The Alaska daily empire., 1921-01-05
Alaska Claims Attention.
(Kansas City Star.)


 The development of territory has been a large part of American enterprise. Settling the land bringing the soil under cultivation building homes digging the mines, constructing highways and rail- roads founding cities and pushing them forward in growth have been the most common activities of peo- pie in the States.
 The single portion of this great work that lured the largest number of people and furnished the best illustration of American ability to make new land habitable was the opening up of the West in the middle fifty years of the last century
 In recent years it has often been said, with a tone of apparent regret that no other West remains for the enterprise and adventure of the American people. This is true only to a certain extent For all practical purposes, another West not as difficult of approach the West of seventy-fve years ago. invites the American people to it's develop rlent It Is not big the once West, but it is twice large the original thirteen states; it's resources are immense and varied, and the climate of much of it is temperate and bracing. This new West frequently spoken of but hardly known so far development is concerned is Alaska, territorial part of the union.
 It is just a bit difficult to explain why this coun- try, with all it's attractiveness and possibilities, now has population of less than ftyfve thousand, nearly half of which is composed of natives. Perhaps 1t is because at the time of the "gold rush. of few years travel to Alaska beset with difficulties be- cause, to many the venture was highly unproftabe, and because at that time living conditions in the country were far different from the present. It is true, also, that wartime conditions led many leave Alaska, and that gold mining in the last few years has been less profitable because of labor conditions
 
 the country ten years ago about sixty-fve thousand.
 In addition to these facts and to the fact that knowledge about Alaskas climate and resources is not general, there are government restrictions which have made the investment of effort and capital in the country appear unprotable. These restrictions, the Governor of the Territory asserts in his nual report, have been made by a government at Washington, four thousand miles away, and there has been lack of a definite policy the part of the Federal authorities in dealing with Alaska
 Alaska now is asking Congress for passage of the Alaska Development Board bill, which would give the Territory more powers of selfgovernment more jur- Sdicton over it's resources and their development and i'll short the same opportunities expand that were ccorded to the other Western territories years past
 The kind of assistance Alaska is asking from 'ongress and the Government of the United States it argued, is nothing short justice to the Territory overnment in this country It has been favored by many members of both parties in Congress- and by Federal officials who have investigated conditions in Alaska.
 The entire country is interested in Alaska The old lure of territory with vast undeveoped resources Is still alive in the United States Aside from the question of justice to the people now in that Terri tory, any that would benefit the local conditions 1ere would mean call to many in the States nd particularly to the young men. And the highest development of Alaskan resources would mean addi- ona revenue and an increase in wealth for the whole )untry.