™s NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASK A—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LXII No. 25 NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1960 Per Copy 15*
_ —. -- - . ' ■ ■ —*
19 Members of Navy Band Die At Rio
In Collision With Brazilian Airliner
By MORRIS W. ROSENBERG
RIO DE JANIERO, UP) — The
collision of a U.S. Navy plane
and a Brazilian airliner in which
61 persons died left a tragic after
math today to President Eisen
hower’s triumphal visit to Brazil.
A fleet of launches criss-crossed
Guanabara Bay off Rio, seeking
missing bodies of those who died
in the collision in an overcast
yesterday. Only 25 bodies were
recovered yesterday.
Thirty-five of the dead, and the
only three survivors, were U. S.
Navy men. Among the dead were
19 leading members of the U. S.
Navy’s world-famed band, “The
Cream of the Crop,” coming from
Buenos Aires to play for a dinner
Eisenhower gave last night for
Brazilian President Kubitschek.
The survivors and seven of the
dead were members of the U.S.
Navy antisubmarine team which
had been sent to advise the Ar
gentine navy after a mystery sub
marine was reported in a gulf on
the Argentine coast. No sub was
found, and the team was on its
way home.
Others dead in the crash were
the 7 crewmen of the Navy plane,
2 other Navy passengers, and 22
Brazilian passengers and the crew
of 4 aboard the Brazilian airliner.
The shocked U. S. President,
who knew many members of the
band, went on with the dinner for
Kubitschek but cancelled a re
ception and a meeting with mem
bers of the U.S. Embassy staff.
Both Eisenhower and Kubit
schek sent messages of sympathy
to the families of those killed in
the crash and hurried to the hos
pital to visit the three survivors
as soon as they returned from Sao
Paulo.
Although the men were in
shock and under heavy sedation,
they recognized Eisenhower.
26 Perish In Crash
Of Italian Plane at
Shannon Airport
SHANNON, Ireland, OP) — An
Italian airliner bound for New
York with 52 persons aboard
crashed and exploded today in a
tiny Irish cemetery, scattering
bodies “like a scene from hell.”
Twenty-six of those aboard the
Alitalia airliner were killed in
the crash, and three others died
after being brought to hospitals.
Of the 23 survivors, many lay
near death, horribly burned and
broken.
The airline said 12 of the 40
passengers were Americans, but
it could not say yet which if any
had survived.
The four-engine DC-7 crashed
immediately after taking off from
Shannon’s International Airport
for the Atlantic hop. It had set
out from Naples, landed at Rome
to pick up more passengers, and
stopped at Shannon to refuel.
The airliner crashed through
the wall of the cemetery, near
the airport, and plowed through
a line of tombstones and across a
sheep pasture, leaving a mile-long
trail of fire and bodies.
The crash came within hours
of an air collision in Rio De Jan
iero that claimed 61 lives and
brought to more than 325 the
death toll in eight major plane
disasters since Jan. 1.
Two New Measures Cover
City Incorporation; Bar
Admittance Regulation
JUNEAU, Ufl — It would be
easier to incorporate first class
cities and it would take longer for
newcomers to be admitted to law
practice under bills introduced
yesterday in the Alaska Legisla
ture.
Sen. Irwin Metcalf offered a
measure to require only a simple
majority, instead of the present
two thirds, to carry an incorpor
ation proposal in an election.
Rep. Peter Kalamarides, chair
man of the Admissions Committee
of the Alaska Bar Assn., intro
duced a bill to require 90 days
residence before applying to take
the bar examination or be admit
ted by reciprocity with another
state. Present law requires 90
days residence before actually
taking the exam. I
U. S. Embassy In Poland
Beseiged by Farmers
Seeking ‘Free Lands’
WARSAW, UPi—Polish peasants
—spurred on by rumors of free
lands — are making their second
February trek to the U.S. Em
bassy in Warsaw.
This week hundreds of farm
ers turned up at the embassy.
They said they came on the
strength of reports that they
would be given land in Hawaii,
Alaska, and even the Philippines,
an independent republic.
No one seemed to be able to
say just how the rumors started.
One woman told a consular of
ficial the village priest had told
her of free land opportunities in
America.
Nearly a year ago peasants
came to the embassy in reaction
to the same rumors of free land.
Bomb Explosions Attributed To
Followers of Ex-President Peron
Mars Ike’s Visit to Buenos Aires
BUENOS AIRES, Ufl — Presi
dent Eisenhower launched a
weekend visit to Argentina today
with an expression of satisfaction
that “our commitments and com
mon aspirations provide one stone
in the structure of peace.”
The sun broke through the over
cast skies just as the President’s
orange and silver jet, bringing
him from Rio De Janiero, touch
ed down.
He is here for a weekend visit,
with more emphasis on diplo
matic talks than parading. A
series of bomb explosions early
today in Buenos Aires was taken
as an indication of efforts by
Peronistas or other dissidents to
embarrass the government of
President Arturo Frondizi at the
time of Eisenhower’s visit.
He was greeted by an orderly
crowd of 5,000, including Presi
dent Frondizi, who was his guest
in Washington a year ago.
The press editorially hailed the
vist as a historical occasion which
would result in closer links be
tween the two nations.
Eisenhower said he greeted the
Argentines with genuine pleasure
and satisfaction.
“I am especially happy that my
visit occurs during the 150th an
niversary of your nation’s valiant
fight for freedom . .
The pattern of Eisenhower’s
first hours differed from that in
the three other countries on his
South American itinerary. A heli
copter ride to downtown Buenos
Aires was arranged instead of the
airport-to-town parades set up in
Rio, Santiago and Montevideo.
One reason is that Buenos Aires is
more than an hour by car from
the downtown district. Another
possible reason is security, since
the route would have carried the
U.S. President through an area
where followers of ex-President
Peron might be inclined to dem
onstrate.
Most Argentinians were less en
thusiastic over the President’s
visit than the carnival - minded
Brazilans, who were hosts on the
first stage of Eisenhower’s 10-day
Latin - American tour aimed at
bolstering the U.S. position in key
countries.
Four bomb explosions rocked
downtown Buenos Aires shortly
after midnight, creating a last
minute tenseness in the atmo
sphere of the capital.
Police believed the bombs were
set off by diehard followers of
ex - President Peron, who never
misses a chance to embarrass
President Frondiz’s government.
Midas “Spy in Sky”
Satellite Launched
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., UP>—
A huge rocket thundered aloft
today in an attempt to boost an
experimental Midas “Spy in the
Sky” satellite into orbit. Midas’
mission is to multiply warning
time by detecting ballistic mis
siles only seconds off the launch
ing pads.
The intended orbit for the de
vice of more than two tons is be
tween 100 and 200 miles high.
Midas which stands for Missile
Defense Alarm System, is the
first U. S. satellite launched for
a purely military purpose. The
Air Force has clamped a secrecy
lid on most details about it.
Officials emphasized that this
is only an experimental vehicle,
a forerunner of a series of satel
lites planned to whirl about the
earth on constant watch for en
emy missile activity. They will
carry infra-red sensing devices to
spot the heat trail of a hostile
rocket as it is fired.
The warning would be flashed
immediately to America, which
then would have about 30 min
utes to brace for nuclear bomb
ardment and to send retaliatory
weapons on the way.
The extra time to reach shelter
could save thousands of lives.
Robert Erwin Assigned As
Prosecuting Attorney Here
From State Senator Lester
Bronson it has been learned that
Robert Erwin, Assistant Attorney
General, has been assigned to
Nome to assume the duties of
prosecuting attorney.
His primary post will be with
the Nome court, and as time and
the workload permits, he may be
assigned temporarily to Anchor
age or Fairbanks, depending on
the pressure of work in those
offices, and the staff available.
Legislature Passes Bill Legalizing
The Chena and Nenana Ice Pools
-i
Alaska Senate Kept Busy
On Wide Range of
State Legislation
JUNEAU, W—The State Senate
gave its attention to a wide range
of legislation yesterday, turning
down one bill, passing two others
and deferring action on a fourth.
Okehed by the upper chamber
were bills providing deficiency
appropriations of $152,320 and
dealing with the state’s motorists’
financial responsibility law.
The Senate voted to indefenite
ly postpone action on a House
passed measure to authorize other
agencies of state government to
use the printing and duplicating
equipment operated by the legis
lature. The action had the effect
of killing the bill.
The biggest item in the defic
iency apropriation bill, for the
State Department of Labor and
the State Department of Health
and Welfare, is $116,000 for men
tal health care under Alaska’s
contract with Portland’s Morning
side Hospital. The money is need
ed to cover increased costs for
treatment.
The House-passed bill also
covers $19,820 for the Department
of Labor, $25,000 for the State’s
tuberculosis hospitalization pro
gram and $7,500 for physical ex
aminations of school children.
The measure dealing with fin
ancial responsibility would per
mit the suspension of automobile
registrations in accident cases in
volving motorists who fail to meet
the requirements of the financial
responsibility law.
Expense Allowance of
State Board Members
Raised in New Bill
JUNEAU, UP) — The House
passed 31-7 yesterday a Senate
approved bill raising the daily ex
pense allowance of members of
Alaska boards and commissions
from $20 to $35.
The measure must go back to
Senate for concurrence in minor
changes made by the House.
The House also approved a bill
to codify laws relating to the Al
aska Legislative Council. The bill,
which the Senate passed earlier,
makes no change in the Council’s
membership. Gov. Egan vetoed in
the 1959 session a bill which
would have increased the mem
bership from 10 to 12.
State - Owned Autos
Will Be Identified
By Distinctive Markings
JUNEAU, (ft — From now on,
when you see a state-owned car
it will stand out as the property
of the State of Alaska.
Gov. Egan signed yesterday a
bill providing for distinctive
markings and license plates for
state cars.
The governor also approved a
bill amending the 1959 law which
created Alaska’s state court sys
tem. The bill eliminates a re
quirement that the Administrator
of Courts have his headquarters
at the same place as the Supreme
Court. It gives the Supreme Court
power to set fees for judicial ser
vices.
The two measures were the
11th and 12th to be signed by the
governor during the current leg
islative session.
> JUNEAU, UFi—The Alaska Leg
islature swiftly completed action
on the controversial lotteries billl
Wednesday and rushed it along to
Gov. Egan, who has 15 days in
which to sign the measure into
law or veto it.
The new legislation would le
galize non-profit gambling in cer
tain forms, including bingo and
lotto games, raffles and lotteries,
fish derbies and the twin focal
points of the state’s gambling
spirit, the Nenana and Chena ice
pools.
Such non-profit gambling car
ried on by service, religious, frat
ernal and veterans organizations,
and the like, would be permitted
under annual permits issued by
the State Commissioner of Reve
nue. No permit would be granted
to any organization not in exist
ence for five years prior to its
application for a permit. In addi
tion, no permit would toe issued
unless the actiyty “existed in Al
aska in substantially the same
form and was conducted in sub
stantially the same manner prior
to Jan. 1, 1959.”
The House gave overwhelming
voice vote approval to the bill
shortly before noon and the Sen
ate completed legislative action
in midafternon, passing at 17-3.
The bill is a conference com
mittee substitute for a bill which
had passed both the House and
the Senate two weeks ago. Sup
porters claim the new bill in
cludes rigid provsions which will
prevent wide-open gambling.
The original bill apparently
was due for a veto toy Egan, but
the new conference committee
measure was expected to win ex
ecutive approval.
In debate on the Senate floor,
Sen. George McNabb commented:
“The executive branch of the
state government feared the ex
istence of the Mafia behind every
comma and period of the original
bill. Having played a substantial
part in drafting this committee
substitute, one could reasonably
expect executive approval forth
with on transmission.”
Arguments in the upper cham
(Continued On Page Three)
ESC Legislation
To be Debated on
Senate Floor Today
JUNEAU, UPl—The controversial
subject of employment security
legislation was expected to hit the
floor of the Alaska Senate for the
first time today.
The Senate Committee on Com
merce and Labor met late yester
day to act on a proposed substi
tute bill for one offered early in
the session by Gov. Egan.
Sen. George McNabb, chair
man, excluded newsmen from the
committee hearing.
The committee was expected to
divide, probably 3-2, on whether
to recommend it. The initial floor
battle was expected to be on whe
ther to accept the committee’s
recommendation.
McNabb has declined to dis
close the contents of his bill. It
reportedly calls for an increase
in benefits allowances to jobless
workers, and total wage taxation
in support of the state’s unem
ployment insurance fund.
The governor’s bill makes no
provision for increased benefits
and would raise the taxable wage
base from $4,200 to $7,300.