The Cordova daily times., 1921-02-03
TIMBER
 TO BRIDGE GAP
 PAPER SUPPLY

That Alaska will furnish the bridge that will carry the paper supply of the the United States over until the re- forested lands begin producing is the declaration of Col. WI B. Greeley, chief forester of the United States, in an interview given Rene Bach for the New York Times, and appearing in the New York Times and Book Re. view of January 2.
 It takes a full page of the Times to carry three interviews with Col Greeley, and the author launches the page with that part of it which dis cusses the important role Alaska will play in the paper supply of the coun- try. That part of it follows:
 When we get our new forests ge- ing we will be able to supply all, our needs for wood" So said Col. Will liam B. Greeley, the new chief of the United States forest bureau But it will take fifty years to get them grown" he said.
 What are we going to do in the meantime?" I asked.
 Alaska will furnish one bridge to carry us over," he said. Her re- sources of timber are enormous. All we have to do is to get busy and de. velop them. Our western states and our forests must do the rest We have vast areas of cut over lands formerly covered with timber but now practi- cally waste. Nature. if let alone will reproduce the forests on those areas, helped out by artificial tree planting here and there, where the devastation has been exceptionally thorough. But ! this cannot be accomplished unless adequate protection is given especial. ly against fire.'
 About this Alaskan timber bridge that is to carry us over until our new forests are in shape to supply our needs?" asked.
 "The population of Alahka," Col Greeley answered, "is only about half what it was ten years ago. The cream has been skinned off the territory The rich placers have been worked out and some of the gold lOdes have l been deserted. The salmon industry has been over developed and exhaus tion of their enormously profitable fishery threatens. The time when { small investment in a salmon can nery would yield assured rich returns is past.
 But Alaska still has immense re i sources that have hardly beer touched Its deep sea fisheries, for ex ample. Off the west coast are saiC
 to be cod and halibut banks whici
 are said to be larger and capable O
 greater production than the banks O
 Newfoundland or Norway.
 "What is needed is that Alaska b.
 put on an entirely new footing. Hith
 erto it has been on a mining caml
 basis. Its economic structure mus
 be made permanent in characte
 through agricultural and industrial de
 velopment. When this has been aC
 complished Alaska will become much greater producer of wealth thai she has been up to now. Her laten resources will be made available. Tn reindeer, to mention one item, vii multiply by millions. They will be come most valuable source of mea supply, In particular for productfo of pulp and paper supply her forest will be productive of riches. Since 1909, we have been largei dependent upon imported supplies 0 pulp wood. But the national forest
 of Alaska offer to paper tttanufactui CTS quantities of pulp timber at loy prices under long term contracts. Th
 forest service is doing its utmost t,