The Wrangell sentinel. (Wrangell, Alaska) 1909-current, 1940-01-05
PBIlROUGE TB1Es
POL ETICALs
PERTSCOPE

E
his old stamping grounds before he
became secretary to former U. S.
/ Senator C. C. Dill and a political
figure, in an interview down in Sc
attic the other day described the
fisheries investigation which has
been going ON these many months
as political smear" which he
laid at the door of Interior Secretary
/ Harold L. Ickes.
Until the Secretary makes public,
if he does, the results of the inyes-
tigation made by Dr.. Carl Hubbs Of
Michigan on his trip up here last
summer it's probably going to be
pretty hard to say just how much
of smear the investigation will
result in, and who gets smeared.
Some are of the opinion there is go
ing to be quite a smear.
Dr.. Hubbs, personal representa-
tive of the Secretary, did no end of
probing on his iaunt to the Ter
ritory and he left Alaska with a bag
full of information. How reliable the
information turns out to be prob
ably will decide the size of the
smear, if any.
At any rate, it appears that all is
not we'll between the former fish
commissioner, who used to be the
Democratic political boss of the state
of Washington, and U. S. Senator
Lewis B. Schwellenbach, who has
ambitions, If they are not already
attained, of being the Democratic
boss of the same state. In reply to
/ Secretary Ickes, who told reporters,
the investigation might prove some
| Irregularities in the fisheries bureau,
Mr.. Bell not only called the probe
a political smear" but declared it
would further the political interest
of Mr.. Swellenbaeh who is up for re-
election this year. The Senator in
| the meantime said the bureau would
be reorgani7ed and, Mr.. Bell init
mated, it would be according to the
SchWellenbach wishes. Practical
politicians know that reorganization
usually consists of ousting ones OPP
lponents and replacing them with
ones friends" continued the former
Commissioner, meaning your peris-
copper takes it, that Messrs. Sehwel
lenbach and Bell are not the little
playmates they used to be when Mr..
Bell was riding high and Mr..
lSchwellenbach was still just running
for office. Politicians as we'll as time
march on, some up, some down.
In the meantime, Alaskans are
wondering just how much of a smear
will be made of the investigation in
view of the election year now upon
us.
- + x
Like the Firms, we've been doing
a little business in the Arctic. The
Firms did some real business to the
Russians up above the Circle, ac-
cording to news reports, while we
have been just grapevining again,
and come forth with a report from
our secret operator, BOT.
Firstly, says our operator, Mr..
Howard Lying of Nome, Speaker of
the House, in the last session, is 60
ing to make very definite attempt
to attain the Territorial Democratic
Craftsmanship at the Juneau conVen-
tion which meets in Juneau January
16 Speaker Lying, it develops, has
the solid support of 20 votes from
the Second Division, some support
! in the Fourth and some in the First.
But it is up in the Third Division
that all is not well in the Democratic
tent. However, it appears that who
ever gets the support of the Third
will be doing quite all right by him
self, for the Third is not satisfied
with sending one set of delegates to
the Juneau convention, but, says op-
orator GOT, it will send two sets.
which should give the boys from the
Matanuska farm lands lot of talk
ing strength If nothing else.
Back two years ago, the Demo-
Gratis up in the Third decided not to
get along, BOT reports, after quite
some investigation, although not one
{, that could yet reach the rating of
!, being described as political
1 smear 1t seems InaL ABOUT IndL
time the boys were conventioning in
Seward. One thing led to another
until the Third Division donkey ri
/ ders found themselves PUMPING. In
other words, there was g parting Of
the ways and one of the groups held
what the political experts call a
rump convention. OF course, like the
/ Republicans in Douglas four years
ago, neither admits PUMPING. Each
i claims to be simon pure-for God,
the party and the pork barrel. Re-
suit is, says our operator, there were
two conventions In the Third this
! year and two sets of delegates win