The Daily Alaska empire., 1948-10-04

alleged infiltration has been under way for some time in both Alaska and Seattle.
 The Congressman declared the manning of fishing boats by non- naturalized Yugo-S -Slavs, brought to the United States during the lat ter part of the war to operate the war -interned fishing fleets of the Japanese and Italians, is analogous to the situation before Pearl Har- bor.
 How Japs Did It
 We know the Japanese, under the guise of innocent fishermen, thor oughly ciarted the Aleutians. the Gulf and the islands of Sovtheast Alaska, Canada and on down the West Coast" McDowell said.
 Information emanating from the West Coast leads us to believe the Communists may be trying to dc the same thing now" Mcdowell added.
 Mcdowell asserted that his reve- lation of the preliminary investiga- ton would not hinder the case since key figures already know VIC are slipping up on them
 Alaskans "SOlidly Loyal"
 As far as the residents of Alas ka are concerned, Mcdowell saic they are "solidly loyal' and offel most unfertile field for the spread Iof Comn1unistic doctrines. While paying tribute to the loyal ty of the many Serbs, Croats, Slo' vencs, Montenegrins and Dalma tians who have been "Americanizec into good Americans" Mcdowell de. clared the perceptible increase il the registration of Yugo-Slav man. ned fishing boats and the increasing northernward movement of the yes sels demands a thorough investiga- tion.
 Investigations Among reasons given by McDow. ell for instigation of the curren investigations were:
 1. Many of the Yugo-Slays nov fishing off Ketchikan and in tht Gulf belong to a union known tt be in complete control of the Com munlsts.
 ?. Numbers of the fishermen art known to have come from the parl of Yugo-Slavia most militantly pro- Communist In this area, McDowel said the Communists grabbed the fraternal union of the Croats, which owned an insurance company witf twenty million dollars in resources
 Beats We'll Equipped
 3. Fishing boats are equipped with radio and other devices which might constitute immediate aid tt an enemy in time of stress.
 4. Most of the Slav fishermen have relatives in Yugo-Slavia, ane might fear to disobey Soviet orders for fear of reprisals against >theil family or friends, since the Sovie, leaders will not hesitate to use tht basest forms of terrorism to keeE their work under way on the Pa cific Coast.
 Verified Data
 Mcdowell said his committee hac plenty of verified data to use as a basis for conducting the investi- gation. There have been no reports of organized Communist activity Ey Alaskans in the Territory, the con- gressmen said.
 Mcdowell said he had expected to spend this month and next or the West Coast, following importan, leads in Seattle, and then going ur the coast as far as Nome. Current hearings here on the alleged Com munist spy rings within the govern ment caused him to delay the trip He said he hoped to get North by next spring at the latest, but haz. arded no guess as to when.
 Against Statehood
 Mcdowell, who has never been 1T Alaska, expressed great admiration for the Territory and its citizens paying special tribute to the abl, work in Congress of Judge Tony Dimond. former Territorial Delegate
 Asked if he would vote for state hood, should bill reach the House next session, Mcdowell said hs thought he would not
 T question the wisdom of giving statehood to any territory off oul shores or separated from the Unit. ed States proper by foreign soil, the congressman declared. '"The ab- sence of Communist activity woule