The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1950-07-03
Korean Situation May Jam
Alaska, Hawaii Statehood
Bills Through U. 5. Senate

pIcScHt WlleIl IL CAME 10 Calling
the roll on reporting the bills.
An informal poll of non-com-
mittee senators of both parties DIS
closed that the majority, including
those who were apathetic on sta 1e-
hood, now side with O'Mahoney's
views.
Sen. Clinton Anderson, NJ NJ,
will steer the Alaska bill through
floor debate. He conducted recent
hearings on the House bill. His
sharp questions, aimed at both pro-
ponents and opponents, brought out
weak points in the measure, with
the result that the bill reported 70
the Senate has been amended in
many ways. Most changes favor
the Territory, especially in the
matter of lands to be awarded
the State OF Alaska.
Believes Passage Certain
Il have no doubt that we will
pass both statehood bills, certainly
the Alaska BILL before we go home"
Anderson told this reporter in the
presence of senatorial colleagues.
Then he jutted his jaw. A senator
ial Stander-by remarked: When
Clinton juts his jaw like that, he
never fails to get his way"
Until this weeks crisis in Korea,
Alaska statehood advocates held
any outside hope of getting action.
They hoped the President would
pour on the heat, since the plat
form of the National Democratic
Convention called for granting
statehood to Alaska and Hawaii
Furthermore, proponents had the
idea that the President might in
sist on action to provide Demo-
cratic congressional candidates with
see what-we-did- arguments" if
Congress failed to enact sizeable
hunk of his must" legislation, such
as civil right, low-income and
middle-income housing and Federal
aid TO education
Turn Down PRESIDENT
Although neither House or Sen
ate has come through with much
legislation called for by the Chief
Executive, both houses have passed
some "watered down" measures
which halfway comply with the
Presidents wishes-enough so that
minor, not-too-controversial planks
need not be pressed at this session,
especially in view of the present
bipartisan will to strengthen the
country's course of action.
Apathy, heretofore the greatest
deterrent to immediate grant of
statehood, apparently is out the
window. This apathy stemmed
from the Majority Party leader
ship in the Senate.
Former Republican Congressman
Everett Dirksen is giving Senate
Majority Leader Scott Lucas tough
competition IN the Illinois senator
ial race. Lucas wanted to close
shop as soon as appropriations
were out of the way, SO he could
60 home and fight for reelection.
Statehood for the territories is not
even a remote issue in Illinois.
Neither could Sen. Francis j.
Myers, Majority Whip. summon en-
thusiasm for prolonging Congress
to take up the statehood measures
Few of his Pennsylvania constitu-
ents care whether Alaska and Ia
wall are states or territories, but
mny are falling off Myers band
wagon.
Lucas and Myers determine, for
the most part, what bills shall
come to debate. Aided by lack of
interest on the part of Sen. Robert
A. Taft, Minority Party policy
chairman, Lucas and Myers had
written off time for statehood de-
bates. Now, tension over the inter-
national situation is apt to force