THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday, Friday, by The Nome
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MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
2-1 SUPERIORITY IS GIVEN
U S. NAVY OVER JAP FLEET
i -
By THOMAS M. JOHNSON
WASHINGTON— If Japan go
es to war with th*5 United States.
Britain. and Russia. and the
Dutch East Indies —or even if
she goes to war with the United
States alone —then Jaoan stands
an excellent chance of committ
ing hari-kari for Hitler’s benefit.
She would draw off some fore
es and supDlies that would oth
erwise hinder bis conquest of
Russia, but those forces and sup
plies would very probably crush
her before Hitler could cross Si
beria to her aid.
That seems to be the sum of
the factors in a war that would
probably be decided at sea. Nar
rowing it down to the naval odds
as between this country and Jap
an, they seem to be 2 to 1 against
Japan.
If her navy is, as a spokesman
has Just said, “itching for a
fight.’’ then the ailment is of re
cent origin: for her admirals,
who get around more than her
generals know that they are very
apt to emerge from such a fight
Quite literally burning with de
feat.
DIFFICULTIES FOR JAPAN
How that defeat came about
would depend upon where the
war was fought. If Japan goes
northward against Siberia, she
hits terrible weather, two tough
ened armies aided by many sub
marines operating from Vladiv
ostok against Japanese supply
ri'U’es'and*bam.ber4 blasting Jap
anise cities within easy range.
If only to protect the Vladivos
tok entry-port for supplies for
Russia. President Roosevelt con
ceivably would risk some oppo
sition here and send the Pacific
fleet the shorter way from Haw
aii to engage the Japanese, be
fore the nazis could fight their
way the tremendous distance
from Europe.
If Japan goes southward, she
aids Hitler less but herself more
directly. For southward are the
raw materials she craves. And
yet attacking British Singapore
means difficult jungle fighting
and brings in the Dutch E3st In
dies and Russia surely, and per
haps this country, to protect our
rubber, tin, and Sinapore naval
base and the Philippines. And
from the Philippines, American
forces cou’d attack the exposed
sea routes for a Japanese army
pressing southward.
HOW U. S. COULD FIGHT
One of two American naval
concepts of a war against Japan
has envisaged our attacking sup
ply ships and transports down
the coast of China—plus a long
range blockade of trade routes
leading to Japan itself, for the
purpose of starving Japan’s war
industries. It could be done large
Iv through Manila with cruis
ers, submarines, destroyers and
planes, leaving heavier ships and
some lighter for the battle of
the Atlantic.
But the Japanese have some re
serves, and if Hitler approached
Siberia, the time factor might
well force the United States to
more aggressive action. Then the
Pacific fleet, with every battle-:
ship and heavy cruiser that could :
be spared, would rush from Haw
aii westward. It is 3300 miles to
Japan from our only major Pac
ific fleet base. But almost unnotic
ed is that fact that, since the
navy recent y built up its ’’train"
of supply and repair ships, it has
almost a .‘‘floating base.” This,
with the fleet’s planes, means
that the U. S. navy has greatly
reduced the handicap of sea-mil
es in choosing the scene of battle.
From admiral to bluejacket,
our navy believes that even
though the Pacific fleet has been
weakened, chances the 2 to 1
they could beat the Japanese in
a : '♦nd-un fight. Politely agree
ing, the Japanese have prepared
to run away or fight at extreme
ranges. Japanese battleships av
erage faster and perhaps slight
y safer than ours and are newer;
but their armor like the ill-fated
Italians,’ is thin (12-14 inches vs.
1G) especially in the turrets. Our
big guns could crack them at
nine to ten miles, but they must
close to six to crack ours. Our
new 16-inch guns are better than
theirs, our total gunpower would
probably bo near 50 percent great
i er. Our heavy cruisers outgun
theirs, though on 1:ght cruisers,
destroyers and submarines terms
would be nearer equal—depend
ing up how many American war
ships were kept in the Atlantic.
Both navies hold trumps. The
Japs' trumps are two to four my
sterious new “super-cruisers” of
Britain Declares
War on Rumania,
Finland, Hungary
LONDON, Dec. 6 </P> — Great
Britain announced she will be
at war with Finland, Hungary,
and Rumania one minute after
midnight tonight, 4:01 Pacific
time, bceause they refused to
stop fighting her Russian al’y. It
will not change the present sit
uation much but will mean a big
difference in peace conferences.
Scotland Yard rounded up
more than 200 “enemy aliens”
mostly Finns.
SPECIAL SESSION H. P.
LONDON, Dec. 7 1/Pl — The
House of Commons was summon
ed for a session tomorrow.
12.000-tons and 12-inch guns. But
our navy asks: “Remember the
Graf Spee?” and points out that
these pocket battleships could be
attacked with a new 8-inch ar
more-piercing shell, fired from
our heavy cruisers.
The American trump recalls
another German naval disaster,
the Bismark, which succumbed
to air power. Naval authorities
-belive we have the finest naval
aviation in the world, sending up
from carriers bigger and better
planes than the Japanese navy
boasts — planes better enough.,
to maintain that 2-1 superiority.
That includes superior spotting
for our superior gunners, plus
dive-bombing against Japanese
ships.
The American trump can take
two tricks. Navy heavy patrol
bombers (range: 3000 to 5000
miles) could operate 1030 to 2000
miles offshore, against Japanese
ships, or attack Japanese cities.
They can reach them from the
Philipines or even more easily
from Vladivostok, where the
Russians also have many heavy
bombers. The United States has
strengthened its far east air force
especia ly since the naval waj
has shown that within certain
limits boinbers can replace sur
face vessels which were sent to
the Atlantic when we occupied
Iceland.
And all this American air and
sea power would be reinforc
ed by the 75-odd Russian sub-;
marines believed based at Vlad-j
ivostok, the considerable forces
of the Dutch East Indies, and by
British capital ships now in the
Pacific.
Japan’s present sea strength is
less than it will be a year from j
now, when Tokyo, will place in
commission new capital ships j
that now are nearer completion1
than ours. In two years, the bal
ance would swing back in the
U. S.’s favor. And in three years1
the United States will have, to:
all intents, its long-projected j
two-ocean navy.
WAR BIRDS WARM UP FOR PACIFIC FLIGHT
Dozens of bombing and fighting planes of the Navy warm up on the flight deck of an aircraft car- j
rier, somewhere in the Pacific, where the U. S. fleet maintains constant vigilance. The name of the
aircraft carrier was not given in this official U. S. Navy picture.
House Votes
Eight Billion
For Defense
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 (/P) —
A new $8,224,000,000 appropria
tion bill, designed to double the
nation’s armament production,
passed the House late yesterday
by a vote of 309 to 5, and would
set up a $1,566,000 for lend-lease
aid. If enacted, the law will bring
defense expenditures and contrac
toral authority up to $67,990,000,
0 0, twice the amout of money
which the United States spent in
the World War.
Fresh Buttermilk at Polet's
Notice of Final Settlement
In the Probate Court, Cape
N me Precinct, Territory of Al
aska:
In the Matter of the Estate of
MAMIE BALL. Deceased:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN,
that Roy Stump, Administrator
with the Will annexed of the Es-'
tate of Mamie Ball, Deceased,
has filed in said Court his Final
Report and Account; and that
Friday, the 30th day of January,
1942. at the hour of 10 a.m. at
the Court Room of said Probate
Court, in Nome, Alaska, has>
been set as the time and place
for the hearing of objection, if
any there be, to said Report and
Account, and the settlment of the
same. At said time and place, the
Court will adjudicate and decree
who are the hairs and distrib
utees of said estate.
Dated: Nome, Alaska, Decem
ber 1, 1941.
Roy Stump, A ’mini'trator
with the Will annexed
Publish Dec. 1, 8. 15, 22, 1941.
3uv Defense Bonds and Stamp
PASSENGERS AND EXPRESS TO
ALL PARTS OF ALASKA
Approximately One Dollar of Each Fare
la Spent for Passenger Insurance
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Carrying an Assortment
of Fine Liquors, Win
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FRONT STREET. NOME
PIONEER WATER
DELIVERY
SPRING WATER
Always At Your Service
Phone Black 44
WHEAT STARTS TOWARD S W I T Z E R L A N D_Bucket by bucket, wheat denned
for neutral Switzerland is loaded into a freighter on the Tagus in Lisbon, Portugal. To reach the tiny
inland country, the wheat goes by boat to Genoa, Italy, and thence is sent by rail to Switzerland,
sjjecia'. agreements for this procedure having been reached by the countries involved.
———————————— _ •
TANKS FOR RUSSIA READY FOR TRANSFER TO BOAT
Six whippet tanks, sheated in canvas, sat on railroad cars on sidings near the Army base at Bos
ton, Mass., awaiting transfer to boat for shipment to Russia as part of the Lend-Lease aid. They
were the first of many tanks to be shipped by those channels.