The Wrangell sentinel., 1945-08-31
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERISCOPE


 the "Alaska spirit" and with d wealth of information in the re- cord as well as off, the House Committee on Territories after three weeks in the Territory have returned to the Washington scene where Congress is scheduled 10 convene next week. Last to leave were Chairman Hugh Peterson Of Georgia and Congressman Gun ningham, who went south on the Canadian boat last Friday night. calling on Mayor Hanford in Wrangell few hours while the boat was in port. Other members left via plane from Anchorage and Fairbanks.
 With the exception of the Aleu- titan chain, there are few places in the Territory that some members of the committee did not see dur ing their visit. They were here to learn and they endeavored to find out. Only Congressman Homer Angell of Oregon and Arthur Mill Ter of Nebraska of the party had ever seen Alaska before, and their visits had been but fleeting ones. Chairman Peterson said that here tofore all he knew about Alaska he had gotten from former Delegate anthony J. Dimond and present Delegate Bob Bartlett.
 My original picture of the Ter ritory," he commented, "was a picture in my old geography book of an igloo with an Eskimo stand ing out in front. have a different idea now"
 They visited canneries, talked fish, dug into the pulpwood possi- bilities; heard most of the prob- lens of Southeast Alaska and then. went on to Cordova, Kodiak, Hom- CT and Matanuska. Palmer farmers all their wives did themselves proud with a farm dinner which had even the Congressmen from the farm states hanging on the ropes.
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 From Anchorage some of the ! patty went to Fairbanks by train, visiting Mckinley National Park en route Others flew up. Those in the park had the rare opportunity of seeing wolves casing caribou, about to make a kill
 Public hearings were held in Fairbanks, then trips were made to Fort Yukon for some members, visiting adjacent mining areas, and talking informally with local citizens, and for five of the Con- gressmen flight to Point Barrow, the oil field region. With veter- an Alaska pilot Sasseen, now a fly ing Army officer, at the controls the Barrow party winged on down the coast to Nome. At the north ernmost point, some of the hardy lawmakers waded in the Arctic ocean Gin their good old Alaska oyershoes). It was the warmest day of the summer at Barrow-38 above. Navy Seabees on the job said it was ''balmy.p Congressman Larcade Louisiana's best salesman, | think it was warm. It was the only occasion when T,ouisiana's Cor gressman was stuck with his own phrase with which he usually pre- faced his remarks "of all the things we have in Louisiana"
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 At Nome. highlight perhaps. was dances put on by the King Is- landers Carl Loman held a recep- tion for the visitors where they met and talked to most of u the Diomedeson uttp omrr, of rrrce towns inhabitants. Flight out over Bering Sea gave them a glimpse of the Diomedes and International to Fairbanks, via the Kuskokwim route and a splendid view of Mt Mckinley from 15,000 feet as pi- lot Sasseen circled the peak while the Congressmen took pictures
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 From the visit of this committee may come many things for Alaska It is this committee which ap- proves-or disapproves- much of the House legislation for Alaska. It is the belief of this column that the members are going back deter mined to give Alaska a helping hand. We feel Alaska has been fortunate in having them visit the Territory to see at first hand what