The Daily Alaska empire., 1938-09-01
Alaska's Military Plight Brought Before
 Legionnaires
LOS Angeles Daily News,


 Powerful military defenses for the Pacific Coast Americas western front'-are almost certain to form of the serious subjects before the national American Legion convention here in September
 One indication is evident in the Legion Magazine for July. which carries what probably is the best article compiled on the bitter Boring Sea and Bristol Bay fisheries dispute with Japan It was written by Clyde R Ellis. Legionnaire of Anchorage, Alaska, whose calm words free of any jingoism, vincngly reveal the peris of salmon industry and also the military helpessness of this rich and unprotected salient of the United States.
 Despite his dispassionate recital the sportsman like American citizen is likely to flare angrily over the exposures.
 For years the Bureau of Fisheries, the salmon packers and the marine unions have abided by a set of rules rigid than those of football base ball contest Only one month of fishing is allowed each year (even this has two rest intervals and so sporting are the provisions, that the fishermen are not allowed power boats. but to the grounds in tiny sailing sloopS with two- and three-man crews. Consequently the catch has been kept within the spawning and the supply could endure for centuries
 Imagine the wrath of these when the field is raided by greedy, interruptions foreign pirates. who could destroy the richest salmon ground of the word-America's own-n few years
 Tokyo denies that any Japanese ships licensed to fish for salmon anywhere near the American waters. But Ellis specifically charges that despite the mild assurances of the Japanese Government made last March, such raidng is still going on.
 He asserts that large-tonnage mother ships" floating canneries are constantly in the salmon area to trap crabs But the gear they carry is salmon nets for surface fishing Crabs are caught at the bottom with different equipment he laconically relates According to Ellis the packers have obtained their evidence by airplane.
 The Legion Magazine article relates one incident that will please Americans Japanese fnanciers ap- preached American packers in Seattle with pro- poSal that they form joint company-a trust-like T1p wac that Tor 1at,o much cheaper than American that the profits would be immense. The packers Scorned the plan.
 So the Japanese intimated they would go ahead as an American corporation. The Fishermen's Union chief stepped in and informed the Japanese just what would happen to their ships and men when they tried to unload in an American port At first be- widered, MT Motto and his pals soon were convinced and you'll hear no more of that
 Ellis military conclusions carry some alarm To quote him:
 establishment of military air base in the Territory It has pointed to the continued unrest in the Orient It has called attention to the fact that Alaska is but fifty miles from the Siberian Coast that fleet of planes could fly from Japan to the Territory and fol- low the chain of islands extending westward The longest stretch of water that would have to be crossed IS 300 miles. Planes land on inland protected lakes in the islands for the entire distance With its great natural resources of fish, farm products coal and oil, the Territory would be attractive to foreign invader"
 Complete fertilization of Alaska is advocated h,, the magazine writer.
 Of course, all nations East and West are busv elsewhere at the moment-but with a supine Alaska open to conquest by foreign foe our splendid iso- latIon appears less splendid, it does yearly any, way.