President Eisenhower Expected To
* Sign Statehood Bill By Thursday
By Frank W. Vaille
WASHINGTON, Itfl — Alaska
stood on |he edge of statehood—
its 42-yeai\ fight near an end.
The Senate, in an overwhelm
ing 64-20 vote accompanied by
gallery applause, completed con
gressional action Monday night
on a bill to admit Alaska as the
nation’s 49th state.
Only Presidential approval, ex
pected by Thursday, and formal
acceptance of its terms by Alas
kans are required to make state
hood a reality.
Sponsors confidently predicted
completion of these preliminaries
late this fall, in time for the new
state’s two senators and one rep
resentative to be on hand for
the opening of a new Congress
next January.
The action portended the first
change in the boundaries of the
United States since 1912 when
statehood was extended to Ariz
ona and New Mexico.
For Alaskans, statehood will
mean that for the first time since
the territory’s acquisition in 1867
its residents will have voting
representation in the House and
Senate, can elect their own gov
ernor and state officials, and can
vote for President and Vice Presi
dent.
Statehood also would give
Alaska the right to select
103,350,000 acres of its area, in
cluding mineral lands, as a poten
tial tax base for development
purposes. This still would leave
more than two-thirds of the new
state in federal ownership.
At present more than 99 per
cent of the total area of Alaska
is owned by the federal govern
ment, just as public lands such
as the national forests are so
owned. The new state would
take over its chosen areas as the
actual owner, with the right to
sell the land, lease it or use it
otherwise.
55 Miles From Russia
For the United States, it will
extend the limits of the union
within 55 miles of the Russian
mainland. Only three miles sep
arate Russian-held Big Diomede
Island in the Bering Strait from
Little Diomede Island which
would be a part of the new state.
It will also, advocates say, pro
vide the northern area with the
stability and impetus needed to
spur development of its economy
and attract increased population.
On the final vote, 31 Demo
crats and 33 Republicans lined
up to support Alaska’s bid for
admission. Thirteen Democrats
and seven Republicans opposed
the bill.
Still ahead are votes by Alas
kans on accepting * immediate
statehood, approving state boun
daries as set out in the bill and
on provisions permitting the Pres
ident to make national defense
withdrawals in the northwest
section of the state. Defeat of
any one of these propositions
would reject statehood.
The main controversy centers
on the defense withdrawal pro
vision, which has been questioned
on constitutional grounds.
The bill provides that the
President, at will, may pull out
for defense uses such areas as he
chooses in the northern and west
enr parts of the new state.
Those areas would go under
federal jurisdiction, much in the
fashion of an Army fort and its
attached operating grounds in
the continental United States.
In the areas subject to that ac
tion Alaska could not pick lands
for state ownership without
specific Presidential approval.
New Election
This balloting is expected to be
held simultaneously with the pri
mary election to determine nomi
nees for state and national of
fices. The general election will
follow the primary by not less
than 90 days but no later than
Dec. 1.
Results of this election and of I
the balloting on the separate
propositions then will be certified
to the President by Alaska’s Gov
ernor Mike Stepovich. This cer
tification will serve as the basis
for the Presidential proclamation
which then will make Alaska’s
admission official.
Passage of the legislation was
greeted with exuberance by Alas
kans in Washington.
Gov. Mike Stepovich said:
“Thank God for everything
that’s happened here. We will
show the people of the United
States they have not made* a
mistake.”
Delegate Bob Bartlett, the
Democrat who represents Alaska
in the House of Representatives,
said:
“This is a great day. This is
the greatest day in Alaska’s his
history. The Congress has acted
wisely and in the national in
terest. We of Alaska will justify
what has been done this day—we
shall make there a state mighty
in every way.”
Bartlett predicted Alaskans will
accept terms of statehood by pos
sibly as much as 8-1 margins.
In other comments. Sen. Wil
liam F. Knowland (R-Calif) de
clared that “Alaska is destined
to become one of the great states
of the Amerisan union.”
Job Only Half Done
But, Knowland said, “We’ve
only half the job done tonight.”
2 Polar Bears Washed
Up On Oregon Shore
NEWPORT, Ore., W)—Carcasses
of a mother polar bear and a cub
washed up on the ocean here .to
confound local residents and
animal experts.
“How far south does an ice
berg flow?” exclaimed Jack
Marks, director of the Portland,
Ore., zoo, when told of the in
cident. “This is one for the
oceanographers.”
The bears first were noticed
Sunday by a child walking along
the beach. He reported his dis
covery but found no believers.
Monday, however, Flora Laur
itsen, motel manager, also saw
the bears. They Jiad washed up
near her motel. The tide later
carried the cub back to sea, but
the seven-foot-long carcuss of the
larger bear remained on the sand.
Marks said it probably would
never be known how the polar
bears, native to the Bering Sea
area, ever got to an Oregon beach.
“I imagine they were carried
out to sea in a storm, probably
riding an ice cake that melted
when it reached warmer water,”
he said. “Then the bears prob
ably drowned.”
He said that both major pa
ties had pledged statehood also
fo Hawaii, and urged that the
Senate Democratic leadership
quickly bring up the bill to grant
statehood for the islands.
As the roll was called in the
Senate and the count of those in
favor kept piling up, some among
the handful of Alaskans who have
sat in the Senate galleries
throughout t the six-day debate
dabbed nervously at their eyes
with their handkerchiefs des
pite a smile on their faces.
When the vote was announced,
the several hundred spectators in
the gallery broke into applause.
Although it is against Senate
rules, there was no effort to
stop it by Sen. Richard L. Neu
berger (D-Ore) who was presid
ing.
Many among the Alaskans left
the gallery to go directly to the
chapel in the capital to offer
their prayers.
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EVINRUDE PICNIC
NORTH SPIT, TELLER, ALASKA
JULY 3, 1958
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Chamber Meeting
By Ruth McLean
“It is time to visit your new
State.” ■ That will be the promo
tion slogan for the large tour
directors because they feel tour
ism will pick up with Statehood.”
This statement was made by
Frank Whaley of Wien Alaska
Airlines to the Northwestern
Alaska Chamber of Commerce at
their Monday luncheon. He also
said that there are fewer people
coming in over the Alcan High
way this summer; however Wien’s
package tours are increasing.
Mr. Whaley stressed the fact that
the best way to popularize a sec
tion is by word of mouth from
satisfied visitors in previous
seasons.
President Jerry Manning read
letters received from Mrs. George
Peckham, who visited Nome with
the Anchorage group, and Henry
Camarot, Legislative Council sec
retary, thanking the Nome Cham
ber and the community for their
warm hospitality.
Guests at the Monday luncheon
included Frank Whaley. Mrs.
James A. von der Heydt, Mr. and
Mrs. Forbes Baker of Alaska Air
lines, Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Din
dore, Palm Springs, Calif.; Mr.
and Mrs. E. A. Griswold, Palmer,
Mass.; and Mr. and Mrs. Earl W.
Scrogum, Alexandria, Minnesota,
The last three couples were part
of Wien’s tour group visiting in
Nome.
WEATHER FORECAST
Partly cloudy tonight, increas
ing -cloudiness Thursday. Rain
Thursday night. Low tonight 43,
high tomorrow 56.
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NOTICE
Anyone knowing where the
following persons can be located
or knowing anyone . related to
these persons, please call or write
to City Clerk, Box 299, Nome
Alaska.
William Davis Estate
Jack Secco Estate
C. C. Parrott
Jake Bonner »
C. S. Elder
B. M. Buckley Estate
Frances Capron
Melvin Asetoonick Estate
Thos. Sumerana
Bertha McDowell
Eric Kamm
Paul Naltanguk
Ruth Pearson
Donny Miller
Mrs. Jay Lyon
A1 Buscio
Myrtle Starling
Jack Paul
Carl J. Newman
Alice Chrisiofferson
John Eavik Estate
Robert F. Scott
City Clerk
———I —————J