President Harding's Voyage of Understanding, Ketchikan, Alaska, Side B

This is the reverse view of image number 1111962. The text reads: "PRESIDENT HARDING, FIRST PRESIDENT TO VISIT ALASKA, SPEAKING AT KETCHIKAN We now see President Harding, the first President to visit Alaska, speaking to an Alaskan audience. The President made this trip to Alaska to see with his own eyes the conditions there. Almost from the day he took his great office the so-called Alaska Problem had been dinned into his ears. Efforts had been made by some interests to commit him to their policies. Equally strong efforts had been made by other opposing factions to commit him to their policies. For the last fifteen years, Alaska has been a promoter of storm centers at Washington. Public attention was focused upon Alaska as the battleground. The last great fight was on the conservation of our national resources and particularly, of the forests and coal resources. With that native caution and good sense which characterized [unintelligible], the President had quietly waited evidently deciding that it would be wise for him to get first-hand knowledge before yielding to the clamors of those who were urging many and revolutionary changes in the conduct of Alaskan affairs. The President talked with the citizens of Alaska in all walks of life and in all lines of employment. He questioned them closely and checked their statements carefully against the information that he had caused to be prepared for him before he left Washington. When he returned to the States on July 27, at four oclock in the afternoon, he made his last formal appearance before a group of his fellow citizens. In that speech he discussed at great length and with clearness all the problems that had been raised within the preceding years at Washington relative to Alaska. Copyright by The Keystone View Company"