The Daily Alaska empire., 1951-08-23

and the North Olympic Peninsula than in Alaska, and yet at the time, Aaskans cannot fail to resent not being represented in Congress except by dele gate without vote.
 Realistically however, it should be understood that partisan politics and personal political ambitions
 in addition to economics considerations mixed with and motvating the pros and of Alaska State hood
 As such, being strictly non-p partisan md non political Chamber, said before, has avoided this issue although have long taken the position that the residents of Alaska should have full oppor tunity to suggest and recommend their choice of Governor for the Territory.
 And now, in all frankness, am compelled to comment on the attitude of the present Governor as lit relates to Seattle think you will recognize that it is nothing new political leadership to divert the lattention of people their difficulties and prob lems by placing the blame on what is called whip ping bow, Since the dawn of history it has been customary for rulers to lay the ills of the people on innocent parties hoping thus to appease and pro- pitiate the jory of citizens Hitler did this With the Jews Wall Street has been the favorlte target of political harangung in our country. As far ! Alaska is concerned, Governor Gruening and others have been using Seattle Both openly and by infer ence our business firms have been accused of having stranglehold the economy of Alaska. Our hotels are said to charge higher rates to Alaskans, our merchants higher prices. We stand accused of pre- venting wholesale outlets from being established in the Territory itself that we could control the business Our steamship line has been denounced as monopoly, and so forth.
 Recently task force of the Senate Armed Services Committee visited Alaska and echoed these charges Their report to Congress, admitted the ac- cusations against Seattle were allegations and no investigation of them had been made, but even So the effect was damaging The Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce wrote the Chairman of the Sub-Com- mittee Senator Hunt supporting Seattle and asking that this part of the Committees report be deleed
 In Senator Hunts acknowledgement, he said the source of material contained in the report confidential But if it did not come from the Governor it is almost word for word what he has been saying. "The point am making, however is that cam paien to give Seattle blackeye is being waged We in Alaska have been familiar with the situa- ton Mir Pely describes and the Empire believes his conclusions to be sound.
 We have previously called attention to the in csion in the Task Report of antitrust charges against Seattle firms Why they dragged into this Senate report is not difficult to guess.
 That Alaskans have friends in Seattle in spite of the years of run-around Seattle has been given by certain people in government in Alaska may be due to the fact that there are old friendships of long standing between Alaskans and Seattle friendships strong enough withstand the misleading propaganda against the Puget Sound port.
 That Seattle has been the whipping boy" of the present Alaska administration there can be no doubt We have been told that at time an offer was made to withdraw the spite campaign against Seattle if the Seattle Chamber of Commerce would endorse statehood for the Territory.
 But because tie Seattle Chamber of Commerce considers statehood our own business it has attempted to take no sides in this controversial matter. And so the administrations propaganda machine has continued to spread prejudice and ill will against Seattle.