Letter from Ernest Gruening and Congressman E. L. Bartlett to President Harry S. Truman

TERRITORY OF ALASKA go ARCWIVES "MATIONAS RECORDS AMD SERVICE* OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR JUNEAU Washington, D. C. February 12, 1946. The President, The White House. Dear Mr. President: The development of Alaska-=with its area one-fifth that of the United States and its great strategic importance--is a Federal responsibility. Tens of thousands of G. I. 's want to settle there and the development necessary to permit their successful establishment there is beyond the capacity of the Territory's 80,000 people. The program for which we desire to enlist your active support falls under three heads: 1. A positive program of development; 2. Elimination of the constant discrimination, disadvantages, setbacks which Alaska suffers from other Government agencies by reason of its territorial status; 3. A maritime transportation program. (1) The Positive Program. The United States has invested not less than a billion dollars in the defense of the Territory in connection with the Second World War. The development program to be directed largely for the returning veterans should consist at least of: A. Making available to the Alaska Development Board recently created by the Territorial Legislature (or some other agency to be created) financial assistance from Federal loan agencies to aid industries and small businesses to get started (the sort of thing Smaller War Plants was intended to do). Alaska banks exact 8% interest and will not make loans to veterans under the G. I. Bill. B. A public works program. C. A comprehensive agricultural program of intensive and rapid research designed at least to parallel what the Russians are doing on a grand scale in eastern Siberia. (2) Elimination of Disorimination. A. Alaska has never been--and should be--included under the Federal Highway and Federal Aid Acts enjoyed, not only by the 48 states, but by Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Millions of dollars of road funds have been denied Alaska.