THE NOME NIGGET
Published Monday, Wednsday, Friday.
By The Nome Publishing Company, Nome, Alaska
Telephone Main 114 P. O. Box 518
Entered in the Post Office in Nome as 2nd Class Matter
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MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
Offensives Are Aiwa vs Costly
The offensive untertaking against the Japanese in
the Solomon Islands should give Americans a clearer
understanding of the difficulties that confront this
country in the present war.
Actually the United States is not only attempting
to open a second front against Germany in Europe, but
almost singlehandedly secure the defeat of Japan in
the Far East. Considering the vast distances involved
and the enormous supplies required, it would be close
to the truth to estimate that the present job is twice
as great as that in 1917-13.
The war as defensive or offensive, our front is so
vastly extended that it almost precludes comparison
with the first World War.
While the nation entered the present struggle in a
state of preparedness than in 1917. the average Am
erican is apt to forget that in the first nine months of
the former struggle, the United States transported less
than 200.000 soldiers abroad. The present struggle, so
far as this nation is concerned, is in its eleventh month.
While o cial figures are not available, there can be
little doubt but that more than 200.000 American sol
diers are now in service at far distant places.
Up to the Solomon Islands’ attack, the United States
was on the defensive almost entirely. In the Pacific,
Americans outnumbered Navy fought a desperate war
fare of attrition against the superior Japanese fleet,
seeking to hold everything possible until forces could
be prepared for a counter stroke. The Corai Sea and
Midway engagements inflicted severe lasses upon the
Japanese and opened the way for the move against the
Solomon Islands group.
When news of the attack came to this country, with
the intimation of heavy losses in men and ships, the
public realized, probably for the first time, that offen
sive warfare involves the deliberate decision to pay a
price, in men and material, for a desired stive.
The Solomons attack represents only a first step in
a lung series of offensive engagements, designed to de
feat the enemy, by overwhelming force of arms, re
gardless of the cost involved. The American people
are beginning to suspect that victory must be bought
at a tremendous price.
I .S. ( Lilians Rush Air Base In Britain
-:
ERECT 20 BUILDINGS. MACHINE SHOP AND RUN
WAYS IN MONTH. WORKING 10-HR. 7-DAY WEEK
—
Will Maintain All U. S. Craft—Pay Cause Complaint
Base Somewhere In the British Isles—Working ten
to twelve hours dailv and seven cLv weeks, 1,856 civ
"
ilian workmen, all from the Unite States, have set up
twenty- ix buildings, including a luge machine shop,
from the concrete flooring to the roof, in the past
month at a great new United States Armv Air Forces
plane repair depot, it was disclosed.
This is part of the new program under which the
United States Army Air Forces vill supply, repair
and muinta.n all American-built „.rcraft in the Brit
ish Isles regardless of whether they are flown by the
Royal Air Force or by Americans.
Although many of the civilian workmen are trained
aircraft mechanics and all of them are specialists in
running some particular part of such a complicated
establishment, they have worked as concrete mixers
and carpenters and have even buiit soldiers’ quarters.
Some of them acted as stevedores, unloading in seven
days four supply ships from home, including one of
14,000 tons, clearing tons of heavy machinery from a
spanking new airfield.
Talking to these men — employes of a private air
craft company contracting for this base—it is apparent
that they are doing it willingly, having a new feel for
the task in an active war zone.
Pay Complications Arise
Even so. since there are American soldiers here for
guard duty, manning anti-aircraft guns and fatigue
work, there are complications that have been the sub
jeet of discussion by the military authorities. Although
90 percent of the Americans’ pay is withheld at home,
the workers are getting premium wages of about 20
percent higher than s;milar skilled labor in the United
States, whereas the soldiers are getting their base pay
ol $50 monthly. More important, civilian laborers do
ing a similar job at another United States maintenance
base in the British Isles are under the civil service and
have correspondingly lower wages.
Nevorheivss, as a result of their efforts, the first pilot
a - ■ 1 r> .r> went through the new shop cn Sept.
15 instead of Nov. 1 as scheduled because of their un
orthodox, herculean labors.
On April 9 this was a private
estate with sleepy surroundings.
Today. tRanks to the cooperative
efforts of the British Ministry of
Aircraft Production and the Am
' ericans, there are hundreds of
buildings in several camps, sev
eral dozen large and small hang
ars. plus a reservoir and sewage
system, a hospital replete with
doctors and nurses, a Diesel
power plant, a boiler house and
. a telephone exchange with 600
lines.
Base Well Camouflaged
Yesterday the first plane land
. ed at the airport, which is com
• plete with concrete runways that
compare favorably with larger
fields in the United States. Th:
well-camouflaged plant—3 monu
ment to joint British and Am
erican endeavor — will be used
for repairing and rebuilding the
engines of American planes dam
aged in action or needing period
:e overhaul, whether British or
American fi >wn.
Although not yet completely
finished, it will be operating on a
considerable scale within thirty
days and at full swing will be
handling thousands of engines in
the month of January, 1943.
Much credit for this speedy de
- velepment is attributed to Major
Gen. Walter H. A. Frank of Buf
alo. New York, commanding the
Eighth Army Air Force's Service
Command
The mechanical mule of this
war—the jeep—is to be seen pull
ing a grasscutter and Negro and
white troops from the South and
South-west are aiding with man
ual labor in this beehive of or
ganized activity.
This is a completely self-sup
porting community, depending
on the country-side for nothing
and, instead, feed.ng, housing
and clothing its own people. It
even has its own fire truck.
Some Buildings Prefabricated
Speed has been possible partly
because some of the buildings
were prefabricated, but the larg
est structure, like the big ma
ch.ne --hop. for instance, had to
be constructed from scratch. The
first group f 209 e vil technic
ians arr .ed on June 25, the re
main r ecn.,.,g m gradual'-,
since.
So : as i.-.e military officers
station i here are concerned
they vt i;ad to forage even
for s-ca items as furniture and
tabled hs for their living quar
ters..
FOR SALE
Ladies bicycle, balloon tires,
front wheel brake, sprin- side
stand. I.ale model. Practically
new. 1 quire at Nome Nugget.
FOR SALE
“Lea Glasswai c" 12 each —
wat r tumblers, w'tie, cocktail
and et glasses. Reasonable.
Inquire Nome Nugget.
B- rds and Stamp
¥ - *
ENJOY A WORLD OF EXTRA GOODNESS IN A "DOUBLE-RICH” HIGHBALL ^
*
★
IT’S
"DOUBLE
* RICH"
WORLD’S LARGEST SELLING STRAIGHT BOURBON
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiikey • 86 Proof • The Stagg-Finch Diitilleri Corp., Ne* York Citv
BIRDS EYE VIEW OF CAPETOWN
S,
m-iwnsgstomm* wodmmmiesBmsm <<&:&>x &&&* mamum*™——— -
CABLE CAR VIEW OF CAPETOWN —Passengers in the cable car coming down from
Table Mountain get this excellent view of Capetown. South Africa, as it sprawls out in the distance.
SHEEP GRAZE ON LAWNS OF AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL
7t:'— *' i
w 7 ' . 9f A U S I rt A L.5 A N COVEP.NMEN T—Sheep cra*<- on the lawns of Australia's parliament at Canberra, capital
this down-under continent threatened by the Japs. Australia’s parliament consists of a senate and a house of representative*.