Evening star., 1923-06-24
PRESIDENT SEEKS TO CUT
ALASKAN CORDIAN KNOT
After First-Hand Information on IS
Departments and l35 Activities
in Land of Promise.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

That's why President Harding.
accompanied by three members of his
cabinet. has started on a two-month
trip of 15,O57 miles, or nearly two
thirds of the distance around the
world, to make two-week per-
sonal investigation OF Alaskas prob
lens and to work out solution.
Alaska, modern El Dorado. pur-
chased from Russia in 1867. has cost
the United States to date an aggre-
gate of only little more than $780,,
100000 and has yielded from its
mines. sea and fur trade upward of
s1,10o, 100000. With the administra-
tion of this territory scattered among
thirty-f1ve different departments and
bureaus of the federal government
dealing with 1875 activities. it presents
monumental problem.
Going to Cut Gordian Knot.
President Harding, with Secretaries
Wallace of Agriculture. Work of In
terror and Hoover of Commerce-the
three departments most concerned
with the greatest present possibilities
of Alaskan development-is doing
what no President ever did before.
He Is going to Alaska to cut the Cor
dian knot of governmental red tape,
which, it is charged. has been stran-
Cling this modern land of promise.
They are going to formulate a con-
structive program for opening up the
immense and practically boundless re-
sources of the territory
Heretofore the potentialities and
needs of Alaska have been visualized
from distance of more than 5000
miles. through somewhat biased de-
partmental reports, instead of at close
range as the Harding party will now
see them.
Some of the vital questions to which
the President and his counselors
hope to find the correct answer dur
ing their two weeks in Alaska are:
Should administration of Alaska be
vested in one federal department or
in a number of resident commission
ers from the departments, forming
sort of on-the-g ground co-ordinated
administration?
Should a federal building be erected
to house such an administration?
Should colonization or immigration
schemes be worked up to increase the
population and give impetus to the
development of natural resources?
Should a corps of engineers be sent
into Alaska to make an inventory of
its mineral resources and to recon-
mend to Congress a comprehensive
plan for working them?
Transportation Big ISSUE.
What should be done by the fed
eral government to build up by rail-
roads, boat lines and highways an
adequate system of transportation?
Should United States Shipping Board
Vessels be put into this service?
What authority should be invoked
to preserve the valuable fishing In
dustry from destructive expioitationf
What encouragement should be
given to the establishment of great
napcr industry fed from the forests
that cover over 20,579.740 acres?
Should a better system of aids to
navigation be set up along the coast?
What additional safeguards to pre-
vent destruction of seals should be
employed?
should all enforcement in the
territory be concentrated under the
Department of Justice?
What new mining, land or game
laws are needed, or should existing
laws be liberalized?
What should be done to encourage
tourist travel in Alaska?
Should a more liberal policy of
financing Alaska's development be
instituted?
The human problem-broadenin
the lives of a population of $4,000
persons. 10000 fewer today than in
191o-wil1 engross President Hard
ing's attention fully as much as con-
alteration of this vast storehouse of
wealth.
Commerce Falls on.
And with the decrease in popula-
tton has come a corresponding falling
off in commerce. The total commerce
In 1920 amounted to some $1O6,O00,-
o0o. as compared with s63,000.O0O In
1921, a decrease Of s4S.o0O.OOO. Fig
ures received for the year 1922 indi-
cate a recovery of s2O.7So,ooo' put
Alaska is still s22.000,000 short of its
commerce in 1920, and no one knows
how many millions of dollars In trade
could be developed if adequate trans
portation facilities were supplied and
large numbers of sturdy Americans
were induced to immigrate to the ter
ritory and develop 1T.
President Harding will have force
fully presented to him the fact that
the National Capital Is even worse on
than Alaska as regards representa-
ton in the national government. The
$1,000 white people and the $4,000 ma
tives making up the permanent popu-
lation of Alaska have no vote In the
national government, the only role
that they play being to elect a dele
gate to Congress every two years.
The District of Columbia does not
even have this delegate and is en-
Ntirely under the jurisdiction of Con-
gress.
The Alaska delegate does not cast a
ballot in the House of Representa-
tives, but Is permitted privileges Of
the floor, where he may deliver
speeches or participate in debates on
the affairs of the territory. He also
serves as a member Of House COM
mittees dealing with Alaska.
Have Territorial Government.
Citizens of Alaska have, however,
their territorial government, COM
posed of a legislature with a senate
and a house. There are eight mem
bers of the senate elected by the peo-
ple for four years and sixteen men,
bers of the house, also elected by
s3frsct yote of the people The legis-