The Daily Alaska empire., 1945-08-13
GOVERNOR E. GRUENING' 5 VIEWS CONCERNING
 ENDORSEMENT:

or Statehood for Alaska is an event o major importance to the Territotry Coming on the same day as the wort of Japans surrender, it marks Aug ust 10 as a red-letter day in Alaska history.
 "The Interior Departments en' dorsement of statehood is therefore timely in every sense. The influ ence of such a pronouncement i considerable. By it is removed on' source of opposition to statehood which has existed hitherto, leaving the issue between the people ot Alaska and the Congress of the United States. If the people of Alas ka desire statehood and so record their desire at the referendum es- tablished by the last Legislature for the coming general election in October, 1946, I have little doubt that Congress, responsive to the wishes of vast and increasingly important area of America, will grant statehood.
 This historic moment furnishes the opportunity for me to express the view that I have voiced on var ious occasions, that statehood is not only desirable but indispensable to the welfare, development and pro- gress of Alaska AS one who has for the past eleven years been deal ing with various branches of the Federal government, legislative as well as administrative. know that until Alaska is represented in the capital of the nation by two sena- tors and at least one representative all with a vote, Alaska will not se- cure that share of beneficial legisla- ton and of appropriations to which it is entitled. However effective may he our Delegate to Congress and Alaska has been more than for. tunate in the last twelve years ir having Anthony J. Dimond and now E. L. (Bob) Bartlett as its Delegate "a voteless representative can dC little more than go with hat in hand to committees of Congress and tc government agencies which pay SC vital a part in our Alaskan affairs.
 Out of our immediate present may be cited any number of in stances of discrimination against Alaska which would not have oc- cured had we been a state. Among them are:
 1.-The denial of overseas credit points for discharge to AlaskanS ir the Army.
 "2.-The attempt to remove the twenty-five per cent differential from Alaskan federal employees and yet to give it to those coming from the states to work in Alaska.
 "3.-The difficulties that we have to secure adequate shipping and to permit us to continue to secure the advantages, brought by continued suspension of the Jones Act.
 "4-The failure to include Alaska in the Federal Highway Act under which millions of dollars for road building have been denied the Terri tory to which it was rightfully en- titled.
 "5.-The denial to Alaska of the increased appropriation for agricul- tural experiment stations recently granted to these stations in the states. These are only few oi a long list, but I mention these because they are all timely.
 Tt was precisely this type of ex- perience that long since convinced our devoted former Delegate to Con. gress, Tony Dimond, of the impera. tive necessity of securing statehood at the earliest possible moment, ane similarly convinced Delegate Bart. lett.
 Finally, it is not only proper ane desirable but in conformity with tht basic principles of democracy thai the people should have the right tt elect their own Governor, and alst the Secretary of the Territory, wht is in effect the Lieutenant Governor
 One need not, therefore, go into the abstract and imponderable ad. vantageS of statehood, which art themselves clear, in order to grasI that statehood will be tangibly ane materially beneficial to Alaska. A! for the abstract reasons, I thinl we need not argue that American citizenship is the most precious pos session In the world. We in Alaska enjoy it only in part. AS long a. Alaska remains Territory we can. not vote for President. As long a. Alaska remains Territory we can. not register our will effectivel. through the Congress of the United ! States. It seems to me unthinkabl' that an area so vast, so varied, St important, both strategically and as { reservoir of national resources should any longer be kept from full self government and the right to rul, within It's own house. as membe