The Wrangell sentinel., 1940-10-04
WE CAN GET THAT AIRPORT
 IF WE GO AFTER IT

Elsewhere in today's Sentinel is an Associated Press dispatch from Washington, D. C., reporting that a projected air field for the Wrangell- Petersburg district is on the ten tatiYe list at an estimated cost of one million dollars. It should be em- phasized that the project is tenta- tive and that it is competition with nearly 400O tentative places from which the Civil Aeronautics Auth ority, the Army and the Navy will select around 200 sites for actual air field construction. But with the defense program what it is in Al asKa, it is almost a foregone con clusion that several sites in the Ter ritory will be on the final auth orized list along with others on the Pacific Coast and at other strategic places throughout the nation.
 Opportunity is flirting with Wran- gelI right now. This community IS on the verge of getting one of the greatest assets it can possibly get. It isn't necessary to go into details to show what an airport would mean to this town, be it civilian or military. All one has to do is look at the towns in Alaska which have developing airports, and look at the directions in which they are head s,I Fairbanks, Juneau, just to mention a few of the outstanding ones. No one needs a blueprint to see what an airfield, particularly under the proposed plan, would mean to Wrangell.
 Back last November The Sen- tinel in commenting on the need for an airport here said; "The united effort of this community, followed through as now projected, will bring it about and put this natural gateway to the Stikine on the avi- ation map of the north"
 The Sentinel hasn't changed it's mind one bit. It still believes that if followed through, we can get an air field in this community.
 A great deal of spade work has been done. The report from Wash ington proves 1t. City officials, the Chamber of Commerce and civic leaders of WrangeIl have been on the job They must stay on it, and with renewed enthusiasm. Diligent presentation to the proper authori- ties of the facts about Wrangell as the best site for an air field in Southeast Alaska has resulted in sui ficient attention being paid to the information by the Civil Aeronau- tics Authority to recommend it to Washington. We can be sure it had merit or 1t would not have reached that stage. Now the authorities in Washington have placed it on a ten tative list for consideration. This includes not only the CAA but the Army and Navy as well.
 Now is the time for that fol- low through" Now is the time to present additional data, bringing out especially the strategic location of Wrangell as it pertains to traf- fic east of the mountains. There was a time perhaps when one could build himself cracking good mouse trap back in the woods somewhere and the folks would find a path tC his door. In this modern day no one is going to beat path anywhere ha in hIo oI and white. That's Wrangells job to follow through with reiteratior of the facts already presented and presentation of additional ones which may have bearing on estab lishment of an airport in this com munity.
 A comprehensive brief dealing with the entire picture of Wran gells airport should be on it's wa, by air mail to Delegate Anthony J Dimond, the War Department, tn, Navy Department and the Civi Aeronautics Authority, as soon as i can be drafted. Like information should go to Governor Gruening an, the CAA authorities in Alaska. Som of it may be reiteration, some of l supplemental to previous reports but 1t should be presented in whol without delay.
 Federal officials emphasize in tn news dispatch from Washington tha no selections of sites have yet bee made But We must act promptly The defense program is moving rap idly. a4
 Wrangell's justly famed cooper ative push can get that airport we go after it.