Arizona republican., 1911-08-11
WORD MORE
ON ALASKA
Subject Of Another Article
by Col. Roosevelt
A SOLUTION OF PROBLEM
The Government Should
Build Railroad to the
Coalfields From Control
ler Bay and Establish a
Liberal Leasehold System.


Roosevelt has an article entitled
Alaska Again" in the current num-
ber of the outlook. After taking is
sue with the newspaper statement
that during the Roosevelt adminis-
tration the same course had been
pursued as has been pursued later in
connection with Controller Bay,
Roosevelt discusses some general
phases Alaskan development and
adds:
THE government must itself con-
troll the development of Alaska, and
adopt as the guiding principle the
idea of shaping the development in
the interest primarily of the peO-
pie as a whole, the syndicate or
other developing agencies thus re-
ceiving benefit only as an incident to
comforting it,
Il do not think the task very diff
ficult one. if only we. the people,
personally and through our reprcsen-
tatives approach it with this pur-
pose clearly in mind. and if we
insist that the agents of the gov
ernment act with an understanding
of the needs of the people and n re-
solute purpose to see that those
needs of the people are accomplished
even though it be necessary to over
ride the representatives of the great
interests who wish to prevent Alas
kan development unless shaped pri-
marily for the benefit of those in
terests"
THE articles assumed that I was
deceived by Garfield and Pinchot.
1t is hardly necessary to say that
any such assumption must be made
either with intent to be humorous
or with a full knowledge that it is
a falsehood.
Il was in a peculiar sense respon-
sible for every act of Pinchot and
Garfield when they held office un-
der me. They represented to a very
ciples which l had especially at
heart and while of course, there nee
essarily many actions 1 took on
their recommendation with details
under which it was impossible for
me to be acquainted. 1 was alb
solutely and entirely cognizant of the
principles in accordance with which
each one of these act was taken.
and each act faithfully represented
the putting into effect Of the prin
ciples in which 1 believed and which
had laid down for the guidance of
my administration.
AT the time the eliminations at
Eyak and Valdez Arm were made no
suggestion had been made to me
from any source. nor was there any
public knowledge that there was the
slightest danger of the Guggenheim
syndicate of any other syndicate, OBJ
tanning control of Alaska, as. the de-
velopments during the past three
years have shown to be the case, and
as has been a matter of public noto-
riety for the last two years.
"Incidently |anent the assertion that
Ryan he had no interests whatever
in the Guggenheim syndicate, let me
point out the explicit character of
the Cunningham affidavit that the
had no interest in those
claims; and, in any event our en-
tire past Industrial history gives us
warrant for saying that, il the Ryan
road is built as planned. it will be
but a matter of time and probably n
very short time. before Ryan's road
and the Guggenheims interests are
merged into one.
"The state of affairs brought to
light during he administration of
showed conclusively and
for the first time that we had to
fight against monopoly in connec-
ton with the development of Alaska
or to speak more properly. the ex-
ploitation Alaska, by great syndi-
cate, for the sole benefit of that syn
dicate. When the eliminations at
Eyak and Valdez Arm were made,
not a revelation as regards the Gug
syndicate any other syndi-
cate had been brought to my atten-
ton. or, as far as 1 knew, or knew. |
to the attention of anyone as such n
state of things as the Ballinger in
vestigation showed to exist.
"The elmniations at Eyak and VAL |
dez Arm have no more bearing upon |
the elimination of the Controller Bay |
tract than have previous eliminations |
In the Rock Mountain states.
81 repeatedly urged that the laws
to Alaska be amended. as
I still urge that they be amended. |
In the eastern states we suffered |
from the ownership of coal and own |