The Alaska daily empire., 1923-08-11
Alaska's Critics.
Seattle Tincs.)


 There apparently a few newspapers in the country that still regard the phrases Stewards Fol y' and Stewards Icebox," in use more than half century ago. as descriptive of Alaska Fortunately they are not numerous else there would be little progress in the republic.
 fair sample of the mischievous propaganda dis seminated by the newspapers that adhere the seward Folly idea of Alaska is found in the July 20 issue of The Boston Herald In a day when so much truthful information is available it is difficult to be patient with garingly inaccurate statements.
 The newspaper that deliberately ignores well substantiaed faotaor trusts memory of Alaska half century old. serves it's readers poorly In discussing Alaska The Boston Herald says: We find disposition the part of para graphers at the time of President Hardings
 visit to Alaska, to point to that acquisition
 as one of the triumphs of American policy.
 We wish we could share that view.
 Up to date the situation is discouraging.
 The whole area, which we were told in the
 geographies extends far west of San Fran
 cisco as we are east of that city. contains
 only 60,00o Americans, and this number is
 decreasing at the rate of 10000 decade
 We hear much about the railroad on
 which the President travelled We ought to
 hear much The Federal Government has
 spent s2OO,OO0,0OO on it. There 5000
 miles of it, approximately as much road as
 from here to San Francisco. Does it pay?
 UT course not. The losses which it incurs
 are prodigous. Congress did it at the be-
 hest of the Northwestern lawmakers osten-
 sibly to develop the Territory, but in reality
 to make business for Seattle, the long
 recognized entreport of Alaska The Seat
 ueans could not bear to see Alaska 20 ont
 CT business, and 20 they persuaded the Gov
 efnment to make this investment in order to
 Keep Alaska moving Bu compared with
 this railroad, the barge canal across
 New York State is a roaring success It is
 doubtful is there is any Transportation
 agency on earth in which the percentage of
 revenue to the investment is so disparate as
 in the Alaska Railroad.
 The most striking thing about tbis aerir,onio,, n"iahsue Is that no material statement therein made is true. " "aue lne Boston paper knows, should know that the ad not spend $200 100000 the Alaska "aiIIoau' Up to date it has spent s56 900 900
 lne paper also knows should know that the CT the railroad is not 5000 miles but approxi- mately 500 miles
 It was not built the behest of Seattle for soat ues benefit although this city is rather proud of worthy enterprise "'''' ''' The losses the operation of the railroad ara not hot prodigious' but are, matter of fact. much t ss .nah were expected. With but small part of the heip given the Philippines Hawaii Porto pioo| and Cuba during the last twenty wears Alasla nIS 'oday De a well-popuated. thriving State
 ne census or 1920 gave the population of Alaska as oo'oSt or which 27,ss5 were whites and 27153| Were natives-ndians and Eskmos If is tr,a tht ,nere ,n was loss of population between 1910 and t'as Da' , turing the last two years the tide has turned In Alaskas favor. The dwindlip- nonulatior Tn the one decade due almost entirely to tba "esiect ana indifference of the Federal Government ,,oa, AS to the wisdom of the policy which gave us Niasha' the records offer convincing proof AIoska cost the United States s72OO OO0; since if was nnr uhased It has produced wealth in excess of one hi ., uoiiars mat Tact alone without considerine ane pcundiess potential wealth as yet untouched ''nru 1u 'ohvlhee the Boston paper of it's error
 lne views or the Boston paper similar in most respects 10 those held by some persons in inc East ,oneeihihg the great Oregon country in 1846 Douht less there were some in the Massachusetts Ray Cn ony in an earlier day. who saw m oood ir C Aaska IS the twentieth century frontier Shouid Alaska receive the same consideration ne was given the western Territories fl wonld ha anI snort time before it would be a nowerfu, ,,,t i ene ss'erhood Of States-a country well ponulatod emu contributing enormous wealth to the nation Tho i, p S"o"h oy The Boston Herald and the sour nos Simism concerning Alaskas future fortunately sro "'' rehec'ed elsewhere in the country, sas,zsss