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OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL-LV No. l”* NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1953 Per Copy—15^ '
Wilson Halts All
Non-Essential
Construction 4
WASHINGTON, Iff) —After to
day, the armed services may
award no new construction con
tracts.
They must also halt projects
under way that cannot be justi
fied as essential.
Moreover, the services must
keep their civilian employment at
the Jan. 31 level, must not use
military personnel to replace civ
ilians nor assign any more mili
tary personnel to administrative
activities or headquarters within
the United States.
That was the girst of orders
issued Friday by Defense Secre
tary Wilson in line with President
Eisenhower’s economy program.
All planned construction proj
ects are halted until they can be
reviewed and a decision made as
to which ones to carry on.
The individual service secre
taries have been directed also to
submit reports on construction
they deem essential and to report
immediately any exceptions to the
manpower freeze they think must
be permitted to protect life, pro
perty or the national security.
More than a third of the 10
billion dollars for military con
struction voted since the start of
the Korean war has not been
spent.
U. S. Servicemen In Korea
Become Addicted To Dope
SEOUL, UP—U.S. Army and Air
Force officers are worried about
a new type of Korean war cas
ualty: the serviceman who be
comes addicted to narcotics.'
Official reports today showed:
Twelve to 15 soldiers and air
men are tried each month by gen
eral courts martial on narcotics
charges. Most are convicted, but
many offenders are never caught.
Most offenders picked up the
habit in Korea, although some are
former addicts who resumed the
use of narcotics here because of
the plentiful supply.
Korean peddlers sell heroin on
the streets. Marijuana grows
wild.
An agent of the Army’s Crim
inal Investigation Division said
narcotics are cheaper here than
in the U.S.
The military courts usually sen
tence narcotics offenders to one
to two years in prison and dis
charged from service.
Weekly Score In Korea Air War
SEOUL, UP—The Air Force said
that last week its pilots shot down
two MIGs, probably destroyed
one and damaged three.
Three Allied planes were lost,
ut none were Sabres.
A propellor - driven Corsair
fighter-bomber was shot down by
ground fire, and a B - 26 light
bomber and F-80 Shooting Star
jet were lost tu other causes, pre
sumably mechanical trouble.
Controversy Develops
Over Naming Rasmuson
To University Regents
By JIM HUTCHESON
JUNEAU, (#>—The question of
legislative confirmation of a Uni
versity of Alaska regent’s reap
pointment developed into a long
distance controversy over the
weekend.
The regent involved is Elmer E.
Ramuson, Anchorage banker.
The issue arose over what
Third Division Republican legis
lators described as a rumor Ras
muson might favor the appoint
ment of Governor Gruening as
university president when the
vacancy develops at the end of
the school year.
The House had invited the Sen
ate into a joint session Saturday
to act on the confirmation of two
members of the Territorial Board
of Education and two of Gover
nor Gruening’s re-appointments to
the board of regents—Rasmuson
and Andrew Nerland, Fairbanks.
The Senate sent back a request
to hold a confirmation session on
the two Board of Education mem
bers only — Edgar Clausen, Sr.,
Fairbanks, and Robert Baldwin,
Nome. Both were confirmed un
animously.
It was disclosed later a wire
had been sent Friday to Ras
muson over the signature of Rep.
Herald Stringer, Third Division
Republican committeeman, ad
vising Rasmuson Third Division
legislators were unanimously sup
porting his re - appointment but
citing a Juneau rumor he might
favor Gruening for university
president, and asking his attitude
on the matter.
Rasmuson wired back sharply
that “fabricators of your so-call
ed rumor know it is false and
designed for political confusion.”
He said any move to require com
mitments from individual regents
on future decisions “would estab
lish a precedent which will drag
the university into politics.”
Gruening previously said he has
not applied for the university
presidency. Chairman Nerland
said the same recently, adding
that many applications had been
received and the regents ultimate
ly will make the selection from
the list. The application period is
still open.
Senate Approves Leaders
Nation’s Foreign Policy
WASHINGTON, OP)—The Sen
ate now has completed approval
of President 4 Eisenhower’s first
squad of top-level appointees to
guide the nation’s foreign policy.
Gen. Walter Bedell Smith as
Undersecretary of State, No. 2
man in the department, and Jas.
B. Conant as High Commissioner
to Germany won approval on
voice votes Friday night.
Conant’s nomination brought a
minor flurry of floor opposition
but only two or three senators
voted “No.” Sen. McCarthy, who
had indicated he might oppose
Conant, was not present.
AFL Prepares
New Attack On
Taft-Hartley Law
MIAMI BEACH, Fla., I/R —The
American Federation of Labor to
day was prepared to launch a
new and specialized attack on the
Taft-Hartley labor law expected
to focus on 19 or 20 major points.
AFL. action will follow a state
ment issued yesterday by the CIO
executive board in Washington
criticizing changes proposed by
Sen. Taft in the Taft-Hartley law.
The CIO said the changes fall
short of “The standard of jus
tice and fairness to labor pro
mised by President Eisenhower”
and characterized them as “petty
liberalizations . . . coupled with
new anti-union restrictions.”
A special committee of top
AFL leaders has been studying
the question for weeks. Its report,
based in part on answers from
presidents of unions affiliated
with the AFL, is reported ready
for study by the AFL executive
council.
It was doubtful whether the
council, headed by AFL president
George Meany, would publicize
at this time the amendments
which the committee thinks
should be the minimum target for
attack.
Jews In Hungarian
Government Are Purged
BUDAPEST, Hungary, UP—'The
Hungarian government has ousted
the boss of the country’s power
ful state police, Minister of Jus
tice Guyual Decsi.
A one-sentence communique in
yesterday’s papers announced the
dismissal but did not give any
reason. The announcement said
only that Decsi had been replaced
in the cabinet by Bela Kovacs,
apparently a newcomer to' Hun
garian ruling circles
(The American-sponsored Red
White-Red radio in Vienna, Aus
tria, said Decsi had been kicked
out of his job and arrested along
with his deputy defense minister,
Col. Gen. Sandor Nogradi, and
the chief of the Hungarian secret
police, Lt. Gen. Gabor Peter. The
broadcast said all three are Jews.)
Yesterday’s communique was
the first official confirmation of
purge rumors that have been rife
in Budapest the past three weeks.
Decsi has been mentioned fre
quently among a dozen officials
reportedly purged two weeks ago.
January Emuployment
Was Highest On Record
WASHINGTON, Iff) — Employ
ment in the United States reached
its highest January level on rec
ord last month—60,524,000.
This was about 750,000 above
January, 1952, but about a million
under December, 1952, Secretary
of Commerce Weeks reported. The
seasonal decline is usual.
The number of unemployed
was estimated at 1,892,000.
Supermarket Swamped
As 7,000 Pounds Choice
Beef Sells For 39 Cents lb.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, UPI—House
wives who lost out on an oppor
tunity to buy round, sirloin and
T - bone steaks for 39 cents a
pound yesterday will get another
chance tomorrow.
The Metz Supermarket sold
7,000 pounds of New Zealand beef
for that price yesterday. It is ex
pecting shipment of 15 sides to
morrow.
Mrs. Mabel K. Metz, owner of
the supermarket, said “We were
swamped” as she and 12 clerks
ran themselves ragged waiting on
the customers who spent $3,900.
The store ordinarily does $800
900 worth of business on Sunday,
she said.
Yesterday’s sales provoked a
near-bedlam. Police were called
to control the crowd.
In The Korean War . . .
SEOUL, [ff\ — Allied warplanes
pounded anew at Communist
frontline positions and supply
arteries in Korea last night and
early today while ground fighting
tapered off to small-scale patrol
clashes.
Lt. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor
and Gen. James A. Van Fleet,
ended a three-day tour of the
front. Taylor succeeds the retir
ing Van Fleet Wednesday as
commander of the Eighth Army.
At his Inst stop on his last
tour of' the front, Van Fleet said,
“My only regret is that we didn’t
finish the job.”
South Korean pilots — flying
propellor-driven Mustangs—took
part in today’s strikes against
Chinese front positions and rear
area supply dumps.
In Tokyo, Far East nnval head
quarters announced that at least
four U.S. warships could foe called
on short notice to bombard Com
munist positions with guided mis
siles “should the war situation re
quire their use.”
June Haver Quits Career
To Enter Catholic Convent
LEAVENWORTH, Kas., UH —
June Haver, 26-year-old blonde
movie actress, quit the glitter of
Hollywood to enter a convent yes
terday.
She will begin a two - year
course of training to become a
Catholic nun at the Sisters of
Charity sanctuary near here.
Miss Haver had reached a
weekly salary of $3,500 in her
movie career. Her career also had
brought her personal tragedy.
She and musician Jimmy Zito
were married in 1947 but a div
orce followed a few months later.
She and Dr. John Duzik, a dent
ist, resumed an old friendship.
He died unexpectedly in October,
1949, while they were reportedly
planning to be married.
The actress also suffered a back
injury while doing a dance dur
ing the filming of her last pic
ture. It kept her from work for
months.
Dulles Encouraged
Over Prospect
European Unity
WASHINGTON, UP) — Secretary
of State Dulles returned from
Europe Monday “encouraged”
.over prospects of European unity.
Dulles and Mutual Security Di
rector Harold E. Stassen arrived
from Luxembourg, completing a
10 - day fact - finding survey of
seven West European nations.
Dulles told newsmen he and
Stassen were “encouraged by
what we have been told by lead
ers” of the West European states.
Dulles had warned the Europ
ean nations that they must get to
gether on a plan for a joint West
European army or else the United
States might be forced to “re
think” its foreign aid program
ming.
Pausing only briefly as he left
the White House, Dulles told in
quiring reporters he and Stassen
told Eisenhower “about the high
lights of our trip.”
The 10 - day swing through
Western Europe took Dulles and
Stassen to the capitals of seven i
friendly nations. His chief objec
tive: to find Out where these
countries stood on the question of
setting up a joint military force
against possible Communist ag
gression.
“On the whole,” Dulles said, he
and Stassen were “encouraged.”
17-Year-Old Survives
Eight Hours Buried
In Snow Avalanche
SEATTLE, UD — “I just kept
praying,” said 17-year-old Larry
Sehinke of his eight hours spent
buried in a Cascade mountain
avalanche “And I guess it
worked.”
Sehinke was one of three Seat
tle boys, all 17, caught in the
tons of snow that rumbled down
a steep gully Saturday afternoon
! as they were climbing toward a
cabin on an overnight ski trip.
One died, Sehinke was rescued
from what he was sure would be
an icy grave, and the third fled
from the avalanche’s path and
raced for help.
The dead boy was Keith Jacob
sen, son of Berne Jacobsen, city
editor of the Post-Intelligencer.
Word of the tragedy, in the Cas
cades 60 miles east of here, was
brought out by Ed Almquist, the
third member of the youthful
party.
Sehinke was dug out by res
cuers late Saturday night, eight
hours after he was entombed be
neath four feet of snow. An arm
thrown overhead created an air
pocket, allowing him to breathe.
He suffered only from shock
and exposure.
Young JaCobsen’s body was
found 18 hours after the slide,
about 100 feet from the spot
Sehinke was located. He appar
ently suffocated.
VALENTINE DANCE Friday,Feb. 13
NOME HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM MUSIC BY “THE TRIO” SEMI-FORMAL 9:00 P.M. ADM. 90