NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
L .c i • • i ‘ • • •• ' • 1 , _ .
VOL. 47—No. 12. NOME, ALASKA, JANUARY 31, 1944. PER COPY—15c
Hitler Te lls
> Germans to
'Fight to End’
LONDON, Jan. 31—(AP)—Over
the German radio. Hitler told his
bomb-groggy people, they faced
“the hardest task imaginable”,
arid this y<iar exhorted thenito 1
persevere and fight to the end, for
“the biggest victory of the Ger
man Reich, despite ail the devil
ish tricks of our opponents,” .
“From the fight can emerge
only one victor, and that will ue
either Germany or Russia.-A Ger
man victory means the preserva
tion of Europe; a Soviet victory
means Europe’s annihilation "
Hitler scarcely mentioned the
military situation, and devoted his
attention to the old thesis of Na
tional Socialist Germany, which
stood as the only bulwark against
“the Bolshevik Coilossus,” and
uttered the usual dire impreca
tions of “International Jewry”.
He asserted that Britain had al
ready lost its place on the conti
nent, and declared that after the
war, Britain and the United States
must face the question: “Not
whether they are able to fight
bolshevism, but whether they will
be able to defend themselves
against bolshevism in their own
countries.”
In closing the speech. Hitler
said, “The continual Tbombings
will only serve to solidify the
Nazi purpose, and harden Ger
mans on the road to victory.
—
MERCILESS !
PEACE FOR AXIS
WASHINGTON. Jan. 31.—<AP>
—The government’s determination
r j| to impose just, but merciless,
peace on Japan, was strengthened
and hardened by the enemy’s
ruthless treatment of prisoners.
Some ranking authorities advo
cating a three-point program, to
strip the Japs of all heavy indus
tries which can be readily con
verted to munitions, and permit
them to operate no merchant ma
rine, or commercial air fleets or
possess no ships larger than 1000- j
ton capacity, limit them to fishing ,
on a small scale, trading lowered,
and to allow' them to engage in
farming necessary to support the
population.
The economic measures, in ad
dition to those already agreed
upon by the allies, to strip the
Japanese of the whole empire
conquest, built up by a half-cen
tury of aggression, to punish war
criminals such as those responsi- ,
ble for the Philippine atrocities. ]
IS NAMED AS
MISSIONARY
SEATTLE, Wash., Jan. 31.—
^ (AP)—Rev. Gerhardt E. Nitz, for
merly of Pocatello, Idaho, but re
cently in special service in Seattle
for the Missouri Synod of the
Lutheran church, has been com
missioned Lutheran missionary at
large for the Territory of Alaska,
and will be in charge of all Luth
eran activity in the Territory.
► ^ Advertise what you have to sell
in The Nugget!
TARAWA CASUALTY —An early casually in tbe bitter fighting at Tarawa, atoll In tha
South Pacific Gilberts, is rem«<'<.•! ' . for transfer to a hospital ship.
BOMBERS HIT
BERLIN IN
RAID AT NIGHT
LONDON, Jan. 31.—<AP)—Hun
dreds of big RAF bombers smash
ed Berlin again last night in a
j holacaust of lire and explosives,
' in history’s greatest sustained aer
1 ial offensive, and left the capital
• and three other great industrial
cities aflame and with heaps of
rubble.
An ominous silence fell over the
• whole of Germany in the wake of
four days and nights of bombing.
Communications between Berlin
and Sweden were broken Sunday
and not restored until noon today.
The first dispatch reaching Stock
holm said last night’s attack caus
ed. great damage.
Thus Germany began its twelfth
year under Nazi rule today with
a homeland strewn with debris
and death.
MAGNUSON ON
ALEUTIAN VISIT
AN ALEUTIAN BASE, Jan. 31.
|—<AP)—Here to obtain first
hand information to impress upon
Washington, the vital importance
!of the North Pacific area, Cong
ressman Magnuson. on the House
| naval affairs committee, observed
(yesterday, “The war has certain
\ ly moved west, up here. The last
j time I was in Alaska, Kiska and
j Attu were still held by the Jap
anese.”
He only went as far as Umnak
j on that first trip.
Commenting on the western
bases, in preparation to carrying
the war to the enemy homeland,
he added, “One of the problems
confronting the committee, was
the disposition of big bases which
were built to stop the Japanese
invasion threat, and are now left
far in the rear of the warfront.”
He was greeted at the base by
Admiral Fletcher, Captain Allen
Price, commanding naval opera
tions at the base and other rank
ing officers.
Creation of War Bond
Poster Result of Arduous
Work by Alaska Artist
By JAY* RAYMOND
Much comment is being made at the present time on
the appearance of a poster, depicting Alaska, and now in use as
an advertisement to aid in the sale of Victory Bonds in the
present Fourth War Loan Drive.
Behind the creation of this beautiful work of Artist C. H.
Heurline, of Palmer, tifere lies a story. A story replete with
adventure, romance and sentimental moments extending over a
period of more than eight months.
During the course of a conversation between Governor
Gruening of Alaska, and Major M. R. Marston, head of the Alaska
Territorial Guard, the idea of creating a poster to aid in the
promulgation of that organisation came into being. Suggestions
for design of such a poster were mulled pro and con by the two
throughout their talk, and it was finally decided upon fo con
tact Mr, Heurline. and ask that he submit sketches which later
would be decided on by the pair.
To better acquaint the artist with the subject al hand.
Governor suggested he be included among the personnel taking
a trek to Wainwright and surrounding villages.
This was done, and throughout the trek Mr. Heurline grew
interested in the scenic beauty of the country . . . and. also
Lottie. But that's another story.
The girl, Lottie, chic and young, in her parka and other
accoutrements, produced a desire in the artist to paint the story
of the Eskimo, in full. With this idea in mind, various sketches
were submitted, but it took the following eight months to create
the poster finally decided upon.
As the story is related, the creation of the heavens as exem
plified by the artist in the use of the flag of our United States
and the Alaska flag, came as a direct result of a morning hunt
ing expedition.
The incident in question occurred at two o'clock in the
morning, when the sheer sheen of the aurora borealis matched
the ever-glorious hues of a morning sunrise.
Arlisl Heurline grasped the beauty of the picture and forth
with created the charming background of the heavens composed
of the flags we love.
Returning to Palmer with his idea. Artist Heurline pro
cured the services of the three men included in the poster, to
pose for the lithograph. Brush in hand he then proceeded to
unfold the story incorporated in the finished work.
It is the story of "Alaska On Guard."' A story of how the
white man stands among the Eskimo and the Indian, ever alert
to the defense of their country. Ever anxious to protect their
loved ones and the country of their birth, and as in the white
man's case, his country of adoption.
With the final stroke of the artist's brush. Governor Gruen
ing conceived the idea the finished product would serve in an
excellent manner as a typical Alaskan Fourth War Loan Drive
poster, such as is seen in the many windows of Nome at the
I present time.
Artist Heurline deserves much commendation for his beau
tiful work. And it has been suggested the poster be used in
Continental United States generally, when another advertisement
for a War Loan Drive is needed.
May we suggest thanks to Governor Gruening and Major
Marston for conceiving the idea . . . and may we also suggest
thanks to Lottie . . . she of the chic and young—who perhaps
helped greater in the artist's final inspiration?
w
Infantry Presses
Across Rapido
Aided By Tanks
TASK FORCE
CONSIDERED
GREATEST
PEARL HARBOR, Jan. 31st.—
(AP)—What may be the greatest
naval task force in history hurled
hundreds of tons of explosives for
the second consecutive day against
the cringing Jap defenders, of the
invasion-threatened Marshall Is
lands.
The communique from Admiral
Nimitz regarding the progress of
the attack by the surface forces
presumably battleships, cruisers
and destroyers, moved within 10
miles of the heavily defended
atolls to pound the shore installa
tions with thousands of rounds of
I shells. The carrier task force loos
ied hundreds of tons of- tombs,
j The enemy force* ««*re presum
ably huddling in underground
pillboxes and bomb shelters, sim
ilar to those on Tarawa.
The Japanese air force was
held to the ground.
Aside from the bried communi
que, no other details were re
ported, as radio silence was en
forced to protect ships and men
attacking the stronghold
RECEIVES FIRST
HONOR AWARD
l
SEATTLE, Jan. 31.—CAP)—The
first Merchant Marine Distin
guished Service Medal ever award
ed in the Pacific Northwest, was
given to Captain Robert E. Blake
field, of Seattle, a master mariner,
who is credited by the- army with
saving a large part of an unnamed
Alaska port from destruction
The presentation disclosed that
Captain BLakefield was the skip
per who, on January 10, 1942,
pulled a blazing ammunition ship
from its berth at the Alaskan pier,
and towed it down the harbor
where it exploded, sending parts
of the ship 3000 feet in the air
The- citation included the fol
lowing statement
“Had the explosion occurred at
the dock, it would have complete
ly wrecked the dock, and caused
serious damage to the town.1’
14 JAP SHIPS
SAID SUNK
WASHINGTON, Jan 31.— (AP>
—The navy reported the sinking
of 14 Japanese ship# which were
endeavoring to reinforce enemy
positions in the Marshall Islands,
which are now being battered by
United States air and sea forces.
The sinkings were by long
range submarines, the where
abouts not being disclosed, and the
sinkings included troop carriers,
cargo ships and tankers.
BADMINTON PLAY TO START
The Arctic Club's schedule of
Badminton play will commence
Tuesday evening at 8:00 p. m.
in the high school gym.—Adv. 3t
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
ALGIERS, Jan 31 —'A?;—Amer
ican infantry and tank teams sur
prising Nazis by a thrust across
the R>apido river, broke through
the defenses north of Cassirto. ’ ’
American fighters and bombers
scored a rceord bag in Italy,
knocking down 63 planes, in a
flattening assault on four bases in
northeastern Italy British Tom
mies and American Rangers, with
tanks and tank destroyer teams,
fought a string of sharp actions
along the perimeter of the Anzio
bridgehead, and enlarged their
grip on the strategic wedge 13
miles below Rome
The Germans- had evidently
gained time j prepare defense
lines througn the Aioan Hills,
along the railroad from Rome to
Cistema The British and Ameri
cana are methodically blasting
them out
FIERCE FIGHTS
AT RABAUL
ADVANCED ALLIED HEAD*.
QUARTERS IN NEW GUINEA*
—(AP)—The army and navy air
men engaged in terrific combat
with Japanese fighters over Ra
baul, in striking contrast with
previous attacks on that port
when the Japanese fighters could
not be stirred into a fight.
In the sweep on Rabaul, 30 of
70 intercepting planes were dawn
ed, with 12 more as probables, not
including 20 whicn were blasted'
or. the ground. Total Japanese
planes lost in January was- 717,
against allied losses ol 97 acknow
ledged. in the south Pacific.
This total was accomplished
with the aid and cooperation of
the Fifth and Thirteenth, Ann/
Air Forces, and the Naval Air
Corps.
During January a total of over
2400 tons of bombs were drop
ped on Jap New Guinea positions,
alone.
Our men destroyed th efollowing
enemy shipping: Four auxiliary
warships. 24 merchantmen, 157
barges, 15 small craft, and dam
aged four cruisers, nine destroyers
four auxiliary warships, 39 mer
chantmen. 79 barges and 11 small
craft.
J APS ADMIT
FIGHTING IS
HARD - FIERCE
NEW YORK, Tokyo radio as
serted that Japanese army and
navy units intercepted powerful'
enemy units which have been at
tacking the Marshall Islands
since the morning of January 30.
Fierce fighting is now going on.
Another Tokyo broadcast beam
ed to Italy, said: “Strong enemy
forces at dawn January 30th, be
gan an offensive against the Mar
shalls. Japanese forces in this sec
tor are now engaged in hard
fighting against these forces."