Alaska Statehood
Seen Risky With
U.S.-Red Tension
By FRANK W. VAILLE
lAP Special Washington Service'
WASHINGTON, UP>—Speaker of
the House Martin (R-Mass) said
Tuesday he now considers state
hood legislation to- be up in the
air at this session of Congress.
“I honestly couldn’t say,” he
replied when asked how he saw
the prospects for passage of pend
ing statehood bills for either—or
both—Hawaii and Alaska.
Martin reiterated, however, his
accord with the House action in
voting to admit only Hawaii in
contrast with Senate approval of
statehood for both territories.
He said he is not opposed to the
idea of granting statehood to Al
aska when he feels the territory
is ready.
“I have nothing but the best of
good will for Alaska,” he declared.
“I think it is right that they
should seek statehood.”
“I don’t believe, however, that
Alaska is developed enough, that
it has people enough or wealth
enough for statehood at this time.”
Martin suggested also that “it
might be hazardous to give state
hood to Alaska with the present
tenseness between Russia and the
United States.”
Noting that Alaska lies “right
in the path” of potential aggres
sion, he said he felt the United
States could move into Alaska
more quickly “if i' doesn’t have
to deal with state authorities.” |
Martin was asked if he felt the
proposal to give statehood to only
the populated areas of Alaska,
with the unpopulated western and
northern sections remaining a ter
ritory, would meet this objection.
He indicated he felt it might, but
added:
“The people up there don’t want
_ —
Arctic Sanitary Service
Phone RED 181
Federation of Women’s
Clubs Urges Statehood
Bill Be Passed by House
WASHINGTON, UP1—Respond
ing to appeal by Alaska Gov. B.
Frank Heintzleman the General
Federation of Women’s Clubs,
Mrs. Oscar A. Ahlgren, president,
Tuesday called on the Federation
of State Presidents and legislative
committee chairmen in every state
of the Unicm to ask members of
Congress to bring the Alaska
statehood bill out of the House
Rules Committee and have it
passed by the House.
In his appeal to the federation,
the governor paid tribute to the
Alaskan men and women who
flew here last week to urge Hcmse
action on statehood. The appeal
follows:
“On behalf of the half hundred
representative men and women
who came to Washington from all
parts of Alaska at their own ex
pense in chartered plane to make,
for themselves and the folks back
home, personal appeals to the
President and the leaders and in
dividual members of the House of
Representatives, let me ask re
newed declaration of your sup
port at this time in behalf of
statehood for Alaska.
“The women of America, rep
resented by you as head of the
great General Federation of Wo
men’s Clubs, can not help but be
a strong influence in our effort to
get action now by the House
Rules Committee on the Alaska
statehood bill.
“Please accept our thanks on
behalf of all the people of Alaska
for your past support.’’
Half the continent of South Am
erica is covered by tropical rain
forests.
that. I received more telegrams
after that was proposed . .
Martin also said he feels too
many of Alaska’s voters are em
ployed by the federal government.
He said it wouldn’t be a good
thing to have two senators and a
representative “looking hungrily
toward a bureaucracy” on which
much of Alaska’s development
would depend..
154-11
Senate Group Approves
Bill to Extend Benefits of
Water Conservation Laws
WASHINGTON, WP—The Senate
Agriculture Committee Monday
approved a bill which would ex
tend to the whole country the
benefits of water conservation leg
islation now applying only to 17
Western states.
Under it, the secretary of agri
culture is authorized to formulate
a program for the construction
and maintenance of water facili
ties to promote proper utilization
of land.
It has been applied so far only
to arid and semi-arid sections of
the Western states. The new legis
lation would extend it to all states
and to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto
Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Loans to individuals and groups
for this purpose are made by the
Farmers Home Administration.
The committee also approved
an amendment which would allow
loans to be obtained from banks
and other sources and to be in
sured by the government.
The bill would increase the
amount which could be loaned on
any one project from $100,000 to
$250,000.
Vermont “Gold Rush”
Didn’t Last Long
RICHFORD, Vt., UP—George
Tyler will be remembered long as
the man who spoiled the weekend
“gold rush” in this Canadian bor
der town of 2,600.
Diggers excavating a cellar-hole
for a Knights of Columbus build
ing made the “strike” and a nitric
acid test, applied by a local jewel
er, seemed to indicate they had
struck the real thing.
But along came Tyler, principal
of nearby Enosburg High School,
to pronounce the “gold” iron or
copper pyrite—“fool’s gold”—
which resembles the $35 per fine
troy ounce article in everything
but value.
.." —.
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