The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-07-21
3OFAR Off BUREAUS
STRANGLING ALASKA
Washington Officials, 1000
Miles From Juneau, Can
Hamper New Gov. Bone.
RED TAPE ERA MUST GO
Harding Regime Plans to
Develop Great Wealth Of
Neglected Region.
RED TAPE ERA MUST GO
BILL IN NEXT CONGRESS
Government Reforms Will Be
Provided and Territory
Opened to Commerce.

Special Despatch to THE New York JIEaAID.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. c., July 20.
Alaska, one Of the worlds greatest
storehouses of natural wealth and last
of the vast frontier lands of the United
States. is to be thrown open to devel-
opment by American commercial and
industrial pioneers and to American
seekers Of homesites under a pro-
gramme now being carefully worked
out by leaders in the Administration at
Washington.
Locked to all but the hardest colo
nization and withheld almost complete
ly from consideration by the business
genius Of the nation since being ac-
quired by the United States fifty-three
years ago. Alaskan riches are to be
unlocked by the Government for reg
ulated exploitation and made produc-
tive for the benefit of the people of
America
Alaskan mineral lands are to be made
TO give up their wealth of gold, coal,
silver, copper, iron and oil under proper
encouragement and supervision. Alaskan
forests Will be drawn on for lumber for
homes for people in all sections of the
United States Alaskan timber will be
cut to supply pulpwood to make paper
and paper boxes and thousand other
everyday uses.
Alaskan reindeer herds will be bred
and slaughtered for meat to be eaten
Iii Seattle, New York, st. Eouis, Boston,
Baltimore and Tampa. Alaskan fields
will be made fertile under thousands of
acres of grain and other breadstuffs.
And finally. Alaskan furs will be brought
from the ice field of her northern limits
to furnish winter garments for residents
of the United States.
Developing u Vast Area.
This is the picture of the future Alas
ka which the Administration leaders
have in mind in their plans for a pro-
gramme to open and develop this vast
territory. one-fifth as large as continent
tai United States, and which this coun-
try bought from Russia in 1867 for
$7.200.000. Minerals shelter, food and
| clothing will be drawn In their raw state
from this land which. in the popular
mind. stands for desolate place of ice,
snow, storms and continual winter.
The people of the United States will
come to know Alaska, leaders say, as
thriving land of industry and COM
merce. Dotted with mines. factories
and farms, the territory will become a
land to which ships of all nations will
steam to carry away products vitality
needed in the daily life of every coun-
try. And finally, instead of popula-
ton of slightly more than $4,000 natives
and rugged pioneers, Alaska will sup
port and give life and work to fifty times
that number
The scheme Of development now being
sketched by leaders in Congress and in
the Cabinet will take years to work out,
IL is admitted. But IL allowed by sue
ceedlng administrations to go through
to the finish II viii identify Alaska with
the economic and governmental life Of
the nation. after an absence of more
than half a century. 1t Is predicted.
Announcement and publication OF the
detailed programme will depend to a
large extent upon the views of President
Harding, who Is taking a direct per-
sonal interest in the problem of Alaska.
The first step In working out the
Alaskan problem probably will be made
in few weeks when a bill to reorganize
the administration Of Alaskan affairs
will be introduced in both houses of
Congress. The bill probably will origi-
nate in the House Committee on Terri
tories 1t will have the approval Of the
Administration and of President Har-
ding. Who will introduce the bill has
not yet been decided. Data on which
IL will be based have been In possession
OF Administration leaders In Congress in
the files Of members of the Cabinet for
many weeks.
For n Central Government.
The reorganization bill will have for
its first purpose the establishment of
some kind of a central Alaskan gov
eminent board to rid the Territory of
the overlapping control of innumerable
bureaus and departments.
More than thirty government depart
ments and bureaus at Washington now
have a hand in the affairs of Alaska.
Most of these under the law can work
over the head of Scott c. Bone. now
on his way to take up his duties as
Governor OF the Territory.
Decentralized and overlapping control
of the administration of laws In Alaska
and the virtual closing of~her natural
resources Is the wall that has kept the
Territory almost completely undcveloped
since she came into the possession of
the United States.
At least 1000 officials in Washington.
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