The Daily Alaska empire., 1936-05-12
CRUEN|NC SEES
 AIR MAIL FOR
 ALASKA COMING
Direct Plane Connection with Seattle First Step
 in Program, He Says
POPULATION GROWTH
 IS AIM OF DIRECTOR
In ternationa Highway, Tourist Travel, Coloniza-
 ton All Part of Plan

ton All Fart Of Elan
 Direct air mail connection with the States, construction of the h. ternational Highway, encouraging tourist travel to the north and de- velopment of Alaska's natural re-. sources with particular stress on agriculture, all with the aim of get ting more permanent population are the four major objectives of the present administration for the Territory.
 This was the encouraging infor-, nation brought to Juneau today by Dr. Ernest H. Gruening, Di- rector of the Division of Territories and Island Possessions, Interior De- partment, who arrived here on the Alaska and is continuing to the Westward in company with Gov John w. Troy. Both men will at tend meeting of the Alaska Ru- ral Rehabilitation Corporation at Palmer, center of the Matanuska colony, and then proceed to Fair banks to take part in the com mencement exercises at the Unf- versity of Alaska.
 Connection With States
 The first step in the program 0f a;, ,1ooi1 carvioa for AlocJo ;e connection by plane between Se- attle and the Territory, Dr. Gruen- ing said.
 All the departments are back of the air program" the director stated, flor we all realize that air transportation is the real thing The first step in getting air mail service up here is the connection with Seattle. Rather than ulti- mately, I would say it is the very first thing planned"
 While not wishing to set a spec fife tune when such service might be anticipated as a result of pos sible favorable action by Congress on appropriations, Dr. Gruening did hold out hope that it might be an actual accomplishment of the next year.
 International HighUay
 Referring to the International Highway, the former newspaper man and widely known publicist, declar- ed himself convinced that the highway would mean as much if not more, to Alaska than any other one thing, in that it would bring population.
 What you need up here is peo- pie, isn't iJ?' he asked, and then continued: Tt seems to me road would be a sure way of bring ing them here"
 He explained that negotiations are being made with Canada, and added that while I don't propose to speak for the Canadian govern ment, I believe, as do most of us in Washington, that Canada is not unfavorable to such a project and that eventually it will be built"
 Tourist Cruise
 Stressing further the need for permanent population in the Ter ritory, Dr. Gruening pointed to tourist travel and agricultural de- velopment as possibilities along that line. He reported that this sum- mer a cruise is being planned for July from the East coast which will come through the Panama Canal and thence to Juneau and Alaska and then go to the Ha- vivian Islands. On the cruise will be people from the chief cities of the East coast, the idea being to acquaint them with the inter- ests for the traveller in Alaska as well as in the Islands. Through such a cruise and constant pro- motion of Alaska as an attractive tourist playground, he expressed the belief it would not only bring population but build up the tour ist business far beyond anything at present realized.
 Impressed by the various souvenirs for tourists he had seen on this, his first visit to the Territory, the Director expressed the view that too many of such articles are made elsewhere and imported for sale to travellers.
 Tndians Make TotemS
 Why shouldn't these totem poles and like articles be made in Alaska by Alaskans'? he enquired, and then answered it with the sugges- ton that more of them could be