RUSSIA AND ALASKA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14572, 6 April 1918, Page 4

RUSSIA AND ALASKA.

■ ■:•■. iii -"-«;•*■ - •'---■" -a RHSStA. iSff)' ALXSJfeA, • V.^ . AVASHINGTONV/Feb. 21. Predicting that America- will soon be forced to fight for .Alaska and Hawaii, Senator Lewi^; Illinois, . demanded'Government ownership of the .railroads, as a preparedness measure. . "If private ownership of the road's continues," he said, "we Mill have no adequate., . means.-. of .'rushing troops to points needing defence." }'■ Lewis declared that German intrigue j frill incite Russia, to seize Alaska, so las to force .the United States to divide its fighting po-^ei* and, .minimise her resistance . to tlie Allies oh .the Western front*." y. ' .' , ,y, Lewis' addicess was th^ "call .for a general advance of ,Govei*umeiit. ownershigAadvocates. in the closing, hours of [debate on the Railroad Control Rill, iThey are, centring their, „e.ffor,ts. ...on', Sec' | tion 13 of the .pending * ' Bi^C coverin s the; definite limir"^) "Eecl^f kr A" co?iti s bL Tliey have lined up behind' Senator Cummins' proposed . anjendment proyidiin^."that at the, eind of the. -wai*'..the^President, shall, appoint a .board „of five rail[l'oadj directors , to manage, tlie. roads. 1 hew-is declairecl . thit .; ' '.'•Government (ownership "will be the great national .home issue of .the next .presidential (campaign in' connection with the issues .'growing out of the war on peace terms, ly "This. Bill," said Lewis, "is the beginning of the Government taking the •roads,: .as ; a Government agency. They will never be permitted to return tp 'the, fqpier state.of personal control for f private ( profit .'. At the . same , time this i country, lakes t over, tjip railroads, and it will,, take,, the telegraph and telephone •privileges^, ,ahd then .tlie :.',<. products for !fu§|, ( parti'^larlyA coal " and oil lands. ;The people" twill .'take possession of the people'^ ;propeyty;" . „,( . >; | JB[e "reyiewed.. the breakdown of --.pi*i-lyately-maijiage^ roods, predicting that ; "Tlie 'day i§. just ahead of us when the : United ' States will liaye to. fight to isto^-- Alaska,, and Hawaii from being i wrested from ns, and' if private , ownership v of railroads continues ; we . will, have inj*. adequate,: means of rushing troops to I points. needing defence." ! He predicted a calamity if an "enemy [ever .appears, at the.- gates while , the j railrpads. .are .privately ; owned.