The Wrangell sentinel., 1951-10-05
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERISCOPE
The Rivers Move in AS
;. :. '''''H'i!-ss


 Back in 1948, the year that liar " Truman talked himself into the presidency, Ernest Gruening, the Governor of Alaska, ever since his Harvard pal FDR wished the man tie on him some Il years ago, call cd this Periscoper, the then Secre- tary of Alaska, into his office and expounded something as follows:
 Lew, there's a bad report B. gainst you back in the department. I am not at liberty to tell you where it comes from, but l thought you ought to know"
 We replied something as fol- lows: Well, Ernest, Vic (meaning Victor 0. Rivers. at that time a Territorial Senator and since bad ly defeated in the Third Division for re-election) has always been a candidate for a territorial job and I suppose he'd like to have this one if he can get it."
 Ernest denied that Vic had d thing to do about the so-called bad report" On Sept. 12, 1851, the next day after We had been fired by Harry Truman, we drop ped in to see the Governor for an interview for The Sentinel. In course of the conversation Ernest made this comment:
 Lew, you remember how it was when Vic made that complaint a. gainst you when you were up for re-appointment two years ago.
 It took Ernest quite while to get around to admitting that one of his boys had been in on the deal. Ernest forgets that we have a fairly sharp memory for a guy the President declares to be in competent.
 So, Williams, being an amateur politician at best, on learning of the bad report,", dropped a note to Senator Ernest MacFarland of Arizona, who was the second top man on the Senate Interior com mittee in those days, 1949, and who today is the majority leader of the Senate. We kind of wanted to know whether We were going back in the printers ink forth with. or what the score appeared to be back in Washington.
 Senator MacFal land, who, under our modest tutelage got to be quite a grayling fisherman up on Cari- bou Creek in Mckinley Park, wrote back in substance as follows:
 You're in, (meaning re-appoint- ment) and tell my friend the Governor that he's in, too.'
 Ernest didn't believe it, even af- ter We showed him the letter Af- ter all, his re-appointment was be- ing delayed and plans were being made for demonstration in Wash ington, D. G., in his behalf. Mean while, our appointment came through as of March 15, 1949.
 The Gruening cohorts, mindful that the Governors re-appointmenI was still in abeyance in early Ap- Til, were making their own play. They were going to Washington with brass bands. Stan Me Cutcheon, who had moved up as President of Alaska Airlines as a "Gruening can do no wrong boy" arranged to send a chartered plane back to appear before the confirm ation committee. The fare offered the passengers became. later, a matter of considerable controversy. Meanwhile, Williams had been confirmed without opposition.
 Was it Bob DeArmond who said something about waving a red flag before Senator Mccarthy? That's what we're getting at. It was ap- proximately the same thing. Can you imagine-Williams confined Gruening's confirmation in doubt ?
 The Special Session
 We're reminded of the old story: Come the revolution and you will eat strawberries. It re. minds us of that 194S year tc which We have just been referring As will be recalled, it was quite g successful year for the Democrats as well as the pseudo Democrats; the latter being the kind who gel elected by hanging on the majority party coat-tails.
 Ernest couldn't contain himseI
 Continued next column)