Alaska in Relation to National Defense

Abstract

Alaska occupies a strategic position as the great northwesterly buffer of the American sphere of influence. Potentially, it controls the North Pacific Ocean, as Alaska and its Aleutian Island chain form practically the northern boundary of the Pacific. Furthermore, the Great Circle route from Seattle to Yokohoma crosses the Aleutian Islands. This route is 1392 miles shorter than by way of the Hawaiian Islands and the distance between bases is much shorter also. From a practical point of view, Alaska may be considered an insular possession, because the only contact with the rest of the world is by water and by air. It is conceivable that this northern region might be looked upon with envy by vigorous nations with large populations and small resources. with 586,400 square miles of territory, is equal in size to one-fifth of the area of the United States proper. The Territory has a population of only 74,000, or about one person in every seven and a half square miles, and of that number, approximately one-half or 38,000 are white. According to the 1940 census, there are only 8,000 males between 21 and 35 years of age in the entire territory. Dividing the population into regions, the scarcity is even more apparent, because about one-third of the number lives in the southeastern section of about 35,000 square miles, and thousands of square miles in interior Alaska remain practically uninhabited. Obviously, a region which produces between 40 and 45 million dollars worth of fish, about 20 million dollars worth of gold, and several million dollars worth of copper, minor metals, and furs yearly and which has potential reserves of oil, coal, water-power and lumber resources, would be a prize for almost any country. The very fact that it is so comparatively undeveloped and underpopulated, makes it seem that much more desirable and easy to take. Vilhjalmur Stefansson is a great believer in the possibilities of as was Alfred H. Brooks, who has said: In fact we may confidently expect that the time will come when Alaska will support a population of 10,000,000 people.1 A speech by the Honorable Anthony Dimond, Alaska, Fact and Fiction, sums up the point of view of the Alaskan advocates :2