The Wrangell sentinel., 1930-02-13
TIMES EDITOR IS SURE ROAD TO BE
 BUILT TO ALASKA
w. W. Jermane, Associate Editor Seattle Times, Quotes Ernest Sawyer Walker on Highway.

is no doubt but that the Interna- tional highway will be built. He gives the reasons tor his belief in a special dispatch to the Times from Washington printed here
 The proposed international high way from Seattle to Fairbanks, Alaska, is going to be constructed. believe I am amply justified in making that statement. It is fla vored by the government, commer- cial bodies and automobilists of British Columbia, and by the Do- minion government at Ottawa, which has just sent to the Wash ington government an elaborate set of specially prepared colored 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 state ments by the interior department in this city. -. -.
 In neither country has a word been spoken by way of opposing it, or by way of doubting it's practica- bility The highway would open up to the motoring public of both coun- tries one of the most diversified, att tractive and least developed of the few remaining wild spots of habit able North America, and undoubt- edly will result in an inflow of pop ulation that, in comparatively few years, would many times over pay for cost of construction.
 That is why British Columbia and the Dominion government are pre- pared to cooperate with the United States in the making of plans that will start construction going as soon as the necessary legislation can be enacted. Bills are now pend- ing in Congress providing for ap- pointment of a commission to make a study of the proposal, including a survey, and setting aside $25,000 to pay it's expenses. That work would take a year for completion. It is believed the bill will be passed during the present session.
 Similar legislation must be passed by the British Columbia parliament or by the Dominion parliament at Ottawa, or both. Most of the new construction will be in British Col umbia, some 500 miles. In addition to the paved highway from Seattle to Vancouver, from the latter city there is dirt highway as far north as Hazelton, which at small cost could be fitted for tourist traffic. Hazelton is 960 miles from Seattle. North of Hazelton there are trails.
 From the Yukon-Alaska bound ary the distance to Fairbanks is 80 to 200 miles, depending on the route selected. This is all the high way building Congress would be called upon to provide for. The dis tance from Seattle to Fairbanks, going in this way, is about 2,000 miles.
 No choice of routes from Hazel ton 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 Canada has given as much study to the proposed highway as Ernest Walker Sawyer, recently ap- pointed to be special representative of the general manager of the Alas ka Railroad, with headquarters at Anchorage. Previous to that ap- pointment he had been executive as- sistant to Secretary Wilbur of the interior department He will pro- ceed to Anchorage in the spring.
 MT. Sawyer becomes more enthus- iastic over the proposed highway the better his understanding is of the benefits that would follow open ing up of the rich territory be- tween Vancouver and Fairbanks. That it is to be built he is certain. He knows what is being done by both governments to encourage it, and what it's practical advantages would be, not only in the way of tourist travel, but in the solid de- velopment of a great area fabulous ly rich in game, minerals, forests and soil adapted to agriculture.
 "The highway" he said, would be open as late in the fall as any of the highways in the western part