THE NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
V OL. 46—No. 72. NOME, ALASKA. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1944 PER COPY—15c.
Borokoe, Sorido
Airdromes Taken
By Americans
By MURLIN SPENCER
AT AN ADVANCED ALLIED
HEADQUARTERS ON NEW
GUINEA, June 21. — (AP) —
Borokoe and Sorido airdromes,
on Biak Island, have been cap
tured by the American forces,
making a complete conquest of
all the airstrips in the Schou
ten Islands, once Japanese
held, it was reported today.
-> The two strips were taken Tues
day, headquarters announced,
after overcoming the enemy's
heavy resistance.
Mokmer airdrome was taken
earlier this month.
The capture of these fields
place the Fifth Air Force within
880 miles of the Philippines from
the American-built airdrome on
Owi Island, fives miles from Biak
Island, off Dutch New Guinea.
The Japanese losses on Biak
Island were described as extreme
ly heavy.
The village of Sorido, less than
a mile west of the Sorido air
drome, Was also captured.
The Japanese Pacific bastion,
the Truk atoll, took another ter
rific pounding, headquarters an
nounced, as Liberators dropped
309 tons of bombs there on mili
tary installations.
Enemy interception and anti
aircraft fire was encountered for
the first time in many raids.
Distilleries Given
Month of August
To Make Whiskey
*
WASHINGTON, D. C„ June 21.
—(API—Temporary resumption
of the manufacture of domestic
whiskey has been authorized, it
was reported today.
The War Produc4ion Board has
, notified the nation’s beverage
distillers that the present supplies
of industrial alcohol are suffi
cient to permit them to resume
making whiskey dur ng August.
This will enable distillers to
manufacture between 40 and 50
million gallons of 86 to 90-proof
whiskey during August.
___
Vacation Bible
School to Be Held
The annual Daily Vacation Bi
ble School will begin a two-week
period Monday, June 26, at the
Federated Church.
The school will be in session
from Monday through Friday of
, each week, from 9:45 to 11:45 a.
m. All children of the community]
are invited.
The program will include wor
ship, Bible study, handwork,
recreation, and a closing program
each day of worthwhile topics
and discussions' for children.
.City officials and citizens of
Nome have been invited to help
v in this project.
Religious Education Committee:
The school is in charge of the
Mrs. T. Lehmann, Mrs. A. Ner
land, Mrs. P. Olsen and Mrs. V.
Booker, and Mrs. R. Snyder.
Tannin stains coused, by coffee,
tea, fruit, catsup, mustard or soft
drinks can be removed when
fresh with water but in no event
should heat or soap be applied
since these will “set” the stains.
NEW JOBS IN WAR EFFORT — Jeng May. former waiter and World War II veteran,
givu instruction to Irma Kempis, former hula dancer, in the job training program of the Hammer*
« _ Inna Unnufiu'turinr Co_ Mew York, makers of Army and Navy radio equipment. •
Japanese Say
Fierce Battle Is
Raging in Pacific
NEW YORK, N. Y„ June 21.—
(AP>—A Japanese broadcast said
“A fierce naval battle" is raging
in the cenrtal Pacific off ‘he Mar
ianas."
The British radio said: “A Jap
anese spokesman is quoted as say
ing this battle will have far
reaching effects in the Pacific
war situation."
A Columbia Broadcasting Com
pany listening post reported the
London report of the Japanese
broadcast from Tokyo, which said
the Privy Council heard the re
port of the home minister, Kichi
saburo Ano, “in connection with
damages suffered in a recent air
raid in northern Kyushu", the
Japanese mainland area, hit last
week by American Super-fortress
es.
Violator of Army
War Regulations
Punished Severely
HEADQUARTERS, ALASKAN
DEPARTMENT—Violation of se
curity regulations has resulted in
the termination of services and
return to the continental United
Stages of a civilian employee of
the War Department, it has been
announced by Headquarters of
the Alaskan Department. It has
also been directed that the civil
ian may not be employed on
government projects in this thea
ter in the future.
The former employee revealed
information concerning move
ments of an army boat and sought
to arrange a method whereby he
would in the future reveal his
geographic location in violation
of security regulations. He also
used unauthorized channels for
transmitting his personal com
munications.
ANOTHER LOCAL BOY
ENTERS ARMY IN STATES
Mrs. Helen Bockman received
word from her son, Roger Bock
man, who has been attending the
University of Washington, to the
effect that he has been accepted
for military -service in the army.
Roger is a Nome boy and was
graduated from the Nome High
School.
Japanese Armada
Between Marianas
And Philippines
3y LIEF ERICKSON
U. S. PACIFIC FLEET
HEADQUARTERS AT PEARL
i" HARBOR. June 21.—(API—The
Japanese naval armada—‘‘pos
sibly the entire Japanese fleet"
—has moved out between the
Philippines and the invaded
Marianas. Admiral Nimitz an
nounced yesterday.
He h nted dramatically of the
history-making battle wi4h the
American fleet, which may be
even now underway.
“Already it is possible that
damage has been inflicted on the
Japanese warships," the Admiral
said;
Nimitz further s'ated, “There is
the possbiility that a major naval
engagement might result earlier
than expected, as the Tokyo ra
dio told the Japanese people that
, a huge naval battale was in the
making, and promised them a de
cisive victory.”
There is the possibility, also,
that some damage has already
been inflicted on enemy surface
craft, and these blows might have
been dealt by either a carrier
task force or naval forces.
Either way might mark the be
ginning of the first stages of the
battle.
“Three hundred planes, pre
(sumably carrier-based, signalled
the presence of enemy warships
in the area, as they were shot
down attacking the American
task force,” Nimitz said, “bringing
the enemy plane losses since the
start of the Marianas operations
to nearly 600.”
The admiral expressed his con
viction that the enemy has thus
far been able to replace plane
losses to date.
“Once we take the Marianas,
i4 will be like money in the bank,
and we can project our sea power
hundreds -of miles to the west,”
said Nimitz, knocking on wood.
He added: “There have been
no major American combatant
units lost in the Marianas strike.”
ATG EVENTS
Non - Commissioned Officers'
meeting Friday evening at 1930
hours.
Danes on Saturday evening at
the High School Auditorium,
beginning at 9:00 p. m.
.Americans Take
Southern End
Of Saipan Isle
—
WASHINGTON, D. C., June 21.
—(AP)—Inching forward against
heavy artillery fire, the Ameri
cans have taken the southern
half of Saipan, the largest island
in the wes'em Pacific Marianas
group, it has been renorted.
Admiral Nimitz reported that
the American lines extended from
the shore of Magicienne Bay on
the southeas* side of the island,
to the outskirts of Garapan, the
principal Saipan town.
Army and marine units are re
ported to have moved up heavy'
artillery to blast away at the en
emy gun positions, while Ameri
can bombers and strafing fight
ers are joining in the attack, with
navy ships off-shore, pouring
shells into enemy emplacements.
Eigtli Army Hurl
Germans From
Town of Perugia
ROME, June 21.—<AP>—Eight
Army veterans hurled the last
stubborn Nazi defenders out of
ancient Perugia, a communica
tions hub, 85 miles north of Rome, I
and advanced some four miles
north of the city, it was reported
today.
Allied headquarters said the
allied drive was still in steady
motion, although the Germans
had thrown elements of seven
divisions against the right flank
on the Fifth Army’s front in an
effort to slow its pace, but the
Fifth Army fought through four
more villages, making what head
quarters termed, “minor tactical
gains”.
The Mediterranean Air Force
headquarters announced that
Thunderbolts of the First Tactical
Air Force, have severely damaged I
an enemy aircraft carrier in I
Genoa, believed to be an Italian
ship being refitted.
Mobilized forces have been
greatly handicapped for the past
three days, while heavy rains j
made some roads impassable.
After clearing Perugia, the
Eighth Army tnraps headed after,
the retreating Germans in sev
eral directions.
The Volga is the longest river
in Europe.
Admiral King
Says Naval Battle
Is A Possibility
WASHINGTON, D. C., June 21.
—fAP'—Admiral King today ex
i pressed his appreciation for the
i ‘long expected cooperation of
the Japanese navy, which is ap
parently moving into battle posi
tions, and he said he was confi
dent of the outcome of the pros
pective naval engagement in the
western Pacific.
| “The sooner the Japanese fleet
decides to fight it out,” the ad
miral said, “the better we' will be.
satisfied.”
Secretary of the Navy James V.
Forres*al reported that, “despite
the strict radio silence in the Pa-;
- cific, there has been some indi
cation that the American fohce^
have succeeded in catching up
.with all or part of the Jap fleet.”
Forrestal reported, “The Jap
anese fleet has been sighted sev
eral times in the past few days,
: milling around about 600 miles
west of Saipan Island, just east
of the Philippines.v
“Jap planes attacked American
naval units near Saipan Sunday,
indicating that planes apparently
came from carriers about 500
miles to *he westward.” the sec
retary continued.
He added:
The Japanese plan seems to
have been to launch the craft
from carriers with the idea that
after the attack, the planes would
; be able to land at Guam and
Rota, Jap-held bases in the Mar
ianas.
“We have no further details
resulting from the air battle.
{other than the fact that we are
ready for the kill.” ,
“Our carrier planes, ships, and
anti-aircraft guns wiped out most
of the Japanese planes,” Admiral
King disclosed.
The admiral added
“The plans which* have long
been under consideration is that
the American-British forces are
*o be directed against Japan-when
possible, td swing the strength to
j the Pacific and away from Eu
rope.” 1 ** ”*r
Hull Denounces
Statements Of
Captain Lvttleton
WASHINGTON, D. C., June 21.
—IAP—In sharp rebuttal to the
inference that America, in the
months preceding Pearl Harbor,
followed "the single policy of
self defense,” Secretary of State
Cordell Hull denounced what he
termed as an entirely erroneous
assertion by Britain’s production
minister, Captain Oliver Lyttle
ton.
In a personal apology, the Cap
tain said he had no intention of
leavirig the impression that he be
lieved American lend-lease to
Britain had forced Japan to at
! tack the United States.
Reporters claimed that during
a passage in his speech before an
American Chamber of Commerce
in London, Lyttleton made refer-,
ence to America's entry into the
j war. i
Captain Lyttletonj said today:
j “AS’ nearly as I cdn remember, j
; arid* it id <*ertainly what I had in
tended to say, I had said: ‘The
JapS considered American policy
j as war-provoking, only because
! they chose to do so in their ag
I gressor role.’ ”
Troops Assault
Inner Fortresses
Of French Port
SUPREME HEADQUARTERS
ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY
FORCES IN ENGLAND, Juno
21.—(AP)—U. S. doughboys,
supported by heavy artillery
and air bombardment, assalted
the two key, inner-fortresses
guarding Cherbourgh today, one
less than a mile from the com
mercial docks, and fought a
house to house battle through
the suburban area of Cher
bourg.
An NBC broadcast from Nor
mandy declared, “Our ground
forces are moving on Cherbourg.”
It added: “A power drive from
the south, hammered against
Fort Du Roule on the hills in the
Cherbourg outskirts, within a
mile of the docks.”
The broadcast continued:
"Fort Octeville, a little more
than a mile to the west of Cher
bourg’s great military port area,
is now exploding under German
demolition bombs, and lies only
two miles behind Fort Octeville,
where the Germans are making
’heir last ditch stand in these in
ner ring fortresses.
Heavy battles are reported in
the built-up suburban section of
France’s third greatest port, and
the assault on the forts ranges
from St. Martin Legard, four
miles south of Cherbourg, to ad
vance units beyond Acqueville,
near Cherbourg’s city limits.
_ 4
Pan American
Naval Contract
Is Cancelled
SEATTLE. Wash.. June 21.—
LAP>—The Thirteenth Naval Dis
‘rict announced today that the
navy contract with Pan American
Airways air-transport service be
tween Seattle and Alaska, which
has been in operation since Sep
tember 1, 1942, has been ordered
cancelled as of July 31st.
•‘The cancellation displaces 900
employees and brings *o an end
‘he service in which the airways
has flown its equipment more
than seven million mles,’’ Capt.
O. J. Studeman. manager for the
Alaska sector said
“Personnel of the Naval Air
Transport Service will supplant
the civilian operators with navy
owned planes," Studeman said,
while the Pan American Airways
will continue to operate commer
cial flights between points in the
Territory and retain about 500 of
*he 900 employees affected by the
cancellation.”
Studeman added, “The balance
of the 900 displaced employees
will be absorbed by other divi
sions in the system”
No further information was
available as to future service be
tween Alaska and the States.
TELLER FOLKS RETURN
TO THEIR HOME
Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Tweet and
their son, Edgpr, Jr., returned this
afternoon to Teller, where they
have their home, and are in the
mercantile and mining business.
The Tweets have beet) visiting in
Nome for several days on both
a business and pleasure jaunt.
The levee system of the Mis
sissippi is some 500 miles longer
than the Great Wall of China.