The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-07-10
GREELEY URGES
ALASKAN STATE
Chief Forester Says 1t Is
Only Solution Of the
Alaskan Problem

ny International News Service.
! MASIIl NGION, July 9-Warn-
| ing against the development board
plan for Alaska and advising that
the territory bee made "A state as soon
az she Is qualified, Col. William u,
Greeley, chief Of tho l.. S. forest
service, says the proposal for the
board plan may well be chal-
icngod."
Colonel Greeley has been In Alas
ka and made an exhaustive study Of
hor resources, which ho calls the
greatest asset the United States has
today. The statement is Of the most
timely nature because OF proposed
plans for Prcsidcn Harding to take
his vacation In the territory this
summer and publication OF figures
showing how the white population
| fell off 23,i per cent In 10 years.
| Colonel Greeley dcplorcs rcd tape
methods OF having strangled prog
ross in tho territory and says:
An effort IL now being made to
create for Alaska local commits
sion, or development board, which
would take over the duties and au-
thority Of tho various federal cKccu-
tivcs, together with the administra-
tion of all public resources In Alas
ka, working solely under the direc-
tion of the secretary Of the interior.
This proposal may well be chal-
lcnged. After all. the national In
tercSts In Alaska are paramount
Alaska represents, In her marin"
fisheries. her enormous agricultural
areas and her resources for grow
ing meat producing animals. on" oi
a. - h.N
United states. In her vast forests
lie ~ practical solution Of our paper
shortage.
Tho United States has painstak-
ngly. by many years Of effort, buil'
up national policies for the use ot
publicly owned timber, publicly
owned sources OF food, coal and oil
resources, water power and migra-
tory birds, from the standpoint OF
public welfare in the long run, II
has built up specialized organizn-
tiuns handling these varied re
sources with the best technical "E-
pcricnce and skill the country af-
fords, Should It now. by one stroke,
cut off a vast region containing one
sixth Of our total area from the unit
form and consistent application of
these public policies by the spc>lal-
izod organizations created for tn"
very purpose OF their accomplish
mcnts? / think not
And from the standpoint Of Alas
ka herself, in order to bring about
the most effective development Of
her resources, IT would he unwise to
cut her of from the direct applica-
ton Of tho energies and from tn"
technical and financial resources Of
several great federal organ izatlon9
which are experts In doing the very
things that Alaska needs TO have
done.
Against Board Plan.
The development board plan for
Alaska is unnecessary because tho
same results can be accomplished
by doccutra!l2od administration
~ national affairs In AIasEa. II is
dangerous because It means a par
tinl breaking up of tho effective and
uniform cyecution of vital public
policies for dealing with natural
resources. Let us rather develop
Alaska ia harmony with American
policy at all points, Make her a
state as soon ~ she is qualified.
give hor as RAPIDLY as may be tho
IuCu. powers that 20 with statehood.
Al th' ~ NJ" tllne hdUllN per fnhntN'
national interests In Alaska as they
are handled elsewhere, both during
her territorial apprcnt and
after she becomes a state prosorv
Ing the same policies and uniform
direction, but win localized admin
.stratiye machinery adapted to
Alaska's isolation,
THE greatest ovil X lonR-ranPe
administration. There IL too much
coutraliIation of administrative au-
thority in Warrington. too many de-
lays in getting things done. And
Alaska is subject to too many In
flexible regulations or Cut-and-d
rules which are unnecessary or un-
adapted 10 her conditions
What Greeley Urges.
~ common -s"nuc public policy
toward Alaska would soom 10 re-
quiro action along three lines. First
We should anticipate that sooner or
later Alaska viii be qualified for
statehood, and as rapidly as practI-
cable we should give her control OF
CONTINUED on PAGE THREE