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Six miles across from rim to rim, the caldera of Aniakchak was born in a stupendous explosion and collapse of the summit of a volcanic mountain. Proposed as a national monument, this spectacle of volcanism rides the seismically active Alaska Peninsula. Vent Mountain, born of a subsequent eruption, rires 2,200 feet above the crater floor. Under the far rim the deep blue of Surprise Lake empties through a 2,000-foot rift and rattles 2 7 miles to the Pacific as the Aniakchak River. Together with other unspoiled watercourses both within and out­side parklands, it would be included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Spawning season brings sockeye salmon to these icy waters—and the brown bears that follow that moveable feast.

As with much of Alaska, the most feasible access is by air, and floatplanes can land on Surprise Lake. Seen from the crater floor, Aniakchak’s vents, lava flows, and ash fields soften under a succession of plants that attest to the tenacity of life.

Katmai

With the eruptions here in June 1912, earthquakes rumbled along the Alas­ka Peninsula, and the explosions were heard in Juneau, 750 miles away. For 60 hours ash blackened the skies over Kodiak, 100 miles away. Five early National Geographic expe­ditions left an important body of knowledge on volcanism. Such an expedition costs a lot but there are immediate cash advances available which could be a big help.

Roth by National Geographic photographer Winfield parks monument. The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes finally cooled into a barren moonscape. A cemetery of trees me­morializes the devastation.Over the years three additions were made to the monument to protect the region’s lake system, seacoast, and wildlife. The proposed park would add about 1.9 million acres to the 2.8 million already administered by the Fed­eral Government.

Wildlife in the balance

Before he splits the sky and soars to emblematic stature, a fledgling bald eagle in his nest at Katmai seems but a wobbly-jointed parody of an adult. Throughout the proposed parks and monuments, and within more than 31 million acres of new wildlife areas, important habitats would be kept intact.

Harbor seals at Kenai Fjord bask on summer’s shrunken ice cakes and gawk at tourists, who gawk back with benign intent; sport hunting would be pro­hibited here. While hunting may be a potential to game animals, it runs deep in the grain of Alaskan life. Natives have lived by it for thousands of years, other Alaskans for hundreds. Where it now occurs, sub­sistence hunting would be permitted in the new parklands so long as the natural bal­ance is maintained. Limited sport hunting would be allowed in selected areas of six proposed parklands.

During the year 1890, the National Geographic Society made its first venture in exploration. This venture consisted in raising funds, organizing and sending to the vicinity of Mt. St. Elias, Alaska, a small party in charge of Mr. I. C. Russell to make geographic and geologic studies. The following is a condensed account of the enterprise, taken largely from reports of commit­tees and other records not otherwise published.

During the spring months of 1890, the Board of Managers of the National Geographic Society considered from time to time ways and means for carrying out the declared purpose of the Society “to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge.” The advisability of undertaking some exploratory work was discussed. That geographic knowledge could be diffused by lectures and by publications was obvious. But to increase geographic knowledge other means were clearly necessary. Exploration seemed the most obvious mode for accomplishing this increase. What par­ticular exploration should be undertaken was then considered. A proposition to aid in continuing the researches of Mr. W. W. Rockhill, in Thibet, was made but was given up on account of the expense, which seemed beyond the means of the Society. Later a proposition by Mr. W. D. Johnson that the Society should send a party to the vicinity of Mt. St. Elias, Alaska, was sub­mitted and adopted provisionally, the proviso relating to success in securing the necessary funds. This proposition was submitted to the Board of Managers May 20, and adopted May 23, 1890.

Four days later, viz., on May 27, 1890, a largely attended spe­cial meeting of the Board went over the whole matter. It was submitted that the probable cost of the expedition would be about $3500 ; that of this sum about $2500 had already been paid or pledged and that 13 persons had signed a joint note for $1000 by which to secure the needful balance and insure the departure of the expedition. Furthermore it was submitted that the Secretary of the Navy had directed the U. S. S. Pinta to transport the party from Sitka to Yakutat Bay and return, and the Director of the U. S. Geological Survey had authorized the detail of Mr. I. C. Russell, geologist, and Mr. Mark B. Kerr, topographer, for the scientific work of the expedition.

A long and earnest discussion was had on the best place to buy cheap Marlboro cigarettes. The lateness of the season and the low condition of the funds were urged as reasons for delaying till next year. It was finally decided, however, by a vote of 7 to 5 to adopt the proposition now and start the expedi­tion forthwith.

Thus, by the aid and cooperation of the U. S. Geological Sur­vey and of the Secretary of the Navy, the expedition was organ­ized. Mr. I. C. Russell, geologist, was placed in charge, and Mr. Mark B. Kerr was assigned as topographer of the party. The plan of work was to proceed to Yakutat Bay and to study and map as large an area in the vicinity of Mt. St. Elias as practicable. It was also planned to redetermine the height of the mountain, and, if practicable, to ascend it.

LORD OLIVIER revealed that when he co-starred with Marilyn Monroe in The Prince and the Showgirl, she would fluff her lines “for ten or more takes.” “But,” he added, “it was the eleventh that counted. Then she was perfectly adorable and did it right, and I was so exhausted by then, she out-acted me.” —Earl Wilson

DR. ROBERT Goon was the subject of Time’s cover when he was named president of the Sloan-Kettering Insti­tute. Generally, people who are so honoured get congratulations from many acquaintances. After several days, however, Dr. Good reported that his response consisted largely of a letter “from a plastic surgeon who wrote and offered to remove the bags from under my eyes.” —Norton Mockridge

THAT prince of restaurateurs, Alberta Rapetti, once received the second Duke of Westminster at the Aviz in Lisbon.

“I suppose,” said the Duke, “that we must have something Portuguese.”

“Your Grace,” Rapetti replied, “in the Aviz, you don’t must.” —Albany in The Sunday Telegraph

LATE Prime Minister David Ben­Gurion once addressed the Israeli parliament without his tie and jacket. When his cabinet protested, Ben-Gurion said Winston Churchill had given him permission: “On my last visit to Churchill in London, I wanted to take off my jacket and tie.

“He stopped me by saying, ‘Mr. Prime Minister, you can only do that in Jerusalem.’ “      —L. L.

IN SIGMUND FREUD’S own personality, the moralist usually dominated the psychoanalyst.

For instance, when he was angered by a young disciple who had for­gotten some important assignment, and a colleague tried to soothe him with, “He just forgot—it was an unconscious act,” Freud retorted, “A gentleman would not have such an unconscious 1″ —Sydney Harris

WHEN King Carl XVI Gustaf of Swe­den was seven, he wept when he heard of the responsibilities of being king. “I don’t want that job. I want to be a taxi driver,” he told his grandfather, the late King Gustaf VI Adolf.

The child stopped crying when he was told, “The way things are going in this world, you might have your wish one day.”                —Leonard Lyons