THE NOME NUGGET
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MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
American Expeditionary Forces
There appears to be some official reluctance to refer
to any .‘American force abroad as an "AEF.”
If this merely refers to the fact that the 1918 AEF
was a huge army, while our present forces abroad
are small detachments, then the caution against the
term, "AEF” is reasonable.
But there are signs that the reason is deeper — and
stranger. Some Washington correspondents believe
that the official attitude is caused by fear that there is
a lingering resistance on the part of the public to the
sending of any troops aboard in this war.
This is a strange attitude for any official to take.
Such a fear in Washington is a complete mistake. Since
Pearl Harbor, the only isolationists have been either
fifth columnists or idiots. And they have been very few.
Washington doesn’t have to "soil” this war to Am
ericans. The Japs already have done that. The pubhic
understands quite as well as the highest officials that
we cannot beat the Axis by staying home. The public
knows that we cannot avenge Pearl Harbor merely by
coast defense.
The arrival of a vanguard American Expeditionary
Force in North Ireland showed that United States fight
mg forces are moving into position to confront the Axis
enemies on all fronts. The President has confirmed that
other units of the army and marines are taking battle
stations elsewhere. Naturally, units dispatched to the
British Isles would complete the journey much quick
er than those sent to the more distant war stations.
The public would like to see six or eight or ten Am
erican forces abroad. It would like to see them of a
size comparable to the old AEF. And it would like to
see them do just what the AEF did — win a victory
on foreign fields.
Hon. Alibi
In his recent message to Congress, President Roose
velt sajd he tioped the impressive 'figures of his war
program wotfld become common knowledge in Ger
many and Japan.
Apparently they have. At least in Japan. Tokyo pro
pagandists already are laying the groundwork for
alibis. What’s more, the propaganda is of a sort to
backfire.
Jap radio commentators cry that Roosevelt’s figures
are “impressive.” They admit “the war can be won
by the number of battleships, planes and mechanized
equipment.” But the Nipponese add:
“Roosevelt must have trained men . . . men who are
to have rigid discipline and men who are willing to
accept a one-way ticket to death. Roosevelt can no
doubt muster men, but what about their spirit and
training. Money cannot buy that.”
One sentence in this sneering tirade is correct: Mon
ey cannot buy the spirit of the American fighting men.
Nor does money need to. The men who fought at
Wake proved that —as the Japs know, to their cost.
So did Colin Kelly. So have the brave defenders of
Bataan, who still hold off many times their number in
the kind of Japs which Tokyo boasts about.
No Americans will accept this Japanese alibi—made,
necessary by Japanese concern about the Roosevelt
army program—in the spirit which it challenges. So
far the Japs have been striking at our backs, and in a
superiority of ten to one.
1 he day is coming when that advantage in numbers
will be reduced—and even when it is still two to one.
we will bank on the spirit, training and courage of the,
American forces — which money doesn’t have to buy;
to bring the rising sun down to earth.—Juneau Empire, j
Don’t Get Excited Now.
But A Change Is Coming
New York — You want
something really pressing
to worry about? The world
isn’t in bad enough shape
row to satisfy you? Then
worry about this startling
bit of intelligence:
This poor old world is in
for another ice age; or fail
ing that, our battered globe
is going to run into a per
iod of warmer temperatur
es and higher ocean leveis,
according to Weldon F.
Heald. a student of glacia
tion. And what happens to
us or, rather to our poster
ity, depends upon what'
happens to the glaciers.
If it runs into a cold spell:
extending the current 4th;
ice age, the sea level could;
drop a couple of hundred:
feet because of freezing,
just about ruining Coney1
Island. If things get hotter.'
the glaciers might melt and i
oush the sea up over Times,
Sou are, Heald writes in'
“Natural History,” maga-j
z;ne of the American Mu-i
seum of Natural History.
But it’s nothing to get a]
armed about immediately.
It may take a couple of
eons or eras or something
and the chances are you
won t be here to see what
happens.
'
Seattle Folk Read Facts About Alaska,
SEATTLE — The Japanese threat to the Pacific
coast has put the coast of Alaska with its many inlets
and harbors, in the blackout region of possible attack.
So deeply indented is Alaska’s coast that, with its many;
bordering islands, it has an estimated coast line of
15.000 miles, says the National Geographical Society.
For all practical purposes, a thin strip along the
coast, especially the southern part, was for more than
a century Alaska or Russian America, The Russians
maintained government headquarters at Sitka, on the
west coast of Baranof Island, slightly more than 1,000
from Seattle.
At Sitka, on Kodiak Island, at the Pribilof and Aleu
tian Islands, and at several other points, particularly
along the south coast, the Russians had trading posts
to handle the fisheries, and the great fur trade in otter
and seal skins.
The interior remained unexplored. Settlements rose
where rivers met the sea. The Yukon, greatest of these
river highways, flows 2,100 miles westward, across
Alaska from Canada. Several of its tributaries are
navigable by steamer for 100 to 750 miles each, mak
ng the Yukon a vast transportation system in sum
mer months.
In 1942 occurs the 75th anniversary of the Alaska
purchase by which William H. Seward, secretary of
state under President Johnson, created a memorial
to himself long known as “Seward’s Folly.*’ The terri
tory was bought for $7,200,000. Alaska’s 600,000 square
miles thus cost less than 2 cents an acre. The “folly’’
has returned in gold, salmon, furs, lumber and other
products about 200 times the purchase price.
The famous Klondike area, on the Canadian side of
the boundary, was the scene of the frenzied gold rush
in 1897-98. It did not reach peak production of $22,000,
000 worth of gold until 1900. Without sensational head
lines. Alaska in 1940 reported a new high in gold pro
duction of over $26,000,000.
In 1938, Alaska mined some $3,000,000 worth of cop
per more than $1,000,000 in platinum metals (platin
um, iridium, osmium, ruthenium, rhodium, and palla
dium), with lesser values in silver, lead, tin and coal, i
Wealth in Rivers
Tin ore has been produced in small qauntities for
the past 20 years, but the total output has amounted
to less than $1,500,000 worth. It was sent to Singapore
for reduction. Alaska’s copper mines to date have yield
ed a total in excess of $225,000,000. but known depos
its are about exhausted. Alaska has abundant wafer
power. Fifty hydro-electric plants are now' in operation. (
The real “pay dirt" of Alaska comes from the rivers, i
Salmon is the most valuable single product. Each year
the value of canned salmon exported has been from
$35,000,000 to $50,000,000 a year, with some $5,000,000
in other fish and fish products.
Railways to aid mining have been a leading factor
in the development of the interior of Alaska. The
Seward and Anchorage line to the heart of Alaska at
Fairbanks began operation in 1923, but shorter lines
had been built much earlier. Now there are nearly
800 miles of railways in the territory.
All Alaska has not more than 2,500 miles of wagon
road, some 1,500 miles of sled roads, and 6,500 miles
of permanent trails. Over these trails in central and
northern Alaska, sleds are still drawm by dog teams in
winter. Because of the inadequacy of surface trans
portation over such a vast territory, aviation developed
rapidly, and now is referred to as Alaska’s taxi service, j
There are 155 airfields in Alaska and passenger miles I
flown reach 8,000,000 annually.
War Brings Boom
Wartime wrork is proving a greater boom to Alaska
than did the gold rush. New Army and Navy bases, |
highways and airfields, have brought in thousands of:
people and the population of Alaska, with one-fifth
the area of the United States, is expected to pass the
80.000 mark. The 1940 census listed 72,524 persons.
Juneau, the capital, Anchorage and other cities are
expected to double their populations.
Most foodstuffs for Alaskan consumption are im-1
ported from the JJnited States — nearly $5,000,000 ]
worth annually. Alaska’s total purchases in manufac-,
tured and other products has been in the neighborhood
of $40,000,000 yearly.
There are slightly more than 623 farms in Alaska ,
aggregating 1,775,752 acres, but less than one-half of ,
one percent is in crops. The territory is .estimated to s
have some 65,000 square miles suitable for agriculture, *
and 35,000 additional for grazing. The best agricultural 1
lands are on the Cook Inlet shore of the Kenai Pen- *
insula; in the Tanana Valley near Fairbanks; and in
the Matanuska Valley. 1
The largest grazing herds are the reindeer, of w’hich
there are some 30,000. The original stock, only slight
ly more than 1,000, was imported from Siberia to
provide Indians with meat and hides. This natural ‘
growth has resulted in less than fifty years.” t
— Seattle Times ,
■' ■ ~ 011 11 \
An aged Missourian estimates he has saved $800 by *
not having had a shave in 52 years, but hasn’t the $800.
So much economy is like that.—Richmond Dispatch.
PIONEER LINE
Bases At
NOME : : FAIRBANKS
PASSENGER INSURANCE CARRIED
FREIGHT — EXPRESS — MAIL
WIEN ALASKA AIRLINES
SABOTAGE SAFE
GUARDS ARE ASKED
Washington — President
Roosevelt authorized Navy
Secretary Frank Knox to
institute all necessary safe
guards and regulations
against sabotage of vessels,
'ports, and port facilities in
the United States and its
territories.
The order excludes only
ports directly operated by
the War department, and
; empowers the Navy depart
ment to invoke measures
necessary against subver
sive activities that might
destroy or damage import
ant harbor facilities or
vessels.
The G-men and Justice
departments are not reliev
ed of their responsibility
for investigating and aid
ing in prevention of sabot
age and subversive acts in
the areas. It applies to
ports in the United States,:
Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto
Rico and the Virgin Is
lands.
FIGURES ON TAXES
WILL BE USED
Washington — President
Roosevelt authorized the
Price Administration Of
fice to examine corporation
income tax and excess pro
fits tax figures in arriving
at orders for price sched
ules.
In another executive or
der, the President author
1 ized the secretary of war to
j issue citations to army
j units for “outstanding per
formance in action.” Such
I citations would entitle the
outfit to wear emblems and
devices signifying the hon
or.
The price control author
I ization provides that cor
I poration statistics trans
cript cards on file at the
Treasury may be examin
ed by the Price Control of
fice under rules prescribed
by the Treasury secretary.
Vice Admiral C. E. L. Hel
frich (above) of the Royal
Netherland Navv has been,
named chief of allied naval
•forces in the western Pac
ific to succeed U. S. Admir
al Thomas C. Hart who is
ill.
FEDERAL AGENCIES
MOVE TO CHICAGO
Chicago — Government
circles learned that sever
al non-defense agencies
will be shifted from Wash
ington to Chicago some
ime this month.
Federal Budget Director
Harold Smith announced
that the retirement board
would leave for the Illinois
metropolis on March 15.
The board will be one of
the first non-defense agen
cies destined to make head
quarters outside the na
tion’s capital to create
more room for war work
ers.
These transcript cards are
made up by the Treasury
from income and declared
value and tax excess pro
fits tax returns of the cor
porations.
I
NENANA ICE POOI
WELL ORGANIZED
The Nenana Ice Pool organiza
tion has started functioning in
prepaartion for the great annual
spring event. Tickets can be had
at the Nome Drug Store, Polar
Bar, the Navada saloon and at
Jack Solomon’s.
Rules governing the 1942 Ice
Pool contest are:
Nenana Ice Pool closes April 4,
1942, midnight.
No refunds for rejected tickets.
No silent partners will be re
cognized as winners.
Key ticket—Name of combina
tion signed on front of ticket,
placing as many names as con
venient on back; making your
combination list as follows:
Key ticket Serial No.
Name of Combination
Names
4
ICE MOVED AT NTSNANA
1917— April 30 11:30 A.M.
1918— May 11 .9:33 A.M.
1919— May 3.2:33 P.M.
1920— May 11 .10:46 A.M.
1921— May 11 .6:42 A.M.
1922— May 12 .1:20 P.M.
1923— May 9 . 2:00 P.M.
1924— May 11 .3:10 P.M.
1925— May 7 . 6:32 P.M.
1926— April 26 .4:03 P.M.
1927— May 13 ....5:42 A.M.
1928— May 6 .4:25 P.M.
1929— May 5 .3:41 P.M.
1930— May 8 .7:03 P.M.
1931— May 10 .9:23 A.M.
1932— May 1 .10:15 A.M.
1933— May 8 ..7:30 P.M
1934— April 30 . 2:07 PM.
1935— May 15.1:32 P.M.
1936— April 30 . 12:58 P.M.
1937— May 12 .8:04 P.M.
1938— May 6 .8:14 P.M.
1939— April 29 .1:26 P.M.
1940— April 20 .3:27 P.M.
1941— May 3 .150 A.M.