Iditarod pioneer., 1918-06-15
STRONG AS ''CAMOUFLAGE" EXPERT

In a recent editorial the Fairbanks News Miner, in it's usual cheerful style, speaks of the political eclipse of J. A. Strong:
 Some time since we published a tele gram sent us by the Juneau Empire in which it was stated that the Empire on that date had published an expose of Gov. Strong, showing that he is not and never has been an American citi- zen, although he had held the office of governor of Alaska for five years and voted regularly m Alaska. On the last mail the Empire containing the story arrived at this office. The article is too long to print, but it proves conclu- siyely by documents, photographic pro- ductions and affidavits that it's charges are true-that Alaska for more than five years was governed by an alien who never even made application for naturalization after he reached the United States. To all of these facts Gov. Strong made no denial the Ju- neau Dispatch, owned by Ed Russell, the Wickersham agent in Alaska, and which has been the Strong "organ' in in Alaska since Strong started in to disrupt the Democratic party in Alaska and work for the success of Wicker sham defends Strong in no way on the facts of the case, but appeals to Alas kans for forgiveness and fore eetfuness for man 'who may have done wrong' As Strong, upon the arrival of Governor Riggs, left Juneau quietly and sought seclusion somewhere in the States; as he didn't attempt to reply to the charges against him, 1t Is obvious that the charges are true. One oi Secretary Lanes special agents inves- tigated the charges in Canada and the United States and substantiated them. A Thiel detective did the same. Firms of lawyers also verified all the main facts in the case. Alaskans who knew Strong when he arrived from Canada and worked with him gave afidavlts in the case. Beyond question, Strong was never a citizen of the United States.
 The witnesses against Strong, all Of of whom furnish affidarits, are:
 F. E. Paine, special agent of the Interior Department.
 E. E, Dession, assistant general man. ager, Thiel Detective Service Co.,, New York.
 Elliott Stewart, Valdez and West Newton, P. A.
 S. E. Mullin, Bellingham, Wash, former partner of Strong.
 J. A. Snow, Seattle,
 Harvey Combee, registrar of voters at Victoria, B. C.
 Irwin Thomson, Codys Station New Brunswick.
 T. P. Hetherington, Cody's Station, N. B.
 Charles D. Strong, (his brother) St. Johns, N. B.
 Mrs. J. A. Strong, Frederickton, N. B. (Strong's wife.)
 Gregory & Winslow, attorneys, Frederickton. N. B.
 Fred c. Cleveland, clerk curcui! court, Lancaster, New Hampshire.
 c. H. Watrous. postmaster, Boiling ham, Washington.
 Edwards, former editor Bellingham (Wash). Herald.
 Take it by and large, the News Miner is unable to obtain from the whole thing nothing but the amusing side of the questionable joke is on tho people of Alaska. Strong simply slipped one over on the entire North and got away with it for many long years. We cannot entertain sympath. for the dear people or the Democratl' party in Alaska, for it is evident the. have known the facts for some tim and didn't "hollsr." The Empire OK plains that it didn't ,"start after Strong until it was seen that Stron| was organizing 8 personal machine il A)askaap6 would attempt to divide tn