More Stars for Old Glory?

When Alaska's perennial request for statehood came up for Senate debate early last month, it seemed once more doomed to denial. Though the Truman administration had endorsed the bill, only 43 Senators, six less than a majority, were on record in its favor. Then, as the argument unwound, a trend in favor of the bill became evident.

Northern Democrats won over a lot of Republicans with a quid pro quo: a 49th star for Alaska (a Democratic stronghold) would be followed by a 50th star for Hawaii (considered Republican). The next step was to line up the doubtful Southerners in the Democratic ranks. Charged Illinois' Paul H. Douglas: some Southerners were afraid of "four more Senators [i.e., from Alaska and Hawaii] who will vote for civil rights legislation."

Oklahoma's Mike Monroney proposed a new "commonwealth" status that would grant Alaska and Hawaii practically all the rights of states except one: they could each elect only one non-voting U.S. Senator. The Monroney proposal sidetracked the trend toward statehood for Alaska. A motion to send the bill back for further study, including "commonwealth" status, was carried, 45-44.

At the White House, Harry Truman promptly said that the fight would continue until the last dog died. This week, hopes were kept alive when the Senate agreed to vote on a motion to reconsider the Alaska bill.

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