The Wrangell sentinel., 1946-06-28
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERTSCOPE

Anchorage Chamber group which chartered an airplane to fly east to press their case for an air route from Chicago via Anchorage have been getting quite a reception. Or iginally destined only for Chicago, the AnchOrageites decided 10 go on to Washington when they got to the Windy City. present a ping salmon to President Truman and make the most of their expedition. Out of In- terior Secretary Krug, according to news reports. they got promise of support for the proposed northern cute; out of Washington States Senator Hugh Mitchell they got a different kind of a raise. He was iTats because of his pledge to the Seattle route and demanded to know why Gov. Gruening was making the trip. Said he to an Associated Press reporter:
 'I intend to ask why the Cover nor of Alaska took part in a flight to Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Washington in the interest of a pri- yate commercial airline which wish es to bypass the traditional trans portatiOn lines through Seattle which have served Alaska in the past and must serve the Territory in the future"
 The Senator, as Senators often are, was mistaken. The junket was not in the interest of any private line. The flight was made by chart cred ship with the aim of urging some kind of line via Alaska from the east; not any particular line There was no objection to the Seat tie line, but an additional air route from Chicago to Anchorage was re- quested so that Alaska could get adequate air service. If the Senator had done little checking in Seat tie he would have found the backlog at the airline coming to Alaska three weeks to a month behind. So far behind in fact, that a Los An- geles air service is running to Ju- neau right now with full payloads out of Seattle on charter. When a charter service can operate to AL aska with capacity loads 1t would indicate the regular carriers have more traffic than they can possibly handle, and it would further indi- cate the need of additional certified air rOutes to the Territory.
 Said Director of Territories Ed win G. Arnold:
 Neither the Governor nor any of the Alaskans on the trip were pro- noting the interest of any airline. They came here Washington ask ing for certification of route from Alaska to the midwest to be flown by an Alaskan airline. I think it was immaterial to them what com psny would operate the route."
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 In Alaska is Major General Harry c. Ingles, Chief Signal Officer of the U. s. Army, looking over the AL aska Communication System, part of the worldwide communication service he directs from Washington, D. c. This week he was down the Aleutian chain and in the Interior. One of his tasks is to get war-gear- ed communications back to postwar basis. Plan for ACS is continued eff ficient service with ultimate expan- sion to give Alaska communities bet ter communication, he explained. One of the ambitions is to connect southeast Alaska by cable with Skagway where the present Army land line from the States termin- ates. This would mean land line ser vice between Southeast and Inter for and Westward Alaska as well as direct communication to the States. Canadian air force now operates the line within Canada to Edmon- ton from where the f,terta Tale- phone company, a nr.vate "3 'n -'... takes over to funnel into connection with American companies in the States.
 There WIS still 2 p1@e,hilitv t''qt Pesident Truman would visit alls'.a this summer Gov. Gruening again extended an invitation in behalf 0f the Territory when he ws in Wash ington and Gov. Mon Wallgren nf Washington has been urging the President to visit the Evergreen o+e+a then come to Alaska by boat The President said he was und 'cided