The Daily Alaska empire., 1948-05-26
Railroad to Alaska Is Needed at Once
Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

At some time in the future Congress will begin considering omnibus appropriation bill to finance the strengthening of continental defense system.
 This measure should provide an adequate sum 200 million dollars at leasfor the construction of railroad northward through Canada to Alaska And It is up to the members of Washngtons Congressional delegation to that it does.
 There is general agreement that such railroad IS absolutely essential to the successful defense of Alaska
 and everyone recognizes that Alaska would be of the first objects of an enemy attack in of war and that fall would jeopardze the security of the entre North American continent.
 As early as 1e42 The -Intelligencer published the statements the surveyor general and the minister of public works of British Columbia that the Alaska Military Highway, which had just been completed was incapable of supplying more than one division oi troops in Alaska when utilized to its maxlmum capacity
 The United States government reached the same conclusion as was made evident by the fact that as soon as the Japanese attacked the Aleutians neces- stating the transfer of large force to Alaska, it began to make arrangements for the construction or railroad across Canada.
 The army engineers made survey for such rall- road extending from Prince George B. O., to Alaska It was remarkable feat They showed how l4oo- mile road could be built without a single graoe Ill excess of Is per cent (which means rise or 1al oi 1Ib feet in 100 feet) with 5000 miles which would never deviate more than 10 miles from straight line
 The survey was completed early in 1943 and the army far to give letters ot intent to hul- Der of contractors he Puget Sound Bridge and Dreog inc Company among theml for bridges, culverts ana special track work then the Japanese were driven out o rSska and Attu eliminating the need for large forces in Alaska and the War Department announced that the plan for the railroad had been put aside for the moment.
 Recent international developments however, make clear that the railroad is more urgently neeoeo than ever before-the most recent of these deVeiop- ments being a radio commentators announcement that two-track railroad from Moscow to the Berlng Sea has just been completed. It has become apparent that we must maintain far more than dlVsion or troops in Alaska for indefinite time to come-aha the only practicable way of keeping them suppheu is by rail.
 Shipping to and from Alaska has been subject to so many interruptions that cannot depend on It when our national security is at stake. Air transpor- tation is avaable-but single train, With crew oi five men, can carry much freight as oo oi our largest cargo planes. And it would take zoo trucA the existence of railroad north of S1ton fass' eA- highway even if the roads capacity were not hmlteo
 While it is military necessity which calls for the immediate construction of the railroad, 1t must be remembered that the project would be Of lncalcuiape value to the peacetme economy of the whole Pacnlc Northwest The road would tap the Peace AlVer country in British Columbia which contains the rcn- est anthracite coal deposits on the North Amerlca continent as well as vast and largely undeveiopeo agricultural region with the longest growing season and the greatest grain yield per in this part of the Western Hemisphere. If tariff barriers are re- moved the day may come when this region Will De one of the major sources of fuel and 1000 TOT the Pacific Northwest
 At present there is no traffic potential to justify drivers to haul tranload of cargo over the military cept for military purposes But as Alaska develops the traffic potential will grow and nothing "oulu speed the deveopment of Alaska to such degree as the railroad.