The Daily Alaska empire., 1937-06-16
ALASKA FISHERIES INVOLVE QUES-
 TION OF NATIONAL POLICY

At last something is being done beside talki the Japanese Bristol Bay fishing situation. ate Department announces that it will send a re sentative within the next couple of weeks into Al; m waters to make first hand study and determi its own satisfaction just what inroads the Ja lese fishing boats are making on the Alaska salm op
 And while the agent is gathering his informant might not be amiss for members of Congress a ,n to the suggestions made by Alaska Deegs lthony J. Dimond in a recent address before t ouse of Representatives Discussing the seriousn' the foreign invasion on Alaska fisheries, which a aly produce more than s35.OOO0oO, the Delega ade these salient points:
 In my view there are four possible ap- breaches to the subject
 First. The voluntary withdrawal of the Japanese from the Boring Sea fisheries withdrawal demanded by fundamental con- alterations of equity and justice.
 Second. The exercise of the right and thority of the United States to prevent fish, ing by aliens in Boring Sea where such fish ing interferes with the entry of Alaska salmon into Alaska rivers; this jurisdiction to be tS~Ni'NAAS of an act of Congress similar in scope to the Antismuggling Act.
 Third The negotiation of treaty with the Japanese Government and the payment of what will amount to tribute to that Govern ment not to disturb or invade the Alaska sal mon fisheries at the same time entertaining the hope-which in my judgment is bound to be a futile hope-that other nations will not demand similar tribute.
 Fourth. To let down the conservation bars and permit the American operators to take all of the salmon of Boring Sea that they can get until the salmon are entirely exhausted For if the Japanese are permitted to carry out their plans unhampered, with nothing more than few diplomatic protests-if even that then there is no salvation for the salmon of the Boring Sea region, and it would be folly, MT. Chairman, to spend money in the en- forcement of the conservation laws in order to give the Japanese nationals a chance to enjoy the fruit of that conservation policy.
 Unless we assert the jurisdiction which we have and possess, and protect our own prop erty in what are substantially our own waters, then we had better let American operators and workers get all they can while the salmon last. At the end, of course, the capital in vested will be lost for there will be no other use to which cannery on the shore of Boring Sea can be put than packing salmon, and some 10000 people will be denied their only means of making a living.
 And that is not all If the Japanese are permitted to get away with this" in the Ber- ing Sea, will it be long until We have Japan csc floating canneries lowering off the coast of all those parts of Alaska where salmon run and thence southward to the entrance to Puget Sound and the mouth of the Columbia River?
 May I suggest that firm exercise of our a,,+l,n ,,,o,, Io preserve peace? For I apprehend that if the Japanese are permitted to carry out their plans there will be such grave public resis- tance to it, particularly by people who are de- prived of their livelihood, as to incur definite risk of those hostile incidents which lead to war. I conceive, MT. Speaker, that the people in the western part of the United States and Alaska will be gravely ncenSed at the sight of a string of Japanese cannery vessels stretching along the coast of Alaska and per haps extending down to the ocean waters i'm mediately outside of Puget Sound and the Columbia River something like the rum run ners of former days.
 Of course, we can yield to this threat. We can say to the Japanese Please go away; but If you do not go away, you can have the Alaska fisheries. Please do not touch the fisheries of Puget Sound and the Columbia River; but if you must have them take them, ana We Will do nothing about 1t. In short, Mir. Speaker, we can adopt policy of "cut and scuttle'-we adopt policy of sub mission. But what is the final end of that policy? It is said that He who fights and runs away will live to fight another day" but experience with life teaches us that He who fights and runs away will have to fight an- other day"
 MT. Chairman, have said that the solution of this problem lies in legislation and in the ex- ercise of the power and authority We now have, not in treaties The administrative policy of the United States with respect to jurisdiction over marginal seas has already been laid down in the Antismuggling Act. That power ought to be further extended and defined by an act for the further conservation of the fisheries of the United States, giving the administrative arm of the Government the right to protect and conserve Alaska salmon in the waters of the ocean adjoining Alaska when it req sonably appears that these salmon are enrogte