Evening star., 1940-07-04
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON,
Star Aviatjop Editor

ny LD0Ln YIN,
Star Aviation Editor.
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (By AirmaiD.
This northernmost community
under the United States flag, l30
miles from the Arctic Circle, is pre-
pairing for the invasion of 800 Army
Air Corps officers and men who will
man one of the worlds most un-
usual aviation posts on a new from
tier of air defense.
Taking advantage of the midnight
sun, which brings "a hours of day.
light, thawing of the surface of per-
petually frozen earth and weather
warm enough for outside construc-
ton, the Army has completed ground
surveys, cleared the site for mag
nificent airport, constructed a spur
extension of the most northerly
railroad in the New World and is
just about to begin building con-
struction and paving of runways.
Before the arrival of winter in
October begins to plunge the ther-
mometers down and down the scale
to ultimate lows of so and 60 degrees
below zero and to pile ice and snow
deep on peaks and wastelands here
and to the south, the Air Corps ex-
poets to have its main construction
completed at Ladd Field, the new
base.
Fairbanks was selected as a site
for the new field because it provides
the coolest weather on American
soil suitable for such permanent
development. Ladd Field is to be-
come cold weather" laboratory
for the Air Corps to provide infor-
nation required for defense of
Alaska and the United States itself
against the possibility of any attack
which may conceivably come against
America from across the frozen
Arctic frontier, now the weakest link
IN our whole national defense chain.
Flights to Be Rotated.
1t Is proposed to locate at Ladd
Field one flight each of pursuit,
medium bombardment and heavy
bombardment aviation and a de-
tachment of base squadron which
is to be located on the $4,000 900
new Army base at Anchorage, 300
miles, airline, to the south across
the mighty Alaskan mountain bar
rier.
The flights at Fairbanks are to be
rotated with other flights from a
composite group of General Head
quarters Air Force combat squadrons
at Anchorage so that all Army per-
sonnel in Alaska will be utilized in
the cold-Weather tests which are to
be carried on, greatly increasing the
efficiency of the experimental pro-
gram and at the same time pro-
viding valuable experience for the
largest possible number of Air Corps
officers and men.
There is no disgusting the relief
OF Alaskan citizens over the Army
and Navy air defense activities in
the territory. They have been seri-
ously concerned over world condi-
tlons, especially in view of reports
OF Russian and Japanese activities
IN Bering Strait and to the south
IN the islands and on the mainland
within striking range of Alaska.
Capt. Austin E. Lathrop, for As
years the leading citizen of Fair
banks and one of the outstanding
leaders in interior Alaska, said that
world conditions have had serious
effect on building and progress in
this part of the Territory. For the
past two years, he said, new build
Ing construction and home and busi-
ness repair work has fallen off
heavily, due to the threat, real or
imagined, of possible hostile mill
tary operations through this unpro-
tected northern gateway to America.
With the beginning of construc-
tion work on Ladd Field and at
Anchorage by the Army, and at
Kodiak and Unalaska by the Navy
morale Is improving throughout the
Territory.
Project Immense.
Flying into Fairbanks from Juneau
via Whitehorse, British Yukon.
aboard Pacific-Alaska Airways
plane following opening of the new
Pan American Anyways Clipper flying
boat service between Seattle and
Juneau, had good look at the new
Ladd Field before landing at Fair
banks. The project is impressive
Located in bend of the Chena
River about two miles southeast
OF Fairbanks, it is close to the foot
hills of the increasingly rugged
absolutely wild mountains which ex-
tend in ever-rising ranks to the
Alaskan Coast Range several hun
dred miles away.
A 50O-acre site has been cleared
During the past year tests of paving
material and methods have been
under way. A concrete test slab.
laid last summer, has come through
winter during which the tempera-
ture reached so degrees below zero
In perfect condition. Paving of
runways in accordance with the test
formula is about to begin. A drag
line has been set up in the Chena
to haul out gravel. This is being
washed, screened for size and moved
on conveyer belt to the site Mate
rials are being received by boat and
the Alaskan Railroad, which runs
from Seward and Anchorage to
Fairbanks. The railroad now, is be-
Ing extended to Ladd Field.
Transportation, incidentally, is
one of the major items of cost of
materials at Anchorage. Shipping
costs on building materials, ma
chlnery and equipment, in some
cases equals the original cost of