THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday, Friday, by The Nome
Publishing Company, Nome. Alaska.
■telephone Main 114 p. o. Box 518
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MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
Alaska Highway Approved
The untiring efforts of Alskans and their friends to
bring about construction of the Alaskan International
Highway, have at last been rewarded, as evidenced by
an Associated Press dispatch, printed elsewhere in
this edition, to the effect that approval for its construe
tion has been granted, and indications are that con
struction will be started soon.
Early last month Donald McDonald of Fairbanks,
staunch advocate of the highway stated in Washing
ton before the House Committee on Roads, in part, as
follows:
“General William Mitchell, at one time Chief of the
Army Air Corps, who predicted the use of air power
in modern warfare, states, ‘He who holds Alaska will
hold the world.' General Mitchell based his statement
on the fact that Alaska is the center of the land mass
of the Northern Hemisphere. With the rapid evolution
of the airplane, Alaska becomes the most strategic
point on earth. From its heart, by transpolar flight,
all the capitals of Asia, Europe and America are easily
in range of a modern bomber — even for the round
trip without refueling. Of no other point on earth can
this be said.
“Alaska is economically and strategically an island.
It can only be reached by sea and air. It is sparsely
populated. It is absolutely dependent upon the United
States proper for all means of life or war. The exist
ing supply lines, the sea lanes, are notoriously the
most dangerous constantly travelled waters n America.
“Gentlemen, we run no risk if we build this high
way. We run a risk only if we don’t build it. If we
need it and haven’t got it, it will be a sad, sad story.
Another error. If we build it and don’t need it for na
tional defense, for which we can praise the Lord, we
still have an immensely valuable instrument for the
development of the whole north.
“The highway is not a battleship. It will not be
come obsolete. It cannot be sunk.by an enemy. Time
is pressing. Let it not be said of us, as it has been
said too frequently of others, ‘Too little and too late’.”
The wisdom of approving the construction of the
Alaska Highway will from this day forward be inereas
ingly evident.
lake No (Jiances
Whatever may be the true situation in Germany or
on the Russian battlefields. Secretary of the Navy
Frank Knox recently followed a wise course in sug
gesting that the United States be skeptical of all re
ports that the Third Reich is about to collapse or that
the Nazi military juggernaut has been “routed.”
Commenting on the suggestion of the Navy Secre
tary and his utterances, the Cincinnati Enquirer has
the following to say:
“Colonel Knox says he personally believes the
stories of internal unrest in Germany are spurious and
have been circulated by the Nazis themselves ‘to take
the fine edge off the sense of urgency and immediacy
and singleness of purpose with which the United Stat
es is pushing its war effort.’ Colonel Knox may be
right. Certainly there is ground for suspicion in the
fact that most of the reports of trouble in Germany
have come from news sources subject to Nazi influence
•—even if it w'ere logical for the reports to leak out in
this manner.
However, it should be immaterial to the United Stat
es whether this is the case or not. Happily we do not
need to stop now to decide. Our whole war program
has been designed with the aim of taking no chances
with Axis strength, but of creating an air force, a
navy, and an army so great and well equipped that
they can overwhelm anything the Axis nations con
ceivably could muster.
“Our war program must proceed toward that ob
jective. Then, if Germany is indeed weak internally,
we shall have made certain her reasonably early col
lapse in the face of our growing armed might; if Ger
many is not yet weak internally, we shall have taken
no chances.
“To our sorrow, we already have underestimated
one foe—the Japanese. We have seen what Japan was
capable of, even after we supposed—in the face of ap
parently good evidence — that she was partly ‘ex
hausted’ by her war with China.
Clearly, Germany has been and is being weaken
ed by the war on the Eastern Front. But, as Colonel
Knox points out, the Nazis still possess the ‘greatest
military machine in the world.’ We cannot assume that
it will crumble of its own accord. We must plan to
overwhelm it. The more decisive our margin of
strength, the more economical of lives and money will
be our victory.” — Juneau Empire.
I
Registrants Who Enlist After Reing
Called For Induction by S.S. Cannot
be Credited Outstanding Patriotism
Registrants who enlist after being called for pre
induction physical examination can hardly be credited
with outstanding patriotic motives for so doing, John L.
McCormick. Territorial Director of Selective Service,
stated today.
“Such men,” he said, “seem to crave public recog
nition as volunteers when it is perfectly apparent that
the compelling motive is the knowledge they will be
ordered into the Army within a few days. Every regis
trant has weeks and, sometimes, months to determine
: whether he meets with the physical standards of the
Army and also to volunteer for the branch of the arm
ed forces he prefers.”
Director McCormick said that while the recruiting
services continue to operate, men of draft age may vol
unteer up to the time of being called for induction and
Selective Service officials greatly prefer that the en
listment precede the call for physical examination.
He continued: “Before a registrant is permitted to
enlist after call for pre-induction physical examina
tion, his board must certify to the recruiting office that
the applicant is not a necessary man to industry. IT
successful, the registrant enters the Army within two
or three weeks from the time he would be inducted
anyway.
“It is, of course, different with the registrant who'
prefers to serve with the Navy, the Marine Corps, or
the Coast Guard, but in each case, we cannot help but
feel that the man who is sincere in his preference will
not wait to volunteer until he is about to be drafted.
Then too, the Local Board has the privilege of declin-i
ing to give a waiver after it has called a registrant
for physical examination and the plans of the man who
waits until the last moment may be defeated.”
So Sorry
The Japs are the one who axe usually “so sorry, !
please.” Back in 1923, a big disaster hit Japan. Human
itarians in the United States told everyone that we
ought to be “so sorry” for the Japs. So we sent them a
lot of clothes, food, medicine and first aid supplies.!
Now we should be “so sorry” that we sent them.
In case you’re wondering. 1923 was the year of the
big earthquake in Japan. The Japs were down On their
Nipponese begging for relief. The United States gave
it to them—$12,000,000 worth.
The other day. the War Department announced the
following facts related to Washington bv Gen. Douglas,
MacArthur. You all know where he is.
Reported Gen. MacArthur, in landing more troops
in Subic Bay, the Japs have employed specially-built
barges to reinforce the 200,000 troops already con
fronting the gallant American and Filipino forces. Sev
eral of these barges have been captured and in them,
Gen. MacArthur states, were found pieces of life-sav
ing equipment which formed a part of the relief sup
plies sent to Japan after the 1923 earthquake.
The equipment was marked “United States Army
Transport Merritt,” which was one of the ships rushed
to aid the Japanese. The little yellow men apparently
had been saving it all this time for use in the assault
upon their former benefactor.
But to make matters worse, it was brought to light
that the shipping of the supplies on the Merritt and
the transport Meggs was under the direction of Brig.
Gen. Douglas MacArthur, then commander of the
Philippine Scouts Brigade.
We would enjoy an earthquake in Japan right now.
PIONEER WATER
DELIVERY
_
SPRING WATER
Always At Votir Service
Phone Black 44
I
NENANA ICE POOL
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
--
Carrying an Assortment
of Fine Liquors, Win
es, and Beers.
FRONT STREET, NOME ;
-j
ICE MOVED AT NENANA
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 P.M.
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 .. 1:50 A.M.
PIONEER LINE
Bases At
NOME : FAIRBANKS
PASSENGER INSURANCE CARRIED
FREIGHT — EXPRESS — MAIL
WIEN ALASKA AIRLINES
DOGTEAM TRAIN
PULLS PLANE
INTO KOTZEBUE
Lashed on a 15 ft.-long sled be
hind 60 dogs, the Fairchild 24.
which dropped onto a tiny Arctic
lake in an emergency landing
by P.lot Archie Ferguson the
week before Christmas i? now on
the "return flight” to its base at
Kotzebue.
A crew of' 10 Eskimos headed
by Edward Norton and Raben
Shelton disassembled the dam
aged craft and loaded it onto the
giant sled after digging the plane
out of eight feet of snow. The
motor was placed on a basket
sled.
Out #1 Seiawik
The giant dogteam left Seiawik
bound for Kotzebue 103 miles
overland, after a 17-day trail
breaking round trip to the head
waters of the Pah River. The
scene of Ferguson’s forced land
ing was 190 miles from Seiawik.
Ferguson and two passengers,
Dr. David Hoehn and Norman
Anthony, both of Fairbanks,
spent 10 days on the snow-pack
ed lake awaiting rescue after the
emergency landing. 1
Ferguson has already received
word that parts for repair of the
Fairchild may reach Kotzebue
shortly after the dogteam train
pulls the plane to its Arctic base.
NOTICE
fou can ive -2.00 bv payine <•
months ii \dvance for your sul
icription i The Nome Nugget
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SOUTHERN BELL E—Launching of 35,000-ton Alabama at
Portsmouth, Va„ will be 1942’s first baptism of a U.S. battleship.
Insurance i
Rates High
On Gold
SEATTLE, Feb.— Highlight of
a recent meeting of the Alaska
Miners’ Association in Seattle
was another report on the Wage
Four situation as applied to Al
aska. The secretary reported to
the 35 members present that the
campaign to secure relief from
the persecutions of the Wage
Hour Division was under full
swing.
War Risk Insurance
The Association also took up
the problem of marine war risk
insurance rates 'on gold ship
ments to the States from Alaska.
It was pointed out that if Alaska
exports $25,000,000 to the States
this year the high insurance rate
new prevailing will cost shippers
$411,250 in marine war risk in
surance a’one. It was suggested
that First National Banks be de
signated as depositories in the
Territory for gold produced
there so that private operators
would not hav« to bear this ad
ditional burden.
WITH THE PEOPLE
BY THE PEOPLE
FOR THE PEOPLE