The Colorado statesman., 1923-02-24
GOING To ALASKA
BY WATER ROUTE
PRESIDENT HARDING PLANNING
TO MAKE THE TRIP ON THE
YACHT MAYFLOWER.
WILL START ABOUT JUNE
Secretaries of the Interior and the
Navy Are Certain to Be Members
of the Party-Return From Coast
Overland.
BY EDWARD q. CLARK

WaShingtOn.-lt is possible tnat
some American cities which have
thought of preparing welcomes for
President Harding on his way to
Alaska next summer may be disap-
pointed to learn that the present plan
calls for an all the way trip by water
on the government yacht Mayfiower.
If the plan Is carried out, the May
flower will have long journey, and
the President will have long rest
from the opportunities of politicians
and office seekers unless they use the
| wireless.
| 1t Is understood that Mrs. Harding,
| If she is sufficiently recovered, will
make the trip to Alaska with her hus-
band. OF course, If she Is not suffi-
ciently recovered from her illness to
make the trip, the President may de-
eide to stay at home, but she apparent
ly is on the high road to recovery and
the promise is held out that she will
| be well enough to undertake the long
sea journey, which, as she Is a good
sailor, 1t Is said, probably will COM
plete her recovery.
AS soon as congress adjourns, 1t is
the intention of President and Mrs.
Harding to go to Florida for a six
weeks rest. They will return to Wash
ington the latter part of April and 1t
it believed that the trip to Alaska will
start about June 1.
To Go Via Panama Canal.
1t will take the Mayfiower eight
| days to reach the entrance to the
Panama canal. A few days probably
will be spent on the isthmus and then
the journey up the Pacific coast will
| begin. There is no expectation that
the Mayflower will touch at any point
on the Pacific coast before it reaches
the northwestern territory.
Already Washington is guessing as
| to the personnel of the Presidents
travelling party. In the case of some
of the travelling companions guessing
| is hardly necessary, for it seems to be
assured that the President will be ac-
companied by the secretary of the in
| terror, Secretary OF the Navy DENLY,
Private Secretary George Christian
and Mrs. Christian, and possibly by
one or two army and navy officers Of
high rank 1t is thought that Gen.
w lluS Oooh, "ho opNhb ~
years in Alaska directing the building
of the wagon roads and trails In the
territory. will be one of the party.
Denby to Study Naval Bases.
Secretary of the Navy DENLY, who
almost certainly will accompany the
President, will study certain naval
base conditions in Alaska with view
to determining the availability Of coal
| ing stations. One of the prime argu-
ments made for the building of the
government constructed, government
owned and government operated
Alaska railroad was that the road
| could bring out coal cheaply to one
of the ports where 1t could be utilized
for navy purposes. There has been
| some trouble over this matter, because
| 1t Is said that the facilities for the
coal transportation are not what they
| should be. even with the railroad near
| ly completed.
| Scott Bone, former newspaper man
| of Washington and Seattle, Is now
| governor of Alaska under the Harding
| appointment. The President and his
party probably will be guests of Gov
ernor Bone for some few days. They
will make a personally conducted
! journey through such parts of the ter
ritory as the President thinks it advis-
able to see. 1t is understood that the
party will remain about three weeks
in the northern land.
1t is intimated that the return trip
will be made overland, at least from
some port on the northwestern coast
of the United States proper. 1t is
possible the President may take the
Mayflower from an Alaskan port to
San Francisco and from there proceed
north by rail and start from a north
western point for Washington.
President Harding, since he took of
flee, has had few outings. If the
Alaska trip can be called an outing.
he will have next summer fairly long
one and one which ought to do him
some physical good, although he looks
fit enough today.
Plan for Veterans Legislation.
The United States veterans bu-
reau is the biggest bureau in
Washington. Possibly the country
has no realizing sense of the burden
of work which has fallen on the
shoulders of the men and women
whose duty it Is to look after the
records of the cases of the men who
fought in the war and who came out
of 1t disabled mentally or physically.
Just now congress Is discussing
resolution presented by Representa-
tive Royal c. johnson of South Da-
kota. providing for new standing COM
mittees In the house and senate whose
sole duty 1t shall be to consider legis-
lation affecting former service men.
The understanding is that representa-
tives of the American Legion and other