relieved of their burdens to an appreciable degree in the immediate fu- ture, that is to say, even when they come to pay their next tax bills. But there is one thing that could be done, and that would be to start reducing expenses of the administration of gov- ernment, which would present lower budgets for the future and make possible reductiéns in taxes. The good sense of the people must be depended upon to realize that the impossible could not be accomplished. The President hi kept in wonderfully close touch with the peo- ple since March 4, and is well aware of the drift of public sentiment. He was speaking by the card when in his address to the Senate he sald the Congress would share his disappointment that taxation cannot be reduced at once, for he knew that was the way the people feel, too. Some con- gressmen thought there was an implied rebuke in that utterance for the procedure of the House in putting tariff reform before tax revision, and an intimation to the Senate to put tax cut- ting ahead, once the two bills are before that body. : * %k * The administration’s economy drive and re- trenchment and reform plans are not to wait on the disarmament conference to assist in the lowering of future budgets and reduced taxa- tion. It is recognized that the amounts to be saved the taxpayers by limitation of arma- ments are not possible of estimate now, nor is the time when the saving goes into effect to be approximated. In all probability the tax revision bill will be nearing completion just about the time the peace and disarmament conference assembles. No one knows how long the conference will take in reaching an agreement on limitation of expenditures for upkeep of the armies and navies of the parties to the agreements expected to be made. . But it is inconceivable that.the limitation which the United States is to place upon its expenditures will reach such figures as to make s material reduction in the total of the early budgets. The United States government must talk in terms of billions for several years to come. No one item of expenditure can, there- _fore, be depended upon to make a dent in high taxes, but only the aggregate, made up of economies all along the line. The effort of Gen. Dawes and his budget economists may produce more actual saving of money than will be brought about by the United States agreeing to limitation of naval building and armament. After all the strife and contention between the House and Senate over the naval appropriation bill just passed, the economists managed to save only something over ninety million dol- lars. President Harding, in the estimation of his party followers in Congress, is proceeding to stop the drain on the public expenditures both at the spigot and the bunghole. He is working for economy now and greater economies for the future. Some meney can be saved immediately, even though the saving of it will not show at once in the taxpayers’ accounts, and greater sums can be saved in the future. . It may be years before the actual results of armament limitation can be figured in sums to affect materfally the budget, but the point is that a start has been made in that direction. The people have something definite to look for- ward to, something which will finally bring re- lief on a large scale. (Copyright, 1921, by The Washington Star.) T o il o e e e S T 28 B BUSINESS LEADERS WILL AID HOOVER IN CAMPAIGN FOR WORLD TRADE Bullding up the bureau of foreign and domestic commerce as a treasury of up-to-date, authoritative, specialized information regarding world trade, as to be most readily available for the business men of this country in such shape as to be of the greatest value to them, is the principal idea in Her- bert Hoover's plan for reorganizing the Department of Commerce, on which he had an understanding with President Harding before accepting the office of Secretary. To assure the heartiest co-operation and most efficient administrative su- pervision for such a program Secre- tary Hoover picked Dr. Julius Klein for the position of director of the bu- reau. He and Secretary Hoover are en- listing the active assistance of the highest-grade big business men, each a specialist in his own particular com- modity, who are coming from all parts of the country actually to sit at a desk in the Washington headquarters for months at a time, directing the gov- e QUARANTINE MAINTAINED AGAINST PLANT DISEASE Millions Spent Annually by the Government to Keep Out For- eign Insects That Menace Crops. The federal government expends several million dollars annually in ef- forts to combat serious insects and plant diseases that have been brought here from foreign countries. Several thousand insects have been listed in foreign countries which are known to injure crops and which have not yet been brought to our shores. Many foreign-plant diseases are also known tQ occur, and it is of the ut- most importance to prevent their reaching us. The federal horticul- tural board, an independent branch of the Department of Agriculture, is endeavoring to keep as many of these slien enemles out of the country as practicable. Special quarantines have been issued and rigld attention is be- ing given to the inspection of plants reaching us, so as to avold the intro- duction of the pests. The bureau of plant industry is de- sirous of encouraging in every way the production of promising new crops in this country, and its office of foreign seed and plant introduc- tion is co-operating with horticultur- ists and plant growers in aiding them in introducing new varieties of plants in such fashion that they will not bring in any diseases or insects. It is often necessary to introduce plants in very small numbers and to grow them for a considerable time, either in greenhouses or under very special conditions out of doors, to make sure that all pests have been removed. When it is certain that the plants are freed of insects or diseases they may then be propagated more ex- :ensively and distributed to collabo- rators. In this way new crops are introduced without danger “to. tha country. Rttt pe ; 5 ernment’s investigations and dissem- inating the conclusions. ” Just as he organzied so successfully 50 | the United States Food Administration during the war, Secrétary Hoover is now organizing the business leaders to help Uncle Sam to aid them in making the most of world-trade op- portunities under unprecedented con- ditions, to solve the most intricate commercial problems that have ever faced any nation and to assist in stabilization of world commerce while carrying America’'s surplus produc- tion to the needy throughout the world. Selection of Dr. Klein. To fit in as executive director of such a gigantic trade campaign, and to work side-by-side with the dy- namic and world-experienced Hoov- er required a man of extraordinary ability, training and directing force. Secretary Hoover is positive he has found the right man in Dr. Klein, and the business world approves the selection, while the employes of the bureau have rallied behind him with that enthusiasm which comes only from confidence in their leader. Both from theoretical and practical viewpoints Dr. Klein fits his job. He has been teaching trade subjects and commercial economics at Har- vard University and through the magazines. He has had practical experience in South America and Europe. During the war he was chief of the Latin American division of the bureau of foreign and domes- tic commerce, from September 1, 1917, to May 1, 1919. He was commercial attache at Buenos Alres, Argentina, from May, 1919, to October, 31, 1920. He has been counselor at round table meetings of the, commercial leaders. He has been conferring with Secretary Hoover on the re- organization lan ever since Mr. Hoover accepted the cabinet post. “With the co-operation of the prac- tical business leaders, we are going to make the bureau of foreign and domestic commerce an institution for sound advice on fundamental econ- omic problems and specialized, au- thoritative information regarding commodities and market conditions throughout the world" sald Dr. Klein. The biggest job is to get the right working ~ personnel, he believes. Here is where the co-operation of the most successful and best experienced business men will count. Men whose names are recognized throughout the world as undisputed authorities, each in his own line, have consented to come to Washington as temporary chiefs of the various divisions which are to be organized and to take charge of the organization of these units, actually training the forces that are to carry on the .speclalized ‘work. 3 “The principal difficulty about the work of the bureau,” Dr. Klein {points out, “has been in getting the business interests of the country in touch with the vast store of reliable and valuable {nformation, - As & first step in bringlng the bureau and its wealth of material collected in the field—which practically means from every corner of the globe—into di- rect touch with the business com- munity, the bureau is to be equipped with a series of commodity di- visions.” Foreign Trade Opportunities. On account of his extensive and conspicuous business experience all over the world, Secretary Hoover in the present tangle of commerce and international finance mnaturally al- lows his miud to focus on the foreign trade opportunities and requirements of this country. It is quite logical, therefore, that he will stress above |all else in his department the effl- clent development of foreign trade, with a vision far In the future. Therefore (to continue Dr. Klein's explanation): “The business men interested in foreign affajrs will find in these com- modity divislons the type of special- ized service more or less comparable to that which the Department of Ag- riculture has long rendered to the farmers. The merchant in this country Interested in forelgn con- ditions thinks particularly along his own special line of trade. The bu- reau's service, therefore, must be clustered around commodities in trade groups. “To make the service of the high- est value, the bureau is to be in di- rect contact with trade associations and similar bodles, to which it will look for suggestions and advice as to inquiries, Investigations to be made, etc. “The present organization of the bureau already includes a group of divisions specializing upon various trade regions, such as Latin Amer- ica, the far east, western KEurope, etc. These are likewise to be recon- structed and enlarged so as to im- prove their sources of information on the one hand, and contact with in- terested American merchants on the other. “The work of the bureau is also to be amplified by the expansion of such technical investigations as those involving foreign tariffs, commercial law, trade marks, arbitration, etc. In this connection one very impor- tant work of the bureau in the fu- ture will b a study of the com- petitive situation in the great mar- kets of the world, with a view par- ticularly toward correcting many mis- apprehensions now current in busi- ness communities. “particular attention is to be paid to surveys of the industrial recovery of. various European countries, with reference not simply to their com- petitive potentiality, but more es- pecially to thelr influence upon the eneral purchasing power of the populations of thase countries. Ac- curate information upon this vital topic is imperatively needed. It will be the particular purpose of the bu- reau to secure it, and to see that it reaches those most directly. involved.” Dr; Kiefn' has within_ the last five years come to be reckomed with as a forelgn trade authority. He was born in San Jose, Cal, June 27, 1886. He has taken degrees from the Uni- versity of California and from Har- vard. He speaks Spanish, German and French, He has traveled ex- tensively in the Latin American countries and in Europe, making close personal observation of eco- nomic conditions. From 1917 to 1919 he was chief of the Latin American division of the bureau, and then went to South America as commercial at- tache at Buenos Aire: In 1920 and 1921 he was back at Harvard, In charge of instruction in Latin Amer- ican trade. He also was a member of the executive council of the Bos- ton Export Round Table, which takes in all foreign trade of New England. He contributed a series of magazine articles as Latin American expert. Dr. Klein believes that the bureau will tie in the domestic producers and manufactyrers and all domestic industry with the foreign trade in- vestigations of the government, so that American business men will find an agency at work which is promot- ing Industry and prosperity in this country while supplylng the needs of the world in an economic and sci- entifically eficient manner. —————————————————— “QLD WHITE,” NOTORIOUS WOLF, MEETS DEATH Ferocious Leader of a Pack That Destroyed Much Live Stock in Colorado Is Killed. Details of the capture and death of “Old White,” the ferocious leader of a pack of wolves that for years caused great destruction among live stock on Bear Springs mesa, Colo., are contained in a report received recently by the bu- reau of biological survey, Department of Agriculture. The capture lacked some of the more spectacular elements that marked the passing of the now famous “Custer Wolf,” but in many ways it is looked upon as among the mnotable kills ‘made through the skill and patience of government hunters in their work of ridding the cattle ranges of the west of predatory animals. Early in the spring, by the clever strategy of one of the hunters, the mate of this animal and one of the leaders of the pack was captured, and it was thought that *“Old White” would then fall a ready victim. But he proved more difficult, for although several good chances to get the old fellow occurred, on tacht rrip to the government traps he would “step lucky,” as the hunter de- scribed it. Finally the hunter selected a favorable spot and placed four~traps in a blind set, and it was in these that marauder was caught. “Old” White” has a black history and caused losses in live stock amounting to many thousands of dollars. For twelve years he roamed the Bear Springs mesa country. One ranch alone lost about $6,000 worth of live stock through his depredationsy .. . R 5 Federal Bureaus Having Jurisdiction Over Territorial Activities. BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. EWARD'S FOLLY"—does it ‘ convey anything to your mind today? Fifty-three years ago “Seward's folly,” or Seward's iceberg, had a very real meaning to the American public. It was the appellation given to Alaska, the purchase of which from Russia was negotiated by Mr. Seward as Sec- retary of State. But though the wisdom of the pur- chase of Alaska—for the paltry sum of $7,200,000—has long ago been dem- onstrated, Alaska today still presents a problem of consiflerable dimensions to the administration and the people. And the new administration is set- ting about the solution of this prob-. lem. Scott C. Bone, newly appointed governor of the territory, has recent- ly gone to take over his duties there, embued with a determination to aid in the situation. & Proposed Legislation. Secretary Fall of the Interior De- partment has undertaken to go thor- oughly into the Alaska situation and to prepare a bill for introduction in the Senate and House—probably not at the present session of Cbngress, but at the opening of the regular ses- sion in December. Two bills dealing with Alaska already have been in- troduced—one by Representative Curry of Californla, chairman of the House committee on territories, and the other by Senator Cummins of Towa. The Houge committee has held a number of hearings on the Curry bill already, and Chairman New of the Senate committee is authority for the statement that legislation for Alaska is to be given consideration with the opening of the session in December—though probably not until that time. Alaska is one-fifth the size of con- tinental United States. The area of the territory is 590.854 square miles. The population of this vast territory Lowever, is only 54.899, about equaily divided between whites and natives, according to the census of 1920. More- over, the population in 1920 was more than 10,000 less than it was in 1910, a decade earlier. A Neglected Territory. Representative Curry put the matter tersely when he said: “We have pos- sessed this great territory for fifty- three years. There has been small effort to settle it with people who will make it their home. There has been little_encouragement for those who are the?é: Thére has been no broad. helpful policy. There has been no plan for the rational utilization of the vast resources. There have been neg- lect, reservation, hindrance and ob- struction.” One of the principal difficulties, ac- cording to those who desire to have Congress enact legislation to help the develcpment of Alaska, lies in the| | fact that the affairs of Alaska are | handled in Washington very largely, over 4,000 miles from the capital of Alaska, Juneau. What is mor&-lhe! affairs of Alaska are not cared for by one or even two of the government departments or bureaus in Washin, = ton, but by upward of thirty di ferent bureaus and agencies of the federal government. The territory is helpless, and hopelessly involved in official red tape, it is said. The re- sult has been to stop the settlement of the territory and to cause many of the people Who had gone there to leave. The natural resources of Alaska, which are of untold value, belong still in great part to the na- tional government, or rather to the | nation. Though it is proper that these resources should be conserved and not exploited for the benefit of a few, nevertheless they have been locked so fast by law and regulation that ploneers have been discouraged andl | turned back. In the fifty-three years that lhe) United States has owned Alaska, it has produced a total weaith of ap- | proximately $1,008,356,422. Compared with the purchase price paid Russia for the territory, the returns have been enormous. And yet the re- sources of the territory have scarce- 1y been touched. So far away as Alaska fs, withi transportation problems existing, it is | realized that the development of the | Planned Giving Editorial Chair to the President ~— i 1 ERNEST F. BIRMINGHAM, ; Editor of the Fourth Estate, who, committee that rccently pre- wented the President o ghair made from the schoomer Revenge, sunk by the British in the revelutionary war. lumber, coal, oil, copper and other mineral resources of the territory must be difficult. In fact, Alaska is sometimes referred to as America's “last chance''—the place to which the United States will turn wheh it has exhausted much of its coal, oil. lum- ber and other résources. Alaska Development Board. The bill introduced by Represent: tive Curry is entitled “a bill to pro- vide for the administration of nation- al property and interests in the ter- ritory of Alaska and for other pur- poses.” Mr. Curry is not wedded to this measure, but offcred it merely to focus attention upon the Alaskan problem and to give his committee something to begin work upon. It is worked out in considerable detail. Right off the bat it provides for the eppointment of a board, “the Alaska development board,” of five members, in the Interior Department, and to this board are transferred practically all the duties and functions with re- lation to Alaska now exercised by the thirty-odd government agencies. The board is to have in its member- ship the Governor of Alaska, the president of the board of road com- ‘mislloners for Alaska. and three other | members to be appointed by the Pre dent and confirmed by the Senate. The head of this board is to receive $10,- 000 and other members $9,000. To this board wil: be transferred control over various government res- ervations in Alaska the functions of the general land office, of the federal power commission, the forest service, etc, 50 far as they relate to the ter- ritory. The Cummins Bill The Cummins bill, on the other hand, without going into detail, pro- poses to authorize the President to consolidate in any executive depart- ment of the government the powers and duties which have been vested in any or all of the various executive departments, relating to the people and property and interests of the United States in Alaska. In addition to this, the bill directs the United States Shipping Board to turn over to the Secretary of the Interior such ships as may be designated by the President for the transportation of i persons and property to Alaska. These government ships are to be used in connection with the government rail- road In Alaska, to maintain s eon- tinuous lne of transportation into and out of the territory. The federal government. by the way, has put some $48,000,000 into the construction of the Alaska rail- way, which is being comstructed by the Alaska engineering cormmission under the Department of the In- terior. Way to Prosperity. The people of Alaska—thosa de- siring to continue to make their homes there, insist that the lack of constructive progress in Alaska is due primarily to a lack of direct responsibility In any government department for the development of the territory. Alaska can be assured of becoming a prosperous country, they say. only through the utilization of its resources in creating local in- dustries and a permanent stable citi- zenry, and in centering this responsi- bility in a federal agency resident in Alaska. Wealthy individuals or large cor- porations desiring to do business in Alaska can send to Washington their representatives when they need to do so. But the homesteader. pros- pector and fisherman—the basis of the population—are unable to do se. When Russia owned the territory there was a saying among the in- habitants that “Heaven is high and Moscow a long way off.” Today the inhabitants have merely substituted Washington for Moscow in the old comment on conditions in the terri- tory. Alaska remained for seventeen years after its purchase by ths United States without any civil gov- ernment and without any governor being appointed. It was thirty-nine years before a delegate In Congress from Alaska was authorized, and forty-five years before a legislative assembly was provided for. It is charged that all this delay has been due to a lack of constructive policy on the part of the government with regard to Alaska. Alaska's Climate. Though the climate of Alaska is greatly diversified, with southern Alaska boasing of more desirable av- erage temperature than this city and slight extremes of cold and heat, the greater part of the territory, lying far to the north, is severely cold during a considerable part of the year. Nevertheless, there are vast stretches of territory where the climate is no more severe than in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada, where many immigrants are going today. Men and women Who go to Alska must be of the hardy type, however—the kind who were plo- neers in the early part of the nine- teenth century and opened up the great westsrn country, men and women with the spirit and blood of adventure. REPUBLICAN CLUB FORMED. Gpecial Dispatch to The Star. FREDERICKSBURG, Va., July 16.— The Republican Club of Hanover has been organiged with the following officers: W. K. Saunders, president; F. W. Tucker, vice president; J. L. Riker, secretary-treasurer. W. K. Suunders hos been nominated for the house of delegates from Hanover county at the republican convention held at Ashland. Mr. Saunders ls & member of Ashland town coundlls