assimilated everybody else, everybody who came to our shores as immigrants from all kinds of countries have given them full privileges of citizenship, everything; but the people we found here and conquered and took away from, we are trying to keep in servitude. Senator ECTON. We talk about second-class citizens. We have something worse. We have wards of the Government, and why anybody who lives under the American flag should be a ward of the Government has always been a mystery to me. Reverend GALLANT. Right you are. [Applause.] Senator BUTLER. It is due largely to the reservation system that was unfortunately adopted here some years ago. It may have been the result of treaties, but it certainly turned out, we found out now that, instead of serving those natives, we have prevented them from being absorbed. Reverend GALLANT. I think we should start doing something about it right now, and we are going to try to get statehood right now-free all peoples. Senator BUTLER. I had hoped that some such provision could be written into 331. But I mentioned it to Mrs. Hermann a moment ago, that there is a provision I think in the bill whereby you people are admitting that there is an aboriginal right and that in fact parts of Alaska, if not every foot of Alaska, actually belong to the few natives that were there when we took it over from Russia. Your courts up there have decided differently on that. I am not a lawyer, so I will not get into the technicalities of the case. The courts have determined differently. But our Federal Government has not yet determined differently; and the question still prevails. We cannot prevent it here in this country. It is established in the continental area, but we do not figure that the reservation laws apply in Alaska, and I think 331 should be spelled out making that statement. Reverend GALLANT. Yes. Senator BUTLER. So that you people will not have the trouble up there that some States in the continental area are having. Mr. BARTLETT. May I speak to that very briefly? That question was debated at great length before the House committee and the provision to which you refer was an acknowledgment after long consideration on the part of the House committee that the statehood bill itself was no proper vehicle for an attempt to settle Indian land claims and that section merely puts that subject aside as awaiting further determination. No attempt is made in that bill to acknowledge whatever aboriginal land claims there may be or to deny them. It is merely considered inappropriate for the statehood bill itself. Senator BUTLER. But at the time the Territory becomes a State is the time to make your deal. Texas did it. Did a good job of it. And for the good of the people of Alaska, all such subjects should be thoroughly covered in your contract with the Federal Government when you become a State. And if you do not do it now, I will almost guarantee that you will never get it done. I do not know of and contracts with the Territories that became States that succeeded in amending any of their arrangements that they had. Some of the western States now have had a good many attempts made. I think it would be a good idea if you have something from the House hearings, Mr. Bartlett, that covered that land issue. We would like to have it in our records. Mr. BARTLETT. We would be very glad to do that. Senator BUTLER. Do you have anything further, Father Gallant? Reverend GALLANT. No; that is all; thank you. Senator BUTLER. We are very glad to have had you appear. If there is nothing further at this time, the committee will stand adjourned until tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock. (Whereupon, at 12:45 p. m., the committee adjourned subject to reconvening at 10 a. m., Wednesday, April 26, 1950.) (The information regarding the land issue, requested above by Senator Butler, was subsequently furnished by Governor Gruening on the final day of the hearing.) ALASKA STATEHOOD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1950 UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS, Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10 a. m., in room 224, Senate Office Building, Senator Clinton P. Anderson, of New Mexico, presiding. Present: Senators Clinton P. Anderson, of New Mexico; Glen H. Taylor, of Idaho; Herbert H. Lehman, of New York; Hugh Butler, of Nebraska; and Zales N. Ecton, of Montana. Senator TAYLOR. The committee will come to order, please. Before proceeding, I would like to make a brief explanation of the reasons why several of the members of the committee are not present. The wife of Mr. Murray, of Montana, is very ill. Mr. Downey himself is ill, and in the hospital out at Bethesda, I believe. Mr. McFarland is detained at the crime hearing. Mr. Anderson will be here a little later. I understand Mr. Lehman will be in a little later. Mr. Millikin is detained in the Finance Committee. Mr. Cordon is in the Appropriations Committee. Mr. Ecton is expected to be here a little later. We have been unable to contact Mr. Malone up to this moment. Mr. Watkins is out of town, and Mr. O'Mahoney, the chairman, is ill. I want to apologize myself for not being here yesterday, but I was tied up with other matters. I knew that this was being taken care of or I would have made it a point to be here. Our first witness this morning is a very distinguished American, Governor Driscoll, of New Jersey. Governor, we are very happy to have you with us, sir, and you may proceed in your own way. If you have a prepared statement, that is fine, and if not, we will be glad to have you talk to us orally. At any rate, we know what you have to say will be very much worth hearing. STATEMENT OF HON, ALFRED E. DRISCOLL, THE GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY, TRENTON, N. J. Governor DRISCOLL. Thank you, Senator. My full name is Alfred E. Driscoll and I am Governor of the State of New Jersey. I propose to testify in favor of statehood for Alaska. It has been my good fortune to have traveled extensively through the vast areas of the Territory of Alaska. I have known intimately a good many citizens of the Territory and have been a student of Territorial affairs for a great many years. In my judgment, the Territory of Alaska occupies an area of tremendous strategic importance in the North American Continent and is today one of the most important strategic areas in the world. First consideration undoubtedly should be given to the pressing issue of national defense. Alaska must be defended by the United States, and today Alaska lacks adequate defense. It is not only in the field of national defense that the Territory occupies a strategic area. In my judgment, Alaska may be considered one of the most important proving grounds for our republic. Here is an area in which we have an opportunity to demonstrate the capacity of our republic, to put its ideals and principles into practical operation. In other words, gentlemen, we have an opportunity to put our avowed ideals of home rule and representative government to work. The most effective offensive that our Nation could take in the present world crisis is for it to demonstrate its capacity for continuing growth and to further demonstrate its capacity to put its principles and ideals to work in this vast frontier land. The citizens of Alaska are presently deprived of full citizenship in our Republic. They are deprived of effective representation in Washington, for example. It is perhaps for these reasons that the Governor's Conference on more than one occasion has gone on record in favor of statehood for Alaska, as well as Hawaii. To my own knowledge, I know that Alaska has served a long and honorable apprenticeship, and I should add, it has been a rather profitable apprenticeship, as far as our Nation is concerned, because the Territory has paid for itself many times over. Alaska, if it is admitted to statehood, as I hope it will be, and quickly, has magnificent natural resources which we may confidently expect to be readily developed under the benign influences of home rule and with adequate representation here in the Nation's Capital. Accordingly, I think we may confidently expect that with the admission of Alaska to full statehood it will very quickly become a contributing member of our Federal Union. Accordingly, I am pleased to testify as Governor and as an individual in favor of statehood for the Territory and to stress (1) the advantages of statehood in the development of national defense in this vital area. (2) Even more, perhaps, the important part that the granting of statehood may play in a peaceful offensive through the demonstration of our capacity to make our principles of representative government work our enlargement of the field of home rule. (3) The strengthening of our Federal Union by the admission of a new State that I think very quickly will become one of the strongest contributing members of our Union. Senator ANDERSON. Thank you, Governor. Do you have any question, Senator Butler? Senator ANDERSON. You think it should be done right away, then, Governor, I take it. Governor DRISCOLL. I think statehood should be granted to Alaska just as quickly as possible. I think it would give the morale of this Nation and the peaceful-minded people throughout the world a great shot in the arm. I think it would be dramatic, coming right at this crucial period in the history of our world. I think most all of the arguments that have been advanced against statehood for Alaska were based on the alleged smallness of population, but that issue was not raised when New Jersey became one of the founding members of the Union, nor was it raised when most of the States were admitted in the Union. As a matter of fact, the Territory of Alaska already has a population considerably larger than the population of many of the States when they were admitted. It has natural resources that I think far exceed the natural resources that were then known to exist in many of the States when they were admitted. Those natural resources, under the proper form of government, guarantee a rather speedy development of Alaska, and its population. Senator ANDERSON. Thank you very much. We appreciate your being here. Governor DRISCOLL. I am very happy to be here. Senator ANDERSON. Mr. Williamson. STATEMENT OF JOHN C. WILLIAMSON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SERVICE, VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES, WASHINGTON, D. C. Mr. WILLIAMSON. Mr. Chairman, I am John C. Williamson, the assistant legislative director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. I would like to file a statement into the record. I just want to make this brief oral statement, that the national conventions of our organization have repeatedly gone on record urging that the Congress enact legislation admitting Alaska to statehood. Our department in Alaska has repeatedly sent its delegates to our conventions, and they have placed arguments before our conventions favoring statehood, and in behalf of our organization, we hope you will grant a speedy and favorable decision on this legislation. Senator ANDERSON. Let me ask you this: We have the general question of statehood for Alaska, and then we have the specific question of whether we should approve H. R. 331. Does your statement mean that you are not only for the principle of statehood, but you are also for the provisions of this particular bill? Mr. WILLIAMSON. We are addressing ourselves to the principle of admitting Alaska to statehood. There are a lot of details and a lot of questions involved in the question of admitting any Territory to statehood, and not being a resident of Alaska, never having been there, it is not my position to go into the technicalities of this particular bill. We just urge the committee to come to some decision which would involve admitting Alaska to statehood. I appreciate this opportunity of presenting the views of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States in regard to this legislation which, if enacted, would admit Alaska into the Union as a State. For many years now, the national encampment of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States have adopted resolutions calling for the admission of Alaska into the Union. I am here, therefore, to plead the cause of statehood for Alaska in accordance with such an encampment mandate. I would like also to emphasize that the Department of Alaska of the VFW, each year at our national encampment, repeats its insistence that Alaska should and ought to become a State. Many of these veterans are originally from the 48 States. They served in the armed forces during World War II and were stationed in Alaska. Appreciating the potentialities of Alaska, they 66676-50-11 |