The Chitina leader., 1911-07-08
NONSENSE ANENT ALASKA.

fAioShduS ps thoS sCAioW t1ih Va ASN
olution and secession on the part
of Alaskans, owing to the attitude
of the administration regarding the
coal and other situations in this
far north country. 1t is safe to
say that no more loyal Americans
exist than those of Alaska, and it
is equally as safe to hazard the state
ment that in point of average intelli-
gence with the communities on the
outside Alaska has no cause to be
ashamed. Barring the question of
disloyalty to the stars and stripes,
Alaskans by that yellow talk of rev.
wage war on nation of ninety mil
lion people, whom we know could
bring us to subsection by simply
cutting off our source of supplies.
w. B. Vanderlip, mining engineer
and a near relative of the president
of the National City Bank of New
York,-the Rockefeller depository =
who was recently along the line of
SAO SoPpOi iNlNCI N -NOi III W CSl0i II
railroad has been spreading broadcast
throughout the eastern press that
within a year the flag of revolution
will be waving Throughout Alaska
unless the administration allows the
country to be opened to development
by those who discovered it," Van
Il l-n- cto hot
are $1,000 men in Alaska. every one
of whom is a trained athlete. Injured
to the hardships of the country. ami
who have overcome hardships in the
ice and snow before which the weak
lings fell. Five thousand of these
men, he declared, could whip the en-
tire standing army of the United
States.
Mr.. Vanderlip certainly need have
no fear of the spectre of gaunt want.
He can always secure first page
space on any of the Hearst syndi-
cate papers. Perhaps his utterances
obtained their yellow hue from the
masses of copper he examined on
the Guggenheim railroad. Such ut
terances as those of Vanderlip, fol-
lowing close upon the heels of the
Cordova incident, has no doubt OBJ
tanned credence among many in the
states and in the end will bode us
no good.
Governor Walter E. Clark, himself
an old newspaper man, forseeing the
injury which may befall Alaskans
from such wanton statements hast
ened to correct the wrong impression
which such utterances may convey,
in a long interview to the Associated
Press in which he said he did not
believe the situation would ever be-
come serious enough to lead to blood
shed. He bases his opinion largely
on the fact that Alaska is peopled
by Americans. who Notwithstanding
the injustices to which they have
been subjected. are patriotic to the
last degree and who would be the
first to take up a rifle in behalf of
the stars and stripes rather than
against.
Last summer" said Governor
Clark" in making a trip through
the territory, l was brought to a rea-
lization of the fact that our people
in the north were getting into desper-
ate straits. and / also realized the
feeling of despair that was overcom-
ing them. AS l saw towns dwindle
in population and the certain cessa-
ton of the construction work 1 knew
that these unfortunate conditions
would be more greatly accentuated,
and it was for this reason more than
any other that l went to Washington |
to see if something could not be
lone to alleviate these conditions. But
1 do not and cannot approve of dis
order as a means of manifesting dis |
Every new country has to go |
through a period of trevail and hard |
ship, and Alaska has now passed this |
period We have watched Canada !
go ahead while we have languished. |
"Our period of hardship is pas
sing The obstacles remaining soon
will be overcome, and we are now
ready to enter upon period of
prosperity. Because patent have been
or will be refused to some of the
claimants who did not fully obey the
law. it does not mean that all will
suffer. Some claims are now clear
listed, and while this will not solve
the difficulties entirely, it will re-
lieve it. The visit of legislators to
Alaska, I am certain, will result in
favorable legislation for the north,
and that is what is most needed
Valdez Miner.
-OOO-
A recent arrival in Chitina from