The Daily Alaska empire., 1950-12-04
FLORIDA SENATOR
 ASKS STATEHOOD
 FOR TERRITORIES
By WILBUR JENNINGS

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 = R - Senator Holland (D-Fla) said to- day if the Alaskan statehood bill is not acted upon now it should get "as speedy attention as pos sible" at the next session of Con- gress.
 He told reporter that the press of legislation because of the Ko- rean war probably would cause a sidetracking of the Alaskan as well as the Hawaiian statehood bills for this session.
 New bills would have to be in troduced at the next session if the Senate does not act before Jan. 3.
 Since returning, the Senate has had under discussion motion to take up the Alaskan bill which would be followed by the Hawaiian bill Both bills passed the House during the spring.
 Holland said he is in favor of statehood for both Alaska and Ha- waii.
 "The only question which has con- cerned statehood for Hawaii he said, "is it's heterogeneous popula- ton, and these people have cer- tainly proved their loyalty both in World War II and the present Ko- rean conflict"
 Impressed by Alaskans
 Holland said he was "tremen- dously impressed" by a group of Alaskan Territorial officers, mayors and business leaders who appeared before the Senate Public Works Committee two years ago.
 Their aggressiveness and their many other fine qualities sold me on Alaska" he said. These men were of a hard-hitting type, like our early American pioneers. We need more of that group"
 He said that there were "so many arguments" in favor of Alaskan statehood that it would be impos- sible to enumerate them all.
 Alaska's Resources
 Alaska has unbounded re- sources" he said, "and they need statehood to have a chance to de- yelop them so that they can attract investors, new citizens and others who will help them open up the land"
 Holland said one objection to the bill had been Alaska's isolated ex- panses of land. But, he said, Cali fornia had perhaps as vast unde- veloped areas when it was admitted to the union.
 He said that Florida under Span ish and British rule and later under territorial government didn't be- gin to grow until it became state in 1845.
 Today" he said, Florida has population of 2,733,0O0 persons and ranks 20th among the states in population"
 Compares to Scandinavia
 Holland also stressed the point that much of Alaska is between the 55th and 65th parallels-the same parallels which cross the Scandina- vian countries with the highly developed centers of Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo.
 Rep. Peterson D-Fla), Chairman of the Public Lands Committee which reported favorably on both statehood bills, echoed Hollands remarks.
 Peterson said that T am con- vinced that both Alaska and Ha- wall should have statehood and the quicker the better. We promised them statehood long time ago"
 Florida for Statehood
 All Florida House members who were present voted in favor of the Alaskan bill when it was passed | 186-146 last March 3.
 When the Hawaiian bill came up four days later, Reps. Bennett, Her long, and Peterson, all Democrats, voted in favor of it, while Reps. | Sikes and Rogers, Democrats, op- posed the bill.
 The Senator sponsors of the ! Alaskan bill included three South ern Democrats, Pepper of Florida, Sparkman of Alabama and Ke- i fa,iypr If Tnrpoccoo