The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-03-19
Straight From
Washington
By STEPHEN M. YOUNG
Congressman at Large, Ohio

WashingtOn.-Our Government has
made many mistakes in the course of
time but when Secretary of State Sc
ward purchased Alaska from Russia
for seven million dollars, this was no
mistake. The Russian Gar was so
eager to dispose of what he thought
was a worthless waste of ice, his min
lister was authorized to sell for five
million dollars Our Government did
not haggle The price offered was ac-
cepted and Alaska has become Il great
asset to this nation. Never before has
Alaska been so vital to national Sc
curity as now. With the Japs on the
sured that i'm the not far distant future
bonbers based on Alaska and the
Aleutian Islands, which extend Il great
distance from Alaska and were includ-
ed in the Seward purchase, will leave
their calling cards on Jap factories,
munition plants and docks. That will
he the easiest way to win back Guam,
Wake Island and other lost territory
at the peace conference which will
necessarily follow. These islands are
stepping stones from the Western Hem
| isphere to Asia. When this nation shut
ties planes back and forth over Japan
| and our bombs rain destruction and
death directly on Japanese cities, the
war lords may begin to whimper for
peace Offensive action wins wars.
Should the Japs threaten to invade
western United States, our first line of
land defense would be Alaska. The
Japs would have to capture our bases
i'm that territory, Dutch Harbor, 10
diak and Sitka, before they would
dare attack California or in fact any
part of the United States. Extensively
from the tip of the Aleutian Islands,
Attu to the Jap Naval base at Para
nushein is only $50 miles. BY Sep
tember American production of bomb
ers will surprise us and the world.
The .Japs are likely to be in for a
surprise because $50 miles or 2OOO
miles for that matter are short hops
for IL flying fortress Alaska could
serve as IL SpringbOard for an often
SlNe against Japan.
| This nation should lose no time in
completing the much talked of high
way through Canada to Alaska. In the
past Canada has raised objections iO
this and only Il start has been made
Those objections must be withdrawn Ol
overridden and we must build facili
ties to transport munitions, supplies
aud ordnance from this country tt
Alaska.
Cooperation
That this nation does not now have
highway from the State of Wash
; ington extending through Canada tC
Alaska is due entirely to objections
raised during recent years by the Can
adian Government. Such highway il
; of the utmost Importance. One wou'
think in view of the tremendous aiC
given by us to Canada and her mother
country they would gladly cede to th'
United States Il corridor leading from
the State of Washington to Alaska
, Were this nation to request Il corridor
| that request would certainly be reason
able. The facts are no such requeS
has been made and Canada has hinder
ed our efforts for an internationa
) highway and in recent months Can
. adian authorities have been non-coopcr
ativc with our efforts to have air
planes cross to Alaska by what il
: known as "thc easiest route. "EXper
+ fence keeps II dear school but fool
will learn i'm no other.
Civilian Defense
Civilian Defense cannot be complete
~ divorced from military defense. W.
must be realistic. We must establish
better teamwork between the Splcndit
people who are civilians and the arm,
personnel which is largely technical
Military and civilian defense are inter
locked. Civilians cannot be eNerythin:
In connection with adequate civilian de
fensc nor can the army do ii all. Their
must be cooperation, with the Genera
staff of our Army in charge. Le
George do it. (Gen. George {. Marshall
Chief of Staff.