The weekly Alaska citizen., 1919-02-24
BIG TALK

Alaska can pay the Nations war debt. "
 That sounds like pretty "big talk
 That sounds like considerable to promise But stop Think it over.
 The war has left debt for the American people to pay.
 It is pretty big debt But the American -.ation is a pretty pig Nation.
 The Civil War left big debt also.
 And' how was this debt paid?
 What section of the country made it pos sio!e to pay it, without too great burden:
 Was it paid by the crowded, thickly popu- !a,ed East?
 No, it was paid by the new country. It was paid by the free undeveloped The government fostered its develop r'ent It saw in that great new country tine opportunity to pay off the war debt with out placing heavy burdens upon the people,
 The government gave land grants. It opened great tracts for homesteadlng and timber It leased water power sites, built bridges, roads and fostered the railroads
 It even went further than this. 1t IS recla1mining vast arid stretches today that where olce there was nothing but waste there may be development.
 History repeats itself.
 After the Great War, how is the war debt to be paid?
 Will it be paid by the crowded East?
 Mo-
 Will it be paid by the Great West?
 No, for that is reaching high state o1 development also.
 It will be paid by the last frontier coun- try of the Union.
 i 1oc tho%% rn box is developed into the great territory it promises to be-.
 The war debt of today will be paid by the new country just as it was paid by the new country half century ago.
 The government is preparing to foster tie development of the new country that it my facilitate the paying of the war debt as well as offer d chance for expansion to the rc.:on.
 The government has the railroad well s+crted into the interior. The administration ta>ors rushing it thru to completion, for Sec .r,ctv Ia 1e is backing the request for appro- pr,ations sufficient to complete it within the yl--1.
 The government will finish the railroad "a. will be the first big step in the govern inert policy of favoring the development of tf'e cc',ntry.
 After that will come other steps as they are proven necessary.
 And right here is where Alashans must come ir for Alaska.
 They must prove to the government what steps are necessary for the development, and how they should be taken.
 They must get together and ask the gov ernment for the aid that is rightfuly coming tc the territory
 For remember, 1t is the new undeveloped cluntry that is to pay the war debt, accord- ing to the natural course of events.
 Already there has been movement starred to show the government what will do most to help the development of the coun- try.
 Men who know say that the country needs power-cheap power
 Men who know say there is plenty of power locked in the coal fields of Nenana.
 But this power is not avalable
 Men who know say that in its present form, even with transportation made pos sihle it will not solve the problem of cheap power for the miner.
 But how is it possible to get this in form of cheap power?
 That is simple-build power plant that will burn the coal near where it is mined and convert it into electricity.
 But who will build such a plant?
 Well, who owns the country?
 The government owns the country. It owns the railroad It has followed policy of conservation that has kept out the big corporations with their unlimited capital.
 Sc it is the government who should build the power plant It is only reasonable con- clusion to expect it.