The Daily Alaska empire., 1936-01-06

ficial inaugural ceremonies of the new Philippine Commonwealth Government Bearers of a good will message from the people of the United States the delegation will witness the first step in the com plete emancipation of the island people from al sympathetic sovereignity that was an outgrowth of the Spanish American War.
 Vice-P President John N Garner, of Texas, heads the delegation Equal with him in rank is Joseph w Byrns, of Tennessee, Speaker of our House of Representatives. They sit at the Captains table, and much is possible, the routine of shipboard activities conforms to their desires. The company is congenia one, and the whole membership has fit into the ship life of long transPacifc crossing
 Leaving Seattle October 16 we were guests of high officials of the Province of British Columbia at the Provincial seat of Government in Victoria. High dignitaries made felicitous speeches, calling attention to the traditional peace between the two nations, living amcably side by side with a long frontier unfortified either side One of the most interesting back-handed compliments to Canada was paid by tall, grizzly Speaker Byrns We have almost to regret" he said that back in 1o44 45 when James K Polk, fellow -Tennessean was President of the United States that he didn't insist a little forcefully extending the northern boundary line to include Vancouver Island to the end that ourselves might have had the beautiful city of Victoria" And it's true. When we read our history and see the picture of an American nation growing in that period following the administration of Jackson, we wonder what would have been the of events in the western world if the United States had insisted it's fifty four forty fight" threat that the campaign of l844 carried.
 Leaving Victoria, and steaming out of the Strait of San Juan de Fuca, in the teeth of savage storm few days of rocky weather, and in four or five days we were steaming along the great circle" route to the Far East. This route is followed by steamers because it shortens the distance between the Pacific Northwest and the Orient following the curvature of the earth But it's chief utility, told, is that it gets away from prevailing adverse trade winds farther south.
 On about the fifth day, land our star board side-huge rocky island peaks silhouetted against gray sky, stretching for hundreds of miles along the horizon. They the Aleutian Islands, somewhere west of Dutch Harbor, our prospective naval station in Alaskan waters, when, and if, the currents of political and economic rivalry be- come more definite than they right
 It's amazing how little our Senators and Repre- sentatives really know about Alaska. I found many gorant of the existence of these islands; I found some wondering who they belonged to- and some, forsooth, wondering if the inhabitants voted for President of the United States. Wouldn't it be al fine thing if representative delegation of the Congressional leadership could be ured to Alaska to make first hand studies of the prospects and resources for the future of the Territory?
 Our first ship was sighted but a day out of Yokohama, Japanese freghter loaded with logs and timber blowing through heavy sea. Yesterday into the fringe of a real typhoon, with the wind velocity over 75 miles an hour and moun- tainous breaking the ship. It thrilling experience while it lasted, and were relieved that three hours later, it over.
 As I write, we steaming southward along the coast of Japan, plainly visible twenty-five miles off starboard side We are due to land in Yokohama by noon, and for two days try to see little of the industrial commercial and perhaps, social, life of the busy Nippon empire. The Ford company is furnishing cars for sightseeing in Yoko hama, the busy seaport town, and Tokyo, the capital some eighteen miles away. It will be a busy two days until board ship again at Kobe, to continue on to Shanghai Hong Kong and then Manila.
 I almost forgot to give you list of the compan ionable Congressional delegation who making the trip. Headed of by Vice. President Garner and Speaker Byrns with their wives the members are Senator Ashurst, of Arizona and Mrs Ashurst; Senator Joseph T. Robinson, of Arkansas and Mrs. Robinson; Senator William H. King, of Utah and Mrs. King; Senator Park Trammell of Florida and Mrs. Trammell; Senator B. K Wheeler, of Mon- tana and Mrs, Wheeler; Senator Gerald P. Nye, of North Dakota and Mrs Nye Senator Tom Con- nally of Texas and his son, Ben Connaly; Senator James F. Byrnes of South Carolina and Mrs. Byrnes; Senator M. M Nicely, of West Virginia and Mrs. Neely Senator Warren R. Austin, of Vermont and Mrs. Austin; Senator Robert R. Reynolds, of North Carolina and his daughter, Miss Frances Reynolds Senator Bennett c. Clark, of Missouri and Mrs. Clark; Senator Nathan L. Bachman, of Tennessee and Mrs. Bachman; Senator F. Ryan Duffy, of Wisconsin and Mrs. Duffy; Senator Ernest w. Gib- son, of Vermont and his daughter, Miss Doris Gib- son; Senator Edward R. Burke, of Nebraska and Mrs Burke; Senator Sherman Minton, of Indiana and Mrs. Minton; and former Senator from Mis- souri, Harry B. Hawes, Mrs. Hawes and Miss Peyton Hawes.
 The Congressmen aboard, most of whom ac- companied by their wives, are: Robert L. Doughton,