Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-06-23
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL y. COLLINS

In this hot weather, what a delight
Dental party to that far-off arctic re-
gion-"Seward's Folly! There we
might Joy In unlimited iced tea and
slide down the glaciers to our hearts
content-unless we got sunstroke the
first hour. The notion that Alaska is
under the shadow OF the north pole
Is a greater folly than Seward was
ever guilty Of. The climate of Sitka
Is the same as that of Washington.
D. c.. and here's hoping that the dis
tinguished travellers now headed that
way are we'll supplied with palm
beaches and white linens.
The latitude of Alaska is the same
as that of Scotland. Less than a CEN
fury ago, the great political slogan of
the United States was: Fifty -four
forty, or fight" which meant that we
claimed all of what Is now known
as British Columbia, and were ready
to fight Great Britain for it. Web
ster compromise gave that region to
COlunnDld, ucsTccs up
to 64:4o. but the latter figures mark
the beginning Of Alaska.
II we had given England the New
foundland fisheries. in exchange for
British Columbia, as she wanted. We
might now be in full possession of
the entire Pacific coast from the arc
tic to Lower California, and some day
Lower California peninsula, too.
Neither England nor the United
States appreciated the vast value of
British Columbia and Alaska-they
were too far from civilization. The
vast majority OF Americans have as
hazy notions yet concerning Alaska
It is huge in dimensions. So great
Is its extent east and west that II
1t were superimposed upon the states.
its eastern boundary would touch the
South Carolina Atlantic coast. and it's
western island would lie on the shore
would touch the Canadian boundary
in Minnesota, and its Aleutian Islands
would trace the Mexican boundary of
New Mexico, Arizona and California.
while it's southeastern extent along
the Pacific. down to 54:4O. would run
through Kentucky, Tennessee, to
touch the Atlantic coast in South
Carolina.
The main body of Alaska, with it's
eastern boundary laid along the east
ern boundaries of Wisconsin and IL
linois, the western extreme of the
the northern point would lie on our
Mime sofa Canadian boundary, and
the southern peninsula would touch
the centred point of the western
boundary CT Texas. covering half of
the Dakotas and Nebraska and all of
Minnesota, Iowa. Kansas. Wisconsin
and Illinois and most of Missouri.
81 N
1t will be readily understood from
these comparative dimensions that
Alaska has great variety of climate.
and Of agricultural possibilities. The
main influence upon the climate of
southern Alaska is the warm Japan
current, similar to the more familiar
Gulf stream This so modifies the cold
that the climate in that part Is often
compared with that Of Virginia. while
farther north 1t enters the Arctic
zone, and at almost every latitude
there are mountain attitudes which
bring cold.
Altitude has much more to do with
temperature than latitude. There is
perpetual snow upon mountains In
the torrid zone.
Temperature is only one of the
elements of growth of vegeta-
ton. Daylight is quite as I'm
portant a factor, and northern lati-
tudes are long on daylight in sum-
mer. Vegetation fairly races in de-
velopment in Alaska, because 1T has
SO much sunshine. With days of
twenty or twenty-five hours. grain
and vegetables will grow as much in
ono month in Alaska as in two
months in Kentucky or Virginia. The
agricultural problems Of Alaska.
| therefore. are not yet fully solved.
what will it be, as compared with the
! same ATTITUDES in Europe, when the
grains and other farm products best
adapted to it's nature are discovered
or developed?
| The agriculture and timber resource
es are under the management Of the
Department of Agriculture. and 1t
has flfty-on scientists and other en-
ployes there, located at some six sta
tions.
The timber covers 20, 100000 acres Of
forest, with a stand Of $4,000, ZOO. 900
| cubic feet. II can supply. annually,
!