The Alaska daily empire., 1916-05-18
DR. JORDAN AND ALASKA PANHANDLE

Writing under the subtitle "The Panhandle o Alaska in general department What of tn Nation" in the Sunset Magazine Dr. David Star Jordan. chancellor of Stanford University. goes aite Representatives Frank O. Smith. of Maryland who ha introduced several bills in Congress and carried on considerable agitation in favor of giving Southeastern Alaska to Canada in the interest of world peace. The great California educator says it would be absurd for th United States to give up section of the coun i as populons and rich in resources and industrie as the Alaskan Pan Handle is to permit ingress an' ecress Co and from the sea fewer people living 1T a country that Is not as rich
 Dr. Iordans article follows;
 Under the curously irreleyent title or ~Eueenic Peace" Hon. Frank O. smith con rrassrnau from Maryland. has put forward the proposition that. in the interests or world neace the United States should cede to Canada the southern part of Alaska known as the panhandle" This district shuts orr rom the sea large region in Canada and MT smith compares this fact to condition which sro,,id take from out Atlantic coast line from Maine Co New Jersey seaboard belt Of thirty miles more or less. part Of some other nationality
 This proposition has secured the support of @ number of eminent names or men wno have been in Alaska, but to one familiar Wlth the affairs of that territory 1t seems the height of absurdity. In any case no change shoula bo made without the consent of the people residing in their district. As a matter or iact' their business relations are almost entrey with Seattle and San Francisco. and their ar fairs would be utterly paralyzed If turned over to the Canadian government with tariff in- terierng with their exports to the towns or inc United States Nearly onethird or the salmon fisheries of the world are in this nanhandie and also oue of the largest gold mines-The Treadwen mine on Douglas Island These islands have also what the mainland has not. great resources of timber of which the government for the present foroids cuttmg The panhandle contains Juneauh the capital and principal city Of Alaska Sitka. the ven erabie Russian capital. with Ketchikan. Wran .er and other fishing and trading villages probably more than hall Of the permanent pop ulation of the whole Territory or Alaska
 In the land territ0ry thus shut or rom .bo son there are at present a few dozens of inhabitants The mountains for some distance back from the sea utterly inhaDitanle There are a few people. fishermen or hunters living in the vicinity of the Stickine River but otherwise there is nothing. nor Is 1t posst ble to carry railroad across this country to Alaska except by going far inland to the north east branching off from the Canadian Grand Trunk Railway. which now ends at Prince Rupert somewhat 10 the south or southern Alaska When N was thought that the Grand Trunk would end at Port Simpson. the arb trators gave Canada Wales Island. to which she was not apparently titled. It was trans ferred in order to give Canadian surroundings Go the bay at Port Simpson At once the en- lire population of this island moved out SO as to get under the protection Of the American flag again There were not many of them but the principle involved could be widely extended
 f we wish to secure the Canadian grati tnde we could go much further by granting to Canada Point Roberts. the little cape at the northwestern tip of the State Of Washing ton which belongs to the United States and from which pound nets are able Co secure and shut off considerable of the salmon headed for Frazier River
 The map given by SIr. Smith shows the prosperous character of the proposition There are more people on some of the little outly- ing islands off New Brunswick or Maine than there are ever likely to be in all the Territory between Canada and the Pacific ocean shut ou hv Inc nanhande L would be just as ration