WASHINGTON CONGRESSMAN
GIVES VIEWS ON HIGHWAY
Repying to requests received
from all over the United States
for 3 statement regarding pro
grcss toward the construction of
an internatinal highway leading
through British Columbia, Con
gressman Warren G. Magnuson
of Washington, recently prepared
the following explanation of the
situation as it exists today. Con
gressmen Magnuson is chairman
of the Alaskan International
Highway Commission, appointed
by the President to investigate
the possibilities of highway con
struction in cooperation with a
similar committee representing
Canada. The situation was sum
med up as fol'ows:
Routes
The route favored by the Am
erican Commission is the one
known as the A Route. This
starts from Prince George, Brit
ish Columbia, already connected
by roads from Vancouver and
from the Trans-Canadian High
way, which in turn is accessible
from practically all parts of Can
ada and the United States, thence
northerly in the Rocky Moun
tains through to Atlin, British
Columbia, and Whitehorse in Yu
kon Territory. From there, still
on a more or less direct line past
Fort Kluane. across the interna
tional boudary into the head
waters of the Tanana River and
down this drainage to Fairbanks
in Alaska.
The .American Commission is
convinced that the most strategic
point is Whitehorse. It is not hide
bound as to how Whitehorse is
reached, but. for the defense of
interior Alaska, Whitehorse of
fers the greatest attraction, the
reasons for which will be ampli
fied later.
On the other hand the Can-,
adian Commission favors the B;
.Route or that one lying farther
east and west of the Stikine
.Mountains. The point of start is
the same, namely Prince George.
The route roughly parallels the
A Route. It runs by Finlay Forks,
Lower Liard Post, Fort Francis,
•and the Polly River to Dawson
on the Yukon River, the prin
cipal town of the Yukon Terri
tory, thence across the hills into
the Forty Mile country of Al
aska and on to Fairbanks.
Surveys
A.s the proposed highway lies
largely in Canada, the major
part of the surveying has been
performed by Canadian Federal
and Provincial surveyors. The
surveys have been almost en
tire’y in the nature of recon
naissances but having been ex
ecuted by able engineers a very
good picture has been obtained
of all possibilities. The amount
expended by the Canadian Com
mission has been far in excess of
that incurred by the American
Commission. There has been
made a careful tabulation of
meteorological information, char
acter of the terrain, costs of con
struction, and of benefits to be
derived. With a primary idea
that Dawson should be the ob
jective, more attention has been
directed to the B Route than to
the A Route, but to meet the de
sires of the American Commis
sion they have in the past sum
mer continued studies of the
western route. The Canadian
Commission is entirely sympath
etic to the American problems
and wish to work with us in the
greatest of harmony. However,
it must be borne in mind that
the Canadian Commission is one
of fact finding only and is with
out the power of recommenda
tion either as to routes or of fin
ancing. Having submitted a re
port, the matter becomes one of
diplomatic conversations.
During the past month of June
the United States Commission
arranged for a ground recon
naissance from Big Delta on the
Tanana River to the internation
al boundary to be made by engin
eers of that most efficient service,
the Alaska Read Commission.
We have the result of this sur
vey and find that the Alaskan Sec
tion of the road can be built at a
cost not exceeding that for sim
ilar ro.ads in the States. There
are only a few small bridges to
be erected and perhaps short
stretches of triarchy lands where
the road must bo filled or carried
on pile structures. In Alaska
road building will be simple. The
reconnaissance survey was ex
ecuted at a ridiculously small
cost. This Commission would re
commend that the highway in A1
aska be built by the Alaska Road
Commission as they have a high
ly trained personnel and it is
headed by a most resourceful on
gineer who through years of star
viation has found out how to
make $1 do the work of two. The
1 Army has found it advantageous
to utilize this organization in the
location and construction of the
Matanuska cutoff.
Arguments for Routes
The Canadian arguments are
all valid from their view-points.
It is the most direct route from
Prince George to Dawson. The
cost of construction as far as
Dawson is probably cheaper. It
is nearer a chain of air fields con
structed and being constructed in
Canada. Less fog is claimed, al
though this is not conclusively
demonstrated. Natural resources
are thought to be greater. There
are fewer passes to be negotia
ted. Snow- conditions in winter
may be less. On this there is con
dieting evidence.
On the other hand, the Ameri
can Commission prefers the A
Route. It is nearer the coast, al
lowing of the construction of
branch roads into southeastern
Alaska, whih w-ould be difficult
Alaska, which would be difficult
to obtain from the B Route. The
ments to tourist travel. To reach
Ahiska, the Yukon must be span
ned by a colossal bridge either
at Dawson, or higher on the-ri
ver at the mouth of the Pelly
River, or at Five Finger Rapids.
Chief reason of all, though, is the
matter of the defense of Alas
ka, where the Government is ex
pending a hundred million dol
lars or moire.
Perilous Position
Alaska at the present moment
is reached from the United States
only by water and by air. In case
of loss of control of the Pacific
to hostile forces, the great air
field at Fairbanks and the large
Army post at Anchorage would
be cut off in the matter of heavy
equipment; tanks and trucks
could be flown in unassembled.
It would take thousands of
freight planes to supply the mili
tary and civilian populations. A1
aska would probably have to be
evacuated, particularly should
Russia fall :.nd a German-Japan
‘ ese combination contr >1 the As
iatic bore. only 56 m les in Ber
ing Strait from the A asikia main
land and only half of '.his dis
tance if th Diomede Islands are
taken into consideration. Wi b
Alaska an alien b se, the whole
northwestern part of the contin
ent would be under continuOU"
threat. This is not a probability
but a scrmiis po-- ibility.
The American Commission fa
vors the immediate construction
of a road from Fairbanks to
Whitehorse. Not construction in
a hazy future but now. During
the winter months supplies and
equipmen can he sit ddt d to cen
tral points for distribution so
that with spring thaws oprra
.ic is :n commence.
Pivotal Point
Whi'-rhoris a pivotal point.
Whitehorse is the terminus of
the White Pass and Yukon Rail
way star*1 -g at Skagwayon Lynn
Canal, a p rt op n a* all times of
tho year t o" on-borne traffic.
Whitehorse is !v ;d of Yukon
River ra\'igation and river steam
ers loadng at Whitehorse can and
do reach Fairbanks through the
Tanun River which flows into the
Yukon. Whitehorse is on the
northern air route from all ports
of Canada and the United States.
(To be continued in the next
issue)
I
I
'
►
I I PV P Pf P I PI I I
| p[ I j I
R;...
BRITISH WAR (HIKES C \lFR 'T WHITE HOUSE
These ISritisli army anti navy chiefs are shown as they aiviveti at t-ie White House tor a confer
ence with President Roosevelt and Winston Chur hill. Lt'.t to right: Atlmiial of the Fleet Sir Dud
ley Pound; Air Chief Sir Charles Portal; Field .Marshal Sir John Dill; Lieut. Gen. Sir ( olville
W’emy.'s, and Air Marshal A. T. Harris.
GLORY THAT IS OLD GLORY'S —Mother Nature really outdid herself frosting up this view for I'ncle Sam. who own*
these mountains. It shows smoke-rising from Iliamna volcano in Alaska; picture was taken at 9.000 feet from i I S Army Air t orp\ plan*
iiT iflliMMMwHiM w' mmmwmmimmmmm ■ m
list" A TIDCrN fWII fY Repeatedly “sunk” by Axis claims, Britain’s 22,000-ton aircraft carrier, the Ark Royal (above),
LllXlZ A I IKCLf vM I LL/ finally did sink Nov. 14, “toppling over like a tired child" while being towed after a submarine
attack east of Gibraltar. Thus did the Axis settle a score against the Ark Royal, for it was torpedo-carrying planes from this carrier that
sank Germany’s new battleship, the 35,000-ton Bismarck, May 27 in swift revenge for Bismarck's sinking of another British ship, the 42.100
ton cruiser Hood. Japan on Dec. 10 sank Britain's new 35,000-ton battleship Prince of Wales and 32,000-ton cruiser Repulse, off Malaya.
Dollars Sent Away For Printing Never YOUR HOME MERCHANTS \
Come Back -- Let Us Do Your Printing ask you to "BUY at home*’ }
1 ----- ■