The Wrangell sentinel., 1941-07-25
WANDERNGs OF AN EDITOR

If and when the war is over, Al
aska will be deluged with people
from the States. If the international
Highway was completed the route
now would be lined with fast-mOYing
modern cars speeding north to see
Alaska.
Your editnr just back from a trip
Outside found in conversation with
persons in various walks of life that
next 10 the paramount subject OF
war and defense, Alaska holds No.
1 interest, primarily as a vacation
spot. Thousands OF those coming
north when war and the defense
effort slows down will ultimately
make Alaska their home but thous
ands more think of it only in terms
of a place to go to spend a pleasant
vacation; catch some fish, see a gla-
cier, look at bear. This latter crop
of prospects, under more normal
conditions, will make recreation and
outdoor pleasure one of the major
industries of the north. Whatever
the influx OF people to the Terri
tory may mean industrially, Ameri-
ca on wheels is going to make it the
prize vacation land OF North Amer
lea when a highway is finally con-
structed. The main reason may not
be so much the lure of the north
but the fact that with high-speed
automobiles and super highways,
many people in the States have ira
versed most of the As states. Now
they are looking for new routes to
head the new models out onto. A
road to Alaska will be an answer
to their yearning for some place new
to drive and some place new to see.
Even today, despite the defense
push, the steamers coming north
find the demand for reservations far
more than they can fill for weeks
ahead. This is complicated for the
transportation companies by the fact
that defense contracts must be filled.
Defense supplies, equipment and men
must be brought north and as a re-
suit the companies are forced to
sidetrack travellers to make room
for government orders, soldiers and
civilian workers. An Alaska Line Of
fetal recounted to your editor re-
cent experience. Shortly before sail
ing time of one of the boats, Army
instructions were received that IT'S
men must be taken to a northern
base on that particular vessel. Up
shot was that the Ito Army men
came north on the ship. An equal
number of travellers stayed home to
await another boat, or possibly not
to come at all. The incident gives
one an idea of why we see the boats
always loaded, but the absence of
the large numbers of summer tour
lists usually pouring ashore the min
ue the gang plank is down.
$3.50
Defense tempo Outside is keyed
up to the peak of war time effort
"a years ago when Uncle Sam en-
tered the last war, only it is on a
more gigantic scale. In the last war
Fort Lewis, then Camp Lewis, was
the biggest cantonment in the ma
ton. 1t still is, but it's twice as
large. 1t was officially announced
several weeks ago that Fort Lewis
now has an Army population of 98,-
900 men. Scores of new quarters dot
the great reservation for miles on
each side of Pacific highway pass
ing through it. A great airfield, one
OF the biggest in the nation, is be-
ing developed there. Tacoma, with
a normal population of just over
100000, now boasts twice as many.
Well it can. The Fort is at the city
limits. Business huns in Tacoma and
Seattle as a result.
Spokane, metropolis of the Inland
Empire in eastern Washington, is
developing a second huge airport to
accommodate large bombers. Port
land and Vancouver are enjoying
the same sort of defense boom. A
large army cantonment is to go in
at Corvallis, in the heart of the Will
lanette Valley, south of Portland.
The entire Pacific Northwest, like
the rest of the nation, is preparing
to fight If need be. General attitude
is that the actual fighting is not
far distant Most dread the idea, but
all appear to be convinced that it's
the only way out and the sooner
1t is done and over with the better