THE NOME NUGGET
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SIGNS POINT TO ATTACK
BY JAPANESE ON RUSSIA
LOGIC OF THE WAR SITUATION MAY LEAD
THE TOKYO WAR LORDS TO STRIKE NOW
By Nathaniel Peffer
The air over the Manchurian
and Mongolian plateaus is elec
tric. as it has been more than
once in the last 10 years. Does it
mean that Russia and Japan are
finally to lock :n the death strug
git for mastery of Northeastern
Asia—the struggle so long threat
er.ed and so often postponed?
No one, least of all the Japa
nese and Russians, has ever be
lieved that the so-called non-ag
gression past between them was
more than a device in postpone
ment. It was an anomaly from
the beginning and the anomaly
has bordered on the grotesque
since Japan’s ally has been over
running and devastating Russia
while Japan’s enemies have been
giving material aid and comfort
to Russia. But it was a matter of
expediency to each of the parties
to the pact to put off the trial
Gt arms, the ordeal by battle that
both have accepted as inevitable,
until events elsewhere could
clarify its own position, each
hoping that the course of events
would be such as to give it an
advantage over the other.
Hopes of Rivals
Japan hoped that while it wait
ed Russia would be broken by
G> rmany while simultaneously
Japan could dispose of its own
en l ies. Russia hoped that Ger
many would bleed itself white in
th> west while Japan was drain
ing its vitals in China.
Meanwhile, though bound not
t commit aggression against
each other, both Japan and Rus
sia have kept forces massed on
the borders that divide them,
th* ;r eyes alert their powder dry.
Has the time come for de
cision? Tlie logic of he situation
would so indicate, and there is
some internal evidence, not con
clusive but indicative, that the
Japanese have come to the eon
clusion that it has. The evidence
consists of reported Japanese
troop movements in the direction
of Siberia. The Chinese, whose
intelligence service in the kind of
no-man's land that obtains in the
area bounded by Siberia, Korea,
Mongolia, and Manchukuo is
gi od, av that there have been
such movements for weeks. Their
own recent successes in Chekiang
end Kiangsi testify that the Jap
atuhave been withdrawing
troops from>China for one pur
pose or another.
The logic of the situation de
rives mainly from what is taking
place .n the Caucasus. It is what
J .pan has been waiting for
something on which to base a
premise that Russia is breaking.
Having had two unfortunate ex
periences in tackling the Rus
sian bear once in 1938 and again
in 1939 the Japanese have con
cluded that it is the part of dis
cretion to wait until he is mor
tally wounded before trying him
again. If the Japanese strike now
it will be because they have con
cluded that Russia is about to
disintegrate under the hammer
blows of the German Army.
Only Road Open
There is one other circum
stance that constitutes almost an
imperative to action against Rus
sia now F r the moment no other
theater of war is so inviting.
There is almost nowhere else to
go. Australia has become too
risky an adventure, as witness,
the J panes ■ reverses in the Sol
omon Islands and New Gu'nea.
India is a dangerous commit
ment wdth America’s gathering
power and the naval superiority
with whict? J pan began being r
dressed by the results of the
Coral Sea and Midway battles. A
f ' rule ofi nsive against India
mi i dep :■ i n water-borne
supplies, and if the whole of the
(Japanese fleet must be assigned
i to protecting the long route ar
ound the Asiatic coast, Japan
would be dangerously vulnerable
elsewhere on it.- far-flung battle
line. As for concentrating on China
it has been demonstrated once
more that efforts, however suc
cessful at first, show a net loss in
the end. For the four months'
campaign this year Japan has no
thing to show but casualties and
spent reserves of supplies.
Attractive Adventure
By elimination Siberia may ap
pear to the Japanese as most^
promising. The powerful Kwan
tung army has stood poised for
the attack for years—-chafing, in
cidentally. because it has not had
the chance to win the laurels
I
that have fallen to the rest of
j the Japanese fighting services.
Furthermore, :t can more easily
be reinforced than the army else
where. It is least dependent on
long supply lines. It has its own
reserves and they can be replen
ished from China. But the main
advantage is that while Russia
proper reels under German at
tack it cannot send help to Asia,
and if German forces reach the
Caspian Russia will be wmll-nigh
cut off from British-American
help. Japanese outposts in the
Aleutians might be counted on to
obstruct the passage of reinforce
ments from America via the Pa
■ cific.
In Japan’s larger imperial strat
egy the question is not whether
there must be a war against Rus
sia but when it can be launched
most advantageously. Japan can
be supreme from Hong Kong to
the Persian Gulf, from Yoko
hama to New Zealand and still
lie in jeopardy so long as Russia
looms above it at its most vul
nerable point.
Whatever may happen else
where, Japan can never consu
mate a v ctory until China is fin
ally reduced, for otherwise all
the riches siphoned off from the
rest of Asia -will be drained off
in China. But China cannot bo
finally re duced so long as there
are a Russian flag and a Russian
army in Siberia, whatever the
(lag may be and whether the
army be Red or white. From Out
er Mongolia or the Maritime Pro
vinces Russian forces will always
be able to swoop down on Man
chukiin or Korea against lines
that can be adequately guarded
only by an enormous Japanese
army.
Danger of Vladivostok
Furthermore, so long as Vladi
vostok is a Russian naval and air
base, America (has a potential out
post from which to levy a direct
attack on th“ Japanese homeland.
There has been a great deal of
exaggeration about Vladivostok
as ‘a dagger pointed at the heart
of Japan" and about the ease
with which Japan’ “paper cities”
can be ignited by incendiary
bombs dropped by planes based
at Vladivostok. European exper
ience shows that 650 miles is not
an easy distance for bombers to
negotiate if there are defenses at
the other end. Nevertheless, so
long as there is Russian military
power in Vladivostok, and espec
i ially if America is allied with
Russia, that is the one point from
which Japan is vitally threaten
ed and from which a mortal
thru t can come.
But now initiative is Japan’s
and Japan may decide that the
hour of settlement has struck.
But most students of the Far
! East will i, it believe that Japan
lias come to that decision until
it is satisfied—or persuaded by
i German that Russia is al
ready prostrate and ready for the
j kill. -New York Times.
j
Stress Desirability Maintain Uniformity
*
In Inducting Types of Registrants
_ I
JUNEAU. Sept. 23 — Stressing
the desirability of maintaining as
much uniformity in inducting
types of registrants as is possible
under the autonomous provisions
of the Selective Training and
Service Act. Maj. Gen. Lewis B
Hershey. Director of Selective
Service, has instructed all State
Directors to apportion calls for
inductees from their States
among their local boards so that,
in so far as is feasible, no board
■will be calling one type of regis
trant with dependents substan
tially in advance of the other
boards.
State Directors should continue
' to pluce calls on their Local
boards, General Hershey stated,
so as to place the heaviest load
right now, on boards having the
most single men, or men with
collateral dependents only.
Complete Classification Oct. 16
General Hershey’s memoran
dum to Slate D rectors, also dir
ects all local boards to complete
on or before October 16. 1942,
the initial classification of all reg
istrants liable for military ser
vice. This schedule must be met,
the memorandum emphasizes, be
cause the serious military situa
tion requires that the Selective
Service System prepare to fill
calls during the coming year
‘which will be equal to or in
i excess of the monthly calls made
in August, September and Octo
ber of this year.”
The procedure outlined by his
memorandum, General Hershey
said, will tend to level off in
ductions with the ultimate objec
tive of calling men from the
small town and from the city on
an approximately uniform basis.
He estimated that this leveling
off process might require several
months to accomplish because of
the time required to process reg
, istrants and accord thcun full
rights of appeal.
“Obviously,” General Hershey
told the State Directors, “the dis
tribution of registrants by types
among local boards is not uni- f
form: and for that reason efforts
to speed classification should be
particularly concentrated and
calls should be levied upon those
boards within your State from
which single men without de
pendents can be made available
for induction. Calls should then
he levied upon boards with sulo
stantiol numbers of registrant
having collat eral dependents un
til a reasonable uniformity
among local boards in your State
has been accomplished.”
Pointing out that they may
give immediate consideration to
allowances payable under the
S' rvici men's Dependents Allow
ance Act of 1942. General Her
shey also directs local boards to
proceed at once with the recon
sideration of the classification of
Class III-A and Class III-B reg
istrants who have collateral de
pendents. Class III-B registrants,
: in addition to having dependents,
must be engaged in work essen
tial to the war effort. Registrants
with collateral dependents only |
are to be inducted ahead of men
who maintain bona fide family
homes.
Collateral Dependents
Collateral dependents, as they
j are defined in a previous memor
I andum are: Wives or children
(iwith whom the registrant does
not maintain a bona fide family
relationship in his home); par
j ents, brothers, sisters, grand
parents, grandchildren, divorced
I wives, persons under 18 years of
age whose suppo thas been as
J sumed in good faith, or persons
of any age physically or mentally
: handicapped whose support has
been -assumed in good faith.
As soon as local boards (have
j reconsidered the classification of
■ all registrants having collateral
I dependents, and have notified the
| State Director of that fact, the1
| current memorandum instructs
j that they then should reopen and
reconsider the classification of all ;
' registrants who have wives (but
no children) with whom they i
J maintain a bona fide family re
lationship in their homes. It is
j stressed, however, that the mar
| riage must have taken place be-:
i fore December 8, 1941, or -at a
. time when selection was not im- j
1 m inept.
Registrant* having wives and
children, or children with whom
they maintain a bona fide home,
and who were married before
December 8, 1941, and at a time
when selection was not imminent
shall not be placed in Class I-A
(available for induction) until !
such action is authorized by the j
National Headquarters, General1
Hershey emphasized.
Mounting Needs
Heretofore local boards, which J
are composed of uncompensated 1
c tizens volunteering their ser- [
vices, have classified registrants!
n accordance with Army indue I
tion calls, General Hershey said.
Now, he declared, mountingt
needs for military manpower
make it desirable to complete all
classification as soon as possible :
so that Army requisitions fori
men. no matter how large, may |
be met promptly.
A factor preventing quick
change in the order of induction
with relation to dependency,
General Hershey asserted, is
that the Army must make pro
v sion from 2 to 3 months in ad
vance for the reception of in
d ictees. Army Induction Station
and Reception Centers must be
equipped and staffed consider
ably in advance of the arrival of
recruits, he pointed out.
"Since calls for inductees are.
sent to the States from National
Headquarters 60 days in ad
vance,” General Hershey said,
"a least that period of time is
required to conform to any
chmge in policy or to carry out
any revision of the order in
which men may be inducted.”
Citing that Selective Service
, Regulations, in accordance with
the intent of Congress in the
passage of the Servicemen’s De
pendents Allowance Act of 1942.
recognize certain groups of de
pendency. General Hersey said:
"Our policy is to follow the or- 1
Her of dependency set up in those
Regulations to the fullest extent
consistent with the local board’s |
ability to furnish the number of
men required by the military !
forces each month. It is our fur
ther policy to follow the order of
deferments on a nation-wide 1
basis as far as possible.”
As present needs for certain
occupational deferments expire,
General Hershey also said, single
men and others not conforming
to the type currently being in
ducted will be called.
‘‘And the same situation,” he
added, "will apply to men reach
ing the age of 20 and thereby be !
coming eligible for selection."
1st Effort Enumerate Manpower
The classification drive now un j
dr:r way for completion by Oc
tober 16 is the first effort ever
made to enumerate our Nation’s
total manpower of military age,
General Hershey stated. He said: '
“We have reached a point
where such a nation-wide survey :
is possible and also imperative.
“Registration of all men be- 1
tween the ages of 18 and 65 has
been accomplished by the five na ‘
tion-wide registrations held srnce
the Selective Training and Ser
vice Act became law on Septem
ber 16, 1940. The Fourth Regis
tration, of course, listed men
from the ages of 46 to 65 who, I
under law, are not subject to!
military service. In the Fifth Reg j
istration, on June 30, 1942, that j
I of men 18 to 20 years old, in-i
elusive, only those who have ac
tually reached their 20th birth
day anniversary are subject to j
call until such time as Congress
may modify the law.”
Through frequent reports on
available manpower of the vur
| luus groups, National Selective
1 Service Headquarters maintains
! up-to-date information on the
j status of all tyj>es of registrants
- single men with dependents do
j ferred for occupational reasons,
j various dependency classifica
tions, etc., General Hershey de
clared. Future calls will be ad
justed as frequently as necessary,
he said, to draw from the same
; pools of men in all States on as
1 nearly a uniform basis as pos
j sible.
Write to your friends and rela
| dves on the ‘Outside,’ using Sour
: lough Stationery. They'll get a
j oig kick out of it.
-!■•}•+♦+++++++++’* ■> + 'S' *!• *!■ •I"*!* <•+*!* *> ❖ •> •!**!• •!*-!•»:• •?■ •!• ■{• 4..;. .5. .5. 4.
| MINERS & MERCHANTS BANK OF ALASKA I
t NOME, ALASKA J
I +
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An Alaskan Bank Which Has Served This
* Community Continuously Since 1904.
f T
General Banking Business Conducted +
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Money Transfers Made to Any Point In +
States By Wire or Draft +
f *
X Carry Your Money to the States in the $
SAFE Way, Bv Draft +
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% GOLD DUST PURCHASED
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«+-Hi+^++,i“M,+++'9,,I'^,>+t'>+i'+++t+««+<'+^+++'H-+++t++'|.+++
2 Jap Ships Probably Sunk. 2 Damaged,
6 Zeros Downed Recently in Aleutians
(Continued from Page One)
of Army heavy bombers, escorted by pursuit craft
again bombed enemy ships and buildings at Kiska. Zero
fighters, anti-aircraft batteries, and surface vessels at
tempted to repel the attack. A transport and sub were
damaged and probably sunk. Five Zeros were shot
down. One of our pursuit planes was lost. During the
afternoon of September 28, Army bombers again at
tacked the Kiska area, strafing and bombing ships and
shore facilities. The results of this attack were un
known. On the same afternoon. Army planes attacked
enemy cargo ships northwest of Kiska. A ship was
bombed & strafed but left in an undamaged condition.”
Aleutian Occupation Is Made Without
Opposition - Weather Chief Obstacle
By William Worden
An Army Base in the Aleutians, Sept. 9, Delayed,
Released Oct. 4 (/P) — The U. S. Army commenced its
campaign to oust Jap troops from the western Aleu
tians, by occupying this vacant island within fighting
plane range of Kiska. The occupation was made, with
out opposition, by forces fully equipped to withstand
aerial, land or naval attack, and was completed with
out the loss of a man, thru enemy action.
Probably the largest convoy of American ships ever
to sail the north Pacific made a secret rendezvous at
sea late in August and proceeded hundreds of miles
west of Dutch Harbor without sighting an enemy
plane or sub. The convoy included heavy naval craft,
destroyers, and other small fighting boats and several
large transports loaded to the gunwhales with troops
and supplies, also a strange collection of power barges,
tugs, converted yachts, even one four-masted codfish
schooner carrying troops proceeded at a snail’s pace
and offered a splendid target for the Japs who were ap
parently either afraid to tackle the naval escort or were
unaware of it.
The convoy arrived here in a driving rain and com
mencing unloading troops and equipment on the va
cant beach which had been previously thoroughly scout
ed for enemy scouts or defending forces by our guer
rilla-type units, especially one organized to operate in
Alaska. Troops came ashore in full equipment, ready
to fight, but found the Aleutian weather their chief ob
stacle tor on the first day, it suddenly turned stormy,
as the convoy reached the bay, banging the landing
boats against the sides of the vessels.
CHAS. CAVEY
Carrying an Assortment
of Fine Liquors, Win
es, and Beers.
FRONT STREET, NOME
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Notice is hereby given Chat
Aloy H. Brawner, has been ap
pointed by the Probate Court for
the Territory of Alaska, Noatak
Kobuk Precinct, Administrator
of the Estate of John Mellin, de
ceased, and all persons having
claims against the said estate are
required to present them with
proper vouchers, within six
months from the date of this No
tice to the undersigned admin
istrator of said estate at Kiana,
in the Noatak-Kobuk Precinct,
Second Division, Territory of Al
aska.
Dated at Kiana, Alaska, this
10th day of September, 1942.
Aloy H. Brawner, Adminis
trator and Executor of the
Estate of John Mellin, De
ceased.
Publish Sept. 28, Oct. 5, 12, 19
*