The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-01-13


 nion Government at Ottawa which has just sent to the Washington Government an elaborate set ot
 specially prepared coored maps, showing the three
 or four available routes north from Vancouver to- gether with the natural resources of the great territory the highway would open up.
 {, It is favored, in formal statements by the h. T terior Department in this city and while Presi- dent Hoover has not yet made public announce
 ment of his attitude, it is known to be friendly If it were not, Secretary Wilbur would have been
 slow to take position committing the adminstra-
 tion to the project
 In neither country has word been spoken by way of opposing it, or by way of doubting is prac- ticabilty. The highway would open up to the motor- 1 ing public of both countries one of the most di- versfed attractive and least developed of the few remaining wild spots of habtable North America and undoubtedly result in an inflow of population that in a comparatively few years would many times over pay for the cost of construction That is why British Columbia and the Dominion Government are prepared to cooperate with the United States in the making of plans that will start construction going soon as the necessary legislation be enacted. Bills are now nandino in Congress providing for appointment of com mission to make study of the proposal including survey, and setting $25,000 aside to pay it's ex- penses. That work would take year for comple- tion. It is believed the bill will be passed d,riro the present session.
 Similar legislation must be passed bv the Rritie, Columbia Parliament, by the Dominion parlia- ment at Ottawa, or both Most of the new con- struction will be in British Columbia some 500 miles. In addition to the paved highway iron, se attle to Vancouver, from the latter city there is dirt highway as far north as Hazeton which at small cost could be fitted for tourist traffic Haz elton is 960 miles from Seattle. North of Hazelton there trails
 From the Yukon-Alaska boundary the distance to Fairbanks is 80 to 200 miles, depending on the route selected. This is all the highway building Congress would be called upon to provide for The distance from Seattle to Fairbanks, going in this way s as Times readers know, about 20OO miles
 No choice of routes from Hazelton has been made and will not be until after the surveys have been completed At Fairbanks the new highway would connect with the Richardson Highway and other means of transportation in Alaska-highways rail and water-which Congress has built.
 Probably no person in the United States or Can ada has given as much study to the proposed high way as Ernest Walker Sawyer, recently appointed to be special representative of the General Manager of the Alaska Railroad, with headquarters at An i chorage. Previous to that appointment he has been Executive Assistant to Secretary Wilbur of the Interior Department He will proceed to An chorage next spring.
 MT. Sawyer becomes more enthusiastic the proposed highway the better his understanding is l. of the benefits that would follow opening up of the rich territory between Vancouver and Fairbanks. That it is to be built he is certain. He knows what $ being done by both governments to encourage it, and what its practical advantages would be- not )nly in the way of tourist travel but in the solid  minerals forests and soil adapted to agriculture.
 'The highway" he said, would be open as late n the fall as any of the highways in the western part of the United States And it would have long summer days, of which we get just hint in our northern tier of States and in the southern part of Canada. Before reaching Fairbanks the tourists would find, during the summer season. almost twen- y-four hours of sunshine.
 We must not forget that this highway would De very important link in an international high
 
 10 other part of the world would it be practicable Q build highway of such length Latin-American sentiment in favor of it is very great and is stead ly increasing
 This is the preparatory stage I look for much ,reater activity in the future than in the past in he way of constructing important highways through ,ut Latin America to make them connecting inks with this imposing system The link through l he United States is now completed. the highway | o Fairbanks would extend it from the Mexican i boundary almost to the Arctic Circle II
 This is the thought that has captured the | O. Chambers of Commerce. automobile 1 lubs and countless numbers of other groups and | individuals on the Pacific Coast from Vancouver | o Southern California.
 All this is coming Already there has been | much construction in Latin America which has | his great north and south highway in mind. Of II curse the building of the road to Fairbanks would | pen up new airplane route to Alaska for with | he road there would go fuelng stations and settle '4Siie't t become md important towns This would blow because | If the natural resources of this northern region | md its agricultural possibilities" |
 On December 4, the Interior Department made m official statement, in which it said: !
 Secretary Wilbur has taken position definite y in favor of cooperative action between the : United States and Canada to the end that an : automobile highway be built from Seattle to Fair : anks, Alaska. Several maps of various proposed outes have been received from the Canadian : authorities, and recently splendid folio of mans howing profes and outlining in detail the resources the territory traversed presented by the Sec etary of Interior of Canada All narties arc : avoraoie to this spectacular piece of road con- 2 truction, and it is expected that inc deva,oo. the plans will continue ~
 In an earlier official statement from the Inter- pr department dated November 4 it was said ihe Department Of the Interior, the Territory : f aadf fha