The Nome daily nugget., 1913-07-16
MANN CAREFUL IN STATEMENT
WOULD COMMIT HIMSELF TO NOTHING DEFINITE AT
 PRESENT.

Scth Mann. special representative of Presiden' Wilson with the excur sion. is very courteous, very d"Sir- ous ot pleasing. very patient. very in- trlligcnt anl very careful. II d. .cs n,i N Ssh tu commit Himself to arv dc- finite statement or opinion at present as Ia tho merits or demerits u'> my of the claims made for Alaska.
 Tt can certainly he said that we were surprised on this journey" he snid. Many, even thoso who had hcrn in the territory before. were in- clincd to bc sccptIcal hut many doubts have been removed by what We have seen
 He was appointed special reprcsen- tative of tho President '-1ugh Franklin K. Lane. secretary ~.f the interior. and In his telcgrams fr,m Washington hc is invited to report on the condition of the territory as he finds 1t. At present he prefers to postpone anything In tho shape of Il report or positiyc 'statemcrt until the trip has beeR concluded and all the results of his obscrvatiora care fully considered. He finds that some people in the territory favor tho building of railroads while others seem to pin their faith on ronds and trails. of the coal fields and the quality of the coal there seems to be no question. hc says. everyone being alike in the bclicf that the coal Is of the best.
 He also declares that it hms bccn thoroughly proved that the acricul- tural lnnds of the interior can support tho population although he would nnt say that he believes that the uGricul- turnl fields of Alaska will produce for exportation.
 When ii was puntcd out to him that the Seward Peninsula railroad is not operating because o' the mileage tax he made the somewhat disiurhing statement that since he came here he was informed tlai ihc road would n"l he operated even if the tax were re- moved. In this respect 1t may he said that until he came lo Nome he saw no evidence of q desire to be fiippant. IIc said this in the puictest wny pos- sihlc hut. thcrr K n" denying it. the representative of the president has heard or rend something In Nome which has created q had impressinh and If Nome suffers thercfrom Nome itself is to blame.
 Mir. Mann did not say nli this In so many words hut it can he said that while he was speaking "n the subject n well known citizen of Nome felt him self justified in asking Mir. Mann not to pay any attention tU the asinin" and suicidal statements which he took exception to.
 MT. Mann Is looking for information When told this morning of various matters which are of inc greatest in- tcrest to this section he asked again and again: q would like to meet Mir. So and So. would like to hear all about this from himself That is just what want want to get the facts. Could you bring me to that person." In such ways he exhibited very great desire to get n Knowledge of the most minute details and 1t seems to be n pity that he will not hc here for . month.
 When told thnt Nome can grow veg ctablcs successfully he seemed to he surprised and interested. He express ed the belief that tho government cx- perimentnl stations nrc proving that the agricultural possibilities nrc very good.
 Chiefly, Mir. Mann believes that tho President k very much interested in Alaskan affairs md this fact is pro- bably tho greatest of all that can hc mentioned In connection with Inc visit Of the cxcursi0nsts.