Oldest Newspaper In Alaska. “Ike News of I ke Dav In Pictures" .Meml>er Of Ike Associated Press
“fHE =NOME NUGGET
VOL. 43. No. 120. NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, DEC. 12, 1941. Pe- Copy
Sensational Chinese Killing Seattle
Japanese Navy Flees, Eludes U.S. Asiatic Fleet
JAPS FLEE FROM l . S. ASIATIC
FLEET ESCAPE UNDER COVER
OF DARKNESS NAVY REPORTS
MANILA, Dec. 12 </P) — The
flight of Jap warships to escape
an encounter with ships of the
U. S. Asiatic fleet, somewhere in
the Pacific, was officially report
ed by the U. S. as Japan in
creased the fury of its air and
sea-borne attacks cn Luzon.
A War Department commun
ique said Jap troops are attack
ing Luzon, the richest and big
gest island of the Philippine
archipelago from several direc
tions on the east and west coasts.
Enemy concentrations are report
ed at Egaspi, 250 miles south of
Manila, the major port on the
Pacific side of the islands, and
also off the west coast of Zam
bales, a province northwest of
Man ia exuding southward to
ward Corrcgidor fortress which
guards the entrance to Manila
bay; also that “the enemy is aug
menting its forces at Aparri and
Vigan.” The communique said
Vigan is 200 miles northwest of
Manila and Aparri 250 miles
north of Manila. The war bullet
in added: “Iin Hawaii, no opera
tions were reported on the west
coast and there is no change in
the situation.”
Details were scarce of a brush
between U. S. and Jap warships,
apparently, however, no part of
the main U. S. battle fleet was
ngaged since it was reported to
•'e at its base at Pearl Harbor,
Honolulu and in the Philippines
when the war broke out six days
■go.
A bulletin from Admiral Hart's
headquarters said the encounter
■nded without results, when the
’jvs made off when darkness in
eevened.
Hart acknowledged that Jap
bombers inflicted “very great
damage’’ in Wednesday’s air raid
on the Cavite naval base off Man
ila. There was considerable loss
of life, more among civilians
than among the naval personnel,
the Admiral’s announcement
aid.
America First Committee
Disolved-Urge Support
CHICAGO. Dec. 11 (/P> — Gen.
Robert E. Wo d announced that
the America First Committee is
disolving and urging the mem
bers to support the war effort.
U S. NAVY CONFIRMS ARMY
SINKING 29,000 - TON BATTLE
SHIP IIARUNA OFF LUZON
WASHINGTON. Dec. 11 </P> —.
The sinking of the 20.000-ton Jap;
anese battleship Haruna by army
bombers off the northern coast of i
Luzon in the Philippine', was an
nounced by Secretary Stimson.
He said the Navy Department
confirmed the sinking, previous- j
ly reported by the army, of a i
battleship of the Haruna class.
Determined resistance by Am
erican forces, Stimson reported,
confined Japanese landings on!
Luzon to the vicinity of Aparri:
on the extreme northern tip of
the island. From Manila, how-!
ever, came reports that Japanese
parachutists seized an airport 6
miles from Iligan in eastern Lu
zon. Aparri is on the northern!
coast.
Stimson said continued attacks
by Japanese aircraft in the vicin-1
ity of Manila yesterday, partic
ularly on air fields at Cavite and
at Nichols Feld.
He said losses of planes in the
attack on Hawaii, Sunday, al
though heavy, are already being
replaced. He reported that a!
flight of four-motored army
bombers arrived at Hawaii dur
ing the Japanese attack and one
dane was shot down, but the
crews, remaining with the ships,
wi.h but few moments warning,
brought the sh ps to various air
fields on the island. Only two
of the planes suffered any dam
age.
Sink Jap Cruiser
And Destroyer
Action At Wake
WASHINGTON, Die. 11 (JP) —
The Navy announced that four
separate attacks on Wake Island
were repulsed by the defending
U. S. forces in the past 48 hours.
One light cru:sor and one destroy
er of the Jap forces were sunk.
Resumption of attacks is expect
ed. The Navy said an attempt at
landing by the Japs is also believ
ed in prospect.
More Than 2,000
Survive Repulse,
Prince of Wales
SINGAPORE, Dec. 11 </P) —
More than 2,000 survivors of the
sunken British warships Prince
of Wales and Repulse arrived
here after destroyers and other
units worked all night picking
them up in the China Sea. Some
3,000 men were aboard the ships.
The full story of what happen
ed is still not available, but crew
members of the Repulse said the
first Japanese bomb struck the
32,000-ton Repulse on its airplane
catapult deck. At least 7 Japan
ese planes were shot down by gun
ners who quickly manned their
stations before the commanders
ordered the men over the sides
of the sinking ships.
Japs Claims Two Ships
Sunk by Aerial Action
LONDON, Dec. 10 (/Pi — (De
layed) — The 35,000-ton British
battleship Prince of Wales and
the 32,000-ton battle cruiser Re
pulse were sunk by the Japan
ese off Malaya, it was announced
authoritatively. The Wales steam
ed into Singapore only this
month.
The Japanese claim both ships
were sunk by aerial action.
Mystery Surrounds Seattle’s Most
Sensational Death -- Chinese Slain
Kneeling at Executioner’s Block
SEATTLE, Dec. 12 (>P) — The
body of a Chinese identified by
members of the community here
as Chow Get Min, aged 30, a
teacher student, was found in an
alley with his neck almost sev
ered.
Coroner Mittelstadt said he was
slain in a typical Oriental heads
man fashion, kneeling above an
execution block.
Detectives said that Chinese
told them that Chow was a mem
ber of colony with known en
emies and said that he might
have been killed by persons who
mistook him for a secret agent
working on the war situation.
Head Nearly Decapitated
The nearly decapitated body of
a well-dressed Oriental was
found at 6:50 a.m. in a southern
alley. Coroner Mittelstadt said
he was slain by execution, a
block from the Seattle times. He
said a detective lieutenant told
him of an “investigation of a sec
rot nature which began yester
day. and may link this man with
Japanese op' rations here. If this
inquiry holds up. this death may
be one of the most sensational
that ever happened in Seattle."
Mittelstadt said the man was
kneeling when killed.
The body was unident fled but
the Chinese consul said he be
lieved that the man’s clothing
bore one of the new “China"
ide at ideation badges ordered by
tin. Chinese consulate this week.
In the man’s pocket, officers
found a dollar notebook, the con
tents, they said mystified them.
The book contained the names of
s, v ral prominent Seattle men.
and a long list of English words
and some Chinese characters,
with a group of numerals and
one phrase: “You can’t meet me
in your deception.”
Navy Damages
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 <JP) —
The Navy announced that Ad
miral Thomas C. Hart, command
er of the Asiatic fleet, reported
that patrol bombers hit a Jap
battleship of the Kongo class off
Luzon, badly damaging her. This
attack was apparently in addition
to a previous Army air attack on
another ship of the same or old
er Japanese classification.
Secretary Knox
j
Pearl Harbor
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 UP) —
It was anonunced that Secretary
nf the Navy Knox arrived at
Honolulu this afternoon, appar
ently making a personal investi
gation of the Sunday raid. It
was previously announced only
that he was absent from Wash
ington.
Admiral Kidd
Killed at Hawaii
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 VP) —
The Navy announced that Rear
Admiral Isaac Campbell Kidd
was killed in action during the
attack on Pearl Harbor Sunday.
Kidd was Flag Secretary and
Aide to the Staff Commander-in
Chief of the Pacific Fleet, Ad
miral Husband Kimmel.
Ship Not Named
Kidd was reported as Chief of
Staff and Aide to the Command
er of a battleships of the battle
force on February third. The
ship on which he was serving at
the time of his death was not
named.
You can ave -2.00 by paying si
months h advance for your sul
icription i. The Nome Nugget
Legislate Soon
To Register All
Men 18 to 65
WASHINGTON. Doc. 12 (JP) —
Speaker Rayburn announced that
legislation will be introduced im
mediately, calling for the registra
tion of all mCn from 18 to 65 to
register for service. He said the
legislation will make men from
19 to 45 “responsible for service.
Of course a boy of 19 wouldn’t
be sent into combat service. This
registration is necessary to get an
overall picture of the manpower
; of this country.”
About 40,000,000 Men
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 </P> —
The United States is studying
broadening the selective service
to register and classify all able
bodied men and women of the
nation for military and civilian
defense.
Brig. Gen. Hershev, Director
of Selective Service said there is
need for 40,000,000 men of the
nation, about twenty five percent,
which could eventually be made
available for the army and navy.
He said: “We undoubtedly are:
soon going to consider registra- j
tion of women.”
Repulse Japs j
From Northern
Part of Luzon
MANILA, Dec. 11, iMP) — The
Philippine army reported unof
ficially, but reliably, tonight that |
they recaptured the region of
Appari, on the north coast of Lu
zon, driving the Japs back into
the sea.
—
Jap Planes Reported
Cross Panama Coast
NEW YORK, Dec. 9 f/P) — (De
laved) — A Panamanian radio
broadcast heard in New York by
NBC, said Japanese aircraft were
reported flying over the Panama
coast this morning but no bombs
were dropped.
Congress Responds Within Minutes
To President’s Request For \^ar
Declaration On Germany and Italy
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 {/Pi _
Congress voted war against Nazi
G rmany and Italy, responding
within m nutes to the President’s
urgent warning that “to delay
invites danger." The Senate vot
ed 88 to 0 for war against Ger
many and 90 to 0 for war against
Italy. Just before the ballot, the
Senators 1 stem d to a message
from President Roosevelt asking
for a war declaration, saying “Ne
ver before has there been a
greater challenge to life, liberty,
and civilization."
Minority leader McNurv sub
mitted a unanimous resolution
by the Republicans, pledging sup
port to the President in prose-1
cuting the war to a successful \
conclusion.
In a brief, six aragraph mes-e
sage to Congress, the President
asserted “the forces endeavoring
to enslave the entire world are
now moving toward this hemi
sphere.”
_
President Si^is
War Declaration
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 </Pi —;
President Roosevelt signed the
declarations of war against Ger
many and Italy, thereby putting
the nation’s might against the
Axis partners of Japan.
_
Germany And
Italy Declare
War oil US.
UNDATED. Dec. 11 (/Pi — Ger
nicyiy and Italy declared war ag
ainst the United States with
Mussolini telling cheering Rome j
crowds of “it? honor to fight to
gether with the Japanese.” While
Hitler declared in Berlin that
this war would determine the
history for hundreds of years to
come, the Duce shouted. “Ital
ian men and women, once again I
tel! you in this great hour, we
shall be victorious."
Washington already had dis
counted both declarations bv the
Axis powers, with the official
comment "So what," and it ap
peared that the European dictat
ors were offering Japan moral
suport rather than any possibility
of fighting aid.
Tokyo dispatches said Ger
many, Italy and Japan, signed a
pact pledging their “solemn
word" not to make a separate
peace “without the complete un
derstanding" by the other two
Axis powers, and until the com
mon war against Great Britain
and the United States is success
fully concluded.
Ccmbined Navies Still Greater
In London, Churchill gravely
commented on !|e seriousness of
the British and United States
naval losses in the Pacific but
declared confidently that the com
binc'd naval might of the two al
lied democracies “is still large
ly superior to the combined fore
es of the three A~x;< powers.”
In Berlin. Hitler told the Reich
stag "This has become the great
est year and decision by the
German people and your greatest
decision stands before us."
The two dictators began their
address almost simultaneously at
about 5 a.m. PST. Both had been
foreshadowed by the Japanese
spokesman having declared yes
terday that “Japan expected Ger
many and Italy to declare war on
the United States" in fulfillment
of the Romc-Berlin-Tokyo alli
ance of totalitarianism against
democracy.
2nd Interceptor
Planes Hunt
Enemy Aircraft
j
SEATTLE. Dec. 9 (VP) — (De
layed) — Planes from the Port
land air base hopped off at 8:15
a.m., the 2nd interceptor com
mand announced, to hunt 600
miles of sea for two or three
Jap aircraft carriers and some
subs reporfed operating off the
coast. Erig. Gen. Carlyle Wash,
head of the interceptor com
mand reported that planes were
warming their motors here and
at other western Washington air- \
fields, ready to take the air as
soon as “perfect attack weather”
moderated.
Wash was in charge of last
night’s Pacific coast blackout and
ordered radio and broadcasting
stations within a hundred miles
of Seattle to continue off the air
indefintiely. He said Seattle is to
be blacked out again tonight.
Tuesday, starting at 6 p.m. At
9:19 a. m., Wash had station
KIRO. 50,000 watt station remain
on the air to carry official an
nouncements. He broadcast the
terse statement that “There has
been no change in the situation
and the possibility of air attack
is still present.”
Russians Report
Germans Smashed
on Central Front
MOSCOW. Doc. 12 i.V) — Rus
sia claimed officially tonight that
several German d.visions were
smashed on the central front and
that Stalinogrosk and Venev
were recaptured. They told of a
continuing advance in several
sectors west and southwest of
Moscow.
Two Air Ilaid Alarms
At San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO. Dec. 10 </P)
— (Delayed) — Two air raid al
arms were sounded within a half
hour. The first one was at 1:55
a. m. and the second at 2:25. The
city was blacked out.
Wash said the aerial hunt will
cover a strip of ocean 600 miles
wide and as far north and south
as possible. He said the planes
will go out the full distance then
fly crisscross patterns toward
shore at high altitudes. “Every
hour that passes lessens the
chance for a surprise attack,” he
; said.