The Wrangell sentinel., 1940-01-12

here last week en- route to Wash
ington. d c. New York, his former
home. and way points on the east
coast. In Washington he plans to
sit in on the budget hearings and
assist in getting such appropriations
as he and Delegate Dimond can for
Alaska Among the way points
where he will stop ON his two
months journey VIII be Ottawa,
Canada, for a meeting of the Alaska
Highway Commission.
The war definitely has put a
crimp in the big highway through
Canada to Alaska. The thought has
been advanced that it probably will
not be built now until after the war
and Canada sees her way more
clearly to cooperate. which she must
do if the road is ever built. Since the
outbreak of hostilities report also has
been current that Premier Thomas
Dnfferin Pattullo Of British Column
bia. one of the highways strongest
hackers, has cooled on the idea. Per
haps. but il isn't indicated in an
article written by Bruce HuehisOn
and appearing i'm a recent issue of
Macleans Magazine To get material
for his article. one of the most in
formative and clean-cut we have
seen on the subject for a long time,
Mr.. Hutchinson interviewed the lead
ers of both Canada and the United
States. Here is his conclusion on
the war versus the highway:
y s. = y
The war may delay construction
of the road=it is likely to be de
layed anyway-but it lends a new
Importance to the whole project.
In the present world upheaval it is
often difficult for nations to know
from day To day who their friends
are, but one thing is certain-Can-
ada and the United States will al
WAYS be friends and their basic in
terests on the Pacific are identical.
Anything which affects the fu-
ure of American territory along the
Pacific Coast affects Canada. Any
thing which helps to develop AL
aska. which lies almost between Bri-
fish Columbia and the northern
shores of Asia. helps Canada. Even
should the Alaska highway be of no
military value directly. as an in
ternational project it forms a part
of those growing links of Joint in
terest that bind Canada and its
good neighbor together. In the pres
ent world storm those links become
more precious every day. The Alas
ka highway project, even if it is not
an immediate possibility, is more
than ever worth examining in these
times.
Some day the Alaska highway
will be built. That the United States
will get a road to its northern ter
ritory is inevitable in the nature Of
things, and certainly British Column
bia will gradually push its road
system northward That it will be
built soon is very doubtful, unless
the United States provides the
! money.
But Mr.. Pattullo is still conf
dent. The old dream of the high
north still burns in him, and from
the days when he first mushed be
hind the dog teams and appeared
in duck trousers in Dawson, he has
nearly always got what he wanted
out of life. What he wants above
all in the last days of his public
career is to see his name ON part Of
highway which will run from Cape
Horn to the rim O the Arctic
4 4 i y
The President in his message to
Congress last week asked for more
money for defense, but everything
else, he declared, calls for a reduc-
ton. Whether expenditure toward
the Alaska highway at this time
would be classed national defense is
questionable. The chances are it
would not, especially in view of the
vast sums which are being and will
be spent for defense bases at Sitka
Kodiak, Fairbanks, Anchorage and
all along the Pacific Coast.
While it is probable that the OF
tawa meeting which the Governor is
attending will reach some eonclu-
sions it isn't likely that immediate
building Of the highway is one OF
them. As Mr.. Huchison says in his
article, some day the Alaska high
way will be built, but the prospect
is not bright for early construction.
-,xrc VIVIAN