The Daily Alaska empire., 1943-06-04

Warren Baker, correspondent ot the Chicago Tribune Press Service who spent several days in Juneau recently, wrote the following article about Juneau, which has appeared in the Chicago Tribune and whicl is printed, without comment ano incidentally the article has beer passed by military censors":
 Juneau, the capital of the Ter ritory, today is the widest oper town in Alaska. So far as surface indications are concerned, you'c never know there was war with in few hundred miles except fol I the thousands of soldiers and ci- vilian workers that throng the streets, bars, gambling tables movies, restaurants, and water front saloons.
 There are, by actual U.S.O. count r saloons and 10 liquor stores in Juneau, a town with normal pop uIation of about 5000. They open at 10 o'clock in the morning, if the bartender can get his eyes pried apart that early, selling only beer to men in uniform-at 30 to 40 cents a bottle-but anything you can name to civilians.
 There is a wide array of liquors back of the bars and in liquor store windows It is doubtful that the best stocked liquor store in Chicago can boast all the varieties for sale in Juneau, such as okkoolehao from Hawaii, mescal and tequila from Mexico, French wines and cham pagnes and ,brandies.
 Fine Foods Available
 The finest of food is likewise available and at prices that are lower than those in the larger ho- tels in Seattle Salad greens are found in grocers' windows Fine cheeses, the best in canned fruits and vegetables, all sorts of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats are on display. About the only thing this writer found shortage in was bananas. There were none to be had for weeks because the boats from the south were too busy carrying materials and men.
 Only tires are rationed in AL aska. Juneau and other Southeast 1 Alaska towns take full advantage of that fact. Their people live fast and high. Every one seems bent on having a good time.
 Children play in the streets un- til midnight. Alaska residents told me that the old timers in the Ter ritory don't even start to have q really good time before that hour. Although the saloons close at mid night, there are plenty of under cover cabarets and bootleg joints where it is possible to continue the celebration. On Douglas Island, across Gastineau Channel from Ju- neau, are two notorious places that threw away the keys long ago. There even uniformed men may get anything they wish any hour of the day.
 Civilians Chief Celebrators
 Juneau is not a boom town. Most of the construction work in the area has been finished and the troops that supervised and did some of the building have been moved out. It is not the soldiery that paint the town red each night. There are soldiers and sailors among them, of course, for Juneau is one of the Territory's big "leave towns" where men are brought for short rests and relaxation before going back on active duty. The U.S.O. right now is seeking to establish d 300- or 400-bed leave hotel" in the town.
 The people who drink the liquor and raise the roof in Juneau are chiefly civilians, many of them old residents from all walks of life. It is the crossroads and meeting place ! of the north.
 In the lounge of the Baranof Hotel, an hostelry that would do credit to a town of 150,000 popula- tion, it is not at all unusual to see man in mukluks and parka, just in from the far north, sitting be- tween and talking to an engineer from Peru and politician or mer- chant in white tie and tails.
 There's Serious Business, Too
 On the other side of the lounge will be found group of art lovers from Washington or New York studying intently the paintings of Sydney Laurence, famous English man who transplanted himself to Alaska many years ago and did all his painting there. The lounge has four of Laurence's paintings, two of them veritable masterpieces. One of these is probably the best of the many he did of Old Denah, Indian for the mighty one,' otherwise