Laurel outlook., 1946-04-17
MISUNDERSTANDING OF
ALASKA ARE NUMEROUS,
.SANOE SAYS IN ADDRESS

Propaganda OF the chamber of
commerce type has led to much
misunderstanding of Alaska, in the
opinion of Charles B. Sande, Laurel
attorney and former G. l. who
spent three and a half years in
the territory. Sande was the guest
speaker Tuesday at a meeting of
the Rotary club and recounted his
impressions of the region and some
of his experiences. His hitch of
service in the army's intelligence
department took him to the princi-
pal cities and towns, occasionally
into the wilds and to the Aleutians.
He said most of the soldiers did
not like being there, chiefly be-
cause they were compelled to stay,
a condition that prevailed in all
the theaters of the war. One of
his objections was the rain, which
totaled ia inches at Ketchikan in
the extreme southern end or "ban-
ana belt" with other sections del
uged proportionately. He found
Anchorage resembling Laurel of Is
years ago. Although his journeys
took him to Juneau, the capital,
and to Seward and Nome he did
not penetrate the Arctic circle. One
of the misconceptions held by those
on the outside has been the tenn
peratures, which Sande found to re-
semble northern United States.
The principal industries continue
to be mining and fishing, both of
which are carried on as big bust
nesses by a few concerns. An in
dividual has a slim chance of max
ing a killing at either. Individual
fishermen, however, make good
money during the summer.
Most of the travel is by airplane,
which the native Indians also en-
ploy when they can. Lack of trans
p~ortation by land is a hampering
condition resulting largely from the
nature of the territory over which
routes would have to travel.
The speaker mentioned a feder-
ally fostered farming project near
Anchorage, and estimated that had
the government given each of the
settlers $4,000 and maintenance
for the remainder of his life the
government would have been ahead.
The project does produce good
crops and Sande was of the opinion
that it probably will be enlarged.
Many millions in money were
poured into Alaska because of the
war, but a number of the projects
have been abandoned for one rea-
son or another. The Alcan high
way is difficult to travel and may
soon revert to the wilderness.
The Indians resemble those in the
States; they subsist on fishing and
some hunting and are wards of the
government. They have more lib
critics than the States Indians and
are not prohibited from frequenting
bars.
The "~forty-ninth" state question
crops up at recurring elections. A
movement continues for making .
Alaska a state, but the speaker was s
of the opinion that it void be best I
for both the territory and the !
States if Alaska remains a terri
tory. Political factions are based
on favoring or opposing the gov :
A lo~ng-standing issue has -,
been that of having an Alaskan for
governor instead of someone ap-
from the States. =
Sande told of his experiences in
the Aleutians, the terrific winds |
that often exceed 100 miles an hour, /
and the storms. Once a large plank
hurting through the side of
the hut in which he and some COM
panions were staying.
The speaker was introduced by
Joseph Gehrett, a program commit
Announcement was made that the
meeting of the preceding week had /
recorded 100 per cent attendance of
members and that only two were
absent from this weeks session.