The Alaska citizen., 1911-05-29
Washington. D. C..

A bfll LD, lSl l.
 Dear Mr. Wickersham-I shall be very glad to see you al any time you see fit to call. The h;ll in question was introduced at the request of the war department with view to the transfer of the ser vice to the post office department. It is believed that this will result in the establishment of permanent service fully as satisfactory as tIC present. The military control oi the lines has been only an eXpedi ent IL is the purpose of the de partment to leave the signal corps officers and men with the post office department until such time as tho department will be able to replace them by fully competent men. be lieve the transfer will 'esult in an improvement of present conditions
 Very truly yours.
 LEONARD WOOD.
 May i, 1911. Major General Leonard Wool. Washington. D. C.
 My Dear General WOOd-I have your kind letter of April 20, n an swer to my letter enclosing vJu copy of the Senate Bill No. 3i4. to transfer the Alaskan cable and tcle- graph system to the post Ctfice de partment. You say that the bal in question was introduced at the ro- quest of the war department. In my subsequent interview with you I stated that l believed it 70 be greatly to the interest of the gov pyy nd ho lp of that the Alaska cable and telegraph llnes shall continue to be operated by the war department rather than the post office department The whole system has been built and successfully managed by the chief signal officer of the army to the entire satisfaction of all public and private interests in Alaska and else where. The plant has produced a fair income to the government Ii has done more to unify Alaska and her people than any other part of our governmental system. We do not want this plant destroyed nor it's power weakened by it's transfer to any other department. l object to this bill uupon three grounds: First, it is perfectly apparent that there will be no saving to the gov ernment by the transfer. It will cost just as much to maintain it in the post office department as it will in the war department. In my judg. ment it will cost much more because the post office department would have to create all those facilities for handling it which the war depart. n,n office is not competent by reason oi its organization, to manage such plant. If transferred to that depart. ment it would drag it into politics, and it's management would be of fered as premium to petty poll ticians for obtaining political dele gates to conventions Third. if MT Hobson and the "Valor of IgnOr- ance" are correct in their sugges- tions that there is danger 10 the Pacific coast then the war de- partment must control this plant. It now connects all military posts in Alaska, one with the other, and all with departmental headquarters. Unless our government shall aban- don Alaska. the great naval coal base on Prince William sound must be fortified. and necessarily connect ed with departmental headquarters. For all these and many other good reasons I am earnestly opposed to transferring this plant from the war department to the post office de- partment and I respectfully inform you that I shall lay this matter be- fore the committee having charge of the bill in an effort to prevent it's favorable consideration.
 Respectfully.
 JAMES WICKERSHAM.
 Delegate from Alaska"
 Andrew Lang. the English writer,