Oldest Newspaper In Alaska. *' Ihe News of the Day In Pictures*’ Member of The Associated Press
’ THE NOME NUGGET
%
VOL. 44. No. 130. NOME. ALASKA, FRIDAY, OCT. 30, 1942. P« Copy is*
General Rationing Policy May be Applied Alaska
Dimond Urges Extension Alaska
Highway 690 Miles To Bering Sea
Urges Use Of Alaska To Strike At Japan, Territory
Being Only Two Tohusand Miles From Tokyo
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (/P) — Delegate Dimond
described Alaska to the House of Representatives as
the b'st route to use to defeat the Japanese, by strik
ing at the homeland. “We can normally look forward
to the expansion of military developments in and
throu ;h Alaska, both to bring power to bear against
the J; panese and to materially supply the Russo-Ger
man front,” he said.
The strategic importance of Alaska was brought
vividly to attention, he said, by the “obvious difficulty
of supplying forces in Australia and the Solomon Is
lands, and the great distances overseas, always subject
to the enemy’s naval forces. If we drive the Japanese
out of the Aleutians, as we must at the earLiest pos
sible moment, then we can come within 2.000 miles of
Tokyo without leaving our own territory.”
Urging the appointment of a committee to ispect the
new Alaska highway, Dimond suggested that such a
group would be likely to recommend the extension
of the road, the 600 additional miles to the Bering
Sea or Strait. A rough survey has already been made
for a highway from Fairbanks to Nome.
Dimond also urged a highway from rrince George
to Whitehorse. If approval lor this road is unobtained,
Dimond suggested connecting the present highway
from near Fort’ St. John with Prince George.
Entire Alaska Highway Now Open
To Be Kept In Operation All Winter
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (/P) — The entire Alaskan
Highway is now open to traffic, Secretary of War
Stimson announced, weeks ahead of schedule. Motor
trucks started this week moving supplies and equip
ment to garrisons in Alaska, using the entire 1671
miles of roadway, Simson told at a press conference.
He said: “Thousands of trucks will operate over the
route all winter, carrying soldiers and supplies to Al
aska and plans are under way to bring loads of strat
egic materials on their return.”
The formal opening has been advanced tentatively
to November 15th, instead of December first. Cere
monies are planned at a point on the Alaska-Canadian
border.
U. S. Forces On Guadalcanal Retain
Positions - Jap Plane Losses Total 413
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (/P) — The Navy announc
ed that Army and Marine Corps troops on Guadalcanal
Island were successful in a counter attack and have
retaken their original positions after a Japanese as
sault pierced their lines for the second time in two
days. The attacks occurred late Tuesday afternoon,
Solomons time, the Navy reported, the American fore
es, repulsing two additional enemy thrusts. The Am
erican lines were pierced the night of October 25, on
the south side of the airfield at Guadalcanal, but army
troops threw back that attack and regained their posi
tions.
On the morning of October 27, a communique said,
American planes from Guadalcanal, attacking enemy
shore installations and planes moored at Rekata Bay,
destroyed four seaplanes on the water, bringing to
413, the total of Jap planes destroyed in the Solomons
campaign todate. Fires were started among shore in
stallations. Later in the day, American planes bombed
Jap emplacements west of the beleaguered airfield,
destroying an anti-aircraft battery and an ammunition
dump.
A communique said there is no report of any recent
sea fighting or further landing of Jap reinforcements
at Guadalcanal. Naval officers said, the communique,
although describing the action as having occurred 3
days ago, was based on reports received today.
Commander U. S.
Forces in Europe
Ordered Home
Washington, Oct. 29 (/P)
—Lieut. Gen. Dwight Eis
enhower, commander of
the United States Army
forces in the European
theatre, was reported to
have been called home for
“important consultations”
with the high command.
Whether his return was
connected with „the ques
tion of a second front in
Europe, was unstated.
British Desert
Antiy Beat Off
German Attacks
Cairo, Oct. 29 (/I3)—Brit
ish headquarters announc
ed that the Eighth Army
has beaten off an Axis
counter attack in the Egyp
tian desert and reported
continuing air attacks on
enemy supply lines and
bases, including Crete. Fur
ther losses were reported
inflicted on Rommel’s forc
es in a series of minor tank
engagements yesterday.
More than Million
Xmas Parcels Sent
To Boys Overseas
Washington, Oct, 29 (/l5)
— More than a million
Christmas parcels, includ
ing a record total of 3,369
tons of mail was sent to
the American armed forces
overseas in the first 25
days in October. This vol
ume far exceeds the
amount sent to the AEF in
the same period of the
World War, Secty. Stim
son said.
Son of "Billy"
Mitchell Dies of
Rare Illness
A Line Camp, New York,
Oct. 28 (/P) — Delayed —
Lieutenant John Landrum
Mitchell, aged 22, son of
the late Brig.-Gen. “Billy”
Mitchell, prophet of mod
ern aerial warfare, died
last night after 3 weeks ill
ness from a rare blood dis
ease. His mother and two
sisters survive him.
SOURDOUGH STATIONERY
That unique and humorous,
and typical Alaskan stationery—
"Sourdough Roadhouse” Letter
heads and Envelopes, have been
brought strictly up to date, and
are now available at the Nugget
office.
Solomons Fighting
Confined Small
Skirmishes
Washington, Oct. 30 (/P)
— The Navy announced
that American troops at
Guadalcanal destroyed 12
light Jap tanks in the past
week, and in the past two
days torpedo boats scored
a torpedo hit on a Jap de
layer engage in reinforc
ing enemy troops.
A communique said land
lighting on the island for
the past two days was con
'ined to small skirmishes
h at American aircraft are ‘
continuing to bomb and;
trafe enemy positions west1
of the airfield.
In the late afternoon of
October 28. island time,
American fighter planes do
stroyed two enemy sea
planes at Rekata Bay. On
the morning of October 29,
enemy bombers attacked
American positions at
i Gaudalcanal but all bombs
dropepd into the water,
the Navy said, and no dam
age resulted.
Ladd Field
May e B Post
For V-Mail
Ladd Field lias been selected
tentatively as the V-Mail station
for all of Alaska, First Lieut.
Paul J. Ashlock, post censor, an
nounced. If the War Dept, ap
proves this site, equipment for
microfilming V-Mail will be sent
here and installed in the base
ment of NCO No. 14. Personnel
to operate the equipment also
would come to the post.
Lieut. Ashlock said that an of
ficer from Washington recently
visited this post for the purpose
of determining if it would be a
suitable location for the Alaskan
V-Mail station. His decision was
favorable, Lieut. Ashlock repori
ed, and he recommended Ladd
Field to the War Dept.
V-Mail is the new fast service
for dispatch of mail to and from
American forces overseas. ‘ Let
ters written on special V-Mail
letter sheets are photographed
on microfilm and shipped to
their destinations by the most
expeditious transportation avail
able. Since microfilm doesn’t
take as much space as regular
mail, its use saves valuable car
go space for vital war materials.
V-Mail letter forms now are
available in very community and
on every rural mail route in the
U. S.. the War Department an
nounced The forms have not yet
been received at Ladd Field.
If and when a V-Mail staiion
is established here, letters writ
ten by Ladd Field soldiers will
be microfilmed and sent by air
mail to Seattle without use of
airmail stamp. Such letters then
would go by train to their destin
ations. V-Mail sent under airmail
, stamps would go all the way by
airmail. The Army Postal Serv
ice has urged that all persons
writing to members of the armed
[ forces outside the United States
j use V-Mail.
Dimond Asserts General Rationing
£5
For Alaska Is Just Plain Screwy’
.* -i — %
OI’A Says It is Reasonable to Assume That A General
Rationing Policy Will he Applied To Alaska
WASHINGTON. Oct. 28 (/P) — Delayed—An offic
ial of the OPA said it is reasonable to assume that gen
eral rationing will be applied to Alaska, but Delegate
Dimond said any such plan is “just plain screwy."
Rupert Emerson, head of the Territories Division
of the OPA, said tires, autos, and typewriters are al
ready rationed, but sugar and gas are not. Emerson
said;
“Insofar as it is necess. ry, we will apply the nation
al rationing program to Alaska. It is a reasonable
assumption that it will have to be. If coffee is rationed
in the remainder of : c nation there is no reason why
it shouldn’t be ration. 1 in Alaska. We have reached
no flat decision and are studying the question.
“Mrs. Mildred He mann, rationing director for the
Territory is now enr .ute to Washington. We will ex
amine the stiuation here end it is reasonable t a sume
that general ration;:'-; will be applied to A ska if it
is to be applied to the rest of the country. A ver\ good
reason will have to be shown why Alaska is not in
cluded."
Delegate Anthony J. Dimond said: “It would be
just plain screwy to apply general rationing to Alaska.
I tried to "find out. but I have been unable to learn
what the OPA intent to do.
Interior Alaska residents have to lay,in applies ev
ery summer for the next twelve months. They can’t
run to the corner grocery every time they need a
pound of suger. It might be necessary to ration liquor,
but the cost of a general rationing policy for 80 to
90,000 people in a territory the size of Texas would be
tremendous and foolish.”
Germans Resume Stalingrad Offensive
Blizzards Raging Caucasus Mountains
MOSCOW, Oct. 29 (/P) —Soviet military dispatches
said the Germans are gaining ground in a large scale
offensive in a new sector of central Caucasus, attack
ing the deep Red Army defenses across Nalchik Plat
eau with troops, tanks, artillery and planes. This shift
of invasion pressure southeastward from the Mozdok
area was noted as Stalingrad's garrison held on for
the 66th day of siege, against German attempts to cap
italize on a 200-yard gain in bloody fighting yesterday.
That advance was estimated by the Red Star to have
cost the enemy 5 battalions of troops killed or wound
ed and 20 tanks wrecked or burned. Ten times, the
Nazis sent large troop and tank forces charging up the
gap between two factories, edging forward yard by
yard until they finally stalled, the Red Star said, in a
crossfire of machineguns, camouflaged in the factory
buildings
Blizzards have been raging in the Caucasus Moun
tains and bitter cold has now set in. Russian dispatch
es said many German soldiers have frozen to death
in caves.
Red Army Tunis Tables On Germans
J
MOSCOW, Oct. 28 (/P) — Red Army defenders of
the cliff-sided mountain road to the Black Sea port of
Huapse, turned the tables on the Nazis in the western
Caucasus in a smashing counter assault and forced
the German into a retreat which started several days
ago, battlefront dispatches reported.
In Stalingrad, the German onslaught was renewed
at a deadly cost and gained the invaders two more
debris-littered streets, but the main Russian lines held.
Northwest of the besieged city, the Red Army’s re
lief offensive bit menacingly deeper into the German
flank across the sodden steppes.
Timed with the resurgent Russian thrust along the
road approaching Taupse and through passes to the
northeast, other Flussian forces struck determinedly
into German guarded positions east of the Port of
Novoroshisk, 80 miles farthur up the coast.