m NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LXI No. 100 * NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 1959 Per Copy—15*
Soviets Teach Cuban Reds How to
Infiltrate Fidel Castro’s Government
MINNEAPOLIS, UP) —A. U. S.
intelligence spokesman reported
today that Moscow sent a Soviet
intelligence officer to Cuba last
May to guide local Communists
on how to penetrate the govern
ment of Fidel Castro. .
He also said the Soviets are
secretly training more and more
Latin American Communists on
how to set up Communist dicta
torships.
This word was given out by
Gen. C. P. Cabell, deputy director
of the Central Intelligence Agen
cy, in a speech prepared for a
meeting of the American Legion’s
National Security Commission.
Cabell declared that Kremlin
tactics have run full circle from
missile rattling to smiling faces,
but their goal remains Commun
ist rule of the world.
Cabell named the Soviet intelli
gence officer as Vadim Kotcher
gin, who has since returned to
Moscow.
While in Cuba, Cabell said,
Kotchergin’s assignment was to
give guidance to Cuban Commun
ists.
“Primary targets for Commun
ist penetration in Cuba are the
agrarian reforms, trade unions
and the army,” he said.
He said Red Chinese propagan
dists also are setting up a news
paper in Cuba.
Escape Capsule
Wrecked by
Premature Firing
WASHINGTON, [ID—An escape
rocket fired prematurely today
and wrecked an attempt to test
rescue methods for the men who
will make the first space flights.
The blast lobbed a full-size
space capsule into the surf off the
. National Aeronautics and Space
Administration’s test station on
Wallops Island on the Virginia
eastern shore.
The rocket that blew off ahead
of time was one intended to kick
the capsule free from the main
rocket in the event of emergency.
The capsule was to have been
launched to great height by a
Little Joe booster rocket.
At the top of its flight the es
cape rocket was to have been
{ fired for test purposes.
The launch area had been
cleared of all personnel about 10
'' minutes before the ignition of the
' '■ escape rocket, so no one was hurt.
The launching had been plan
• ned as the first in a series of
tests of Project Mercury space
capsules during the launching
phase. The 2,000 pound capsule
was a forerunner of those that
will carry the Mercury astro
• * nauts on their first launchings by
i rocket next year, leading up to
^ the first manned orbiting of the
earth probably in 1961.
House Committee OK’s
\laska & Hawaii Request
Vlore FA A Airport Aid
WASHINGTON, (TP) — A bill to
illow Alaska and Hawaii to share
n discretionary airport aid funds
vas approved yesterday by the
louse Commerce Committee.
Under a recently passed Air
i ort Aid Act, Alaska and Ha
aii were not included for state
nares in the apportionment funds
ut were treated as territories’
Under the act, Alaska will re
vive SI,350,000 and Hawaii
750,000 in each of the next two
ears.
Representatives of 'both pro
sted this wasn’t enough. They
ked that if they could not be
eluded for shares equal with
e other states, that they be per
tted to apply for additional
ids • from the Federal Aviation
ency discretionary fund.
, The bill, passed by the Senate
month, would allow them to
ily for money from this fund.
Oil Found Just 150 Feet
From Site of The First
Commercial Oil Well
TITUSVILLE, Pa., UPC-Oil was
struck here today on the eve of
I the 100th anniversary of the oil
industry, just 150 feet from the
site where Col. Edwin L. Drake
drilled the first commercial oil
well in 1859.
The strike came as a surprise as
operations were being carried out
to demonstrate drilling proced
ures for the centennial celebra
tion which opens next week. It
is doubtful if the well will have
any commercial value.
The new well is located at the
Drake Well Memorial Park.
The drillers discovered oil seep
ing up this morning when they
returned to the site they had been
j drilling yesterday.
Park officials said the seepage
probably amounts to about two
barrels of oil a day. The well is
about 184 feet deep.
Rep. Pelly Calls For New
Agreement with Japan
Covering Tuna and Salmon
WASHINGTON, UP)—Rep. Thos.
Pelly (R-Wash) said yesterday it
is imperative for the United
States and Japan to reach a new
agreement on fishing for salmon
and tuna in the Pacifc.
In a letter to Interior Secretary
Fred Seaton, Pelly expressed fear
that in talks with Japan concern
ing tuna, “concessions might be
made at the expense of the sal
mon industry.” ■
Currently there is an agree
ment between Japan and the
United States on conservation
practices in the fishing industry
that will assure a lasting supply
of tuna and salmon.
Noting the American fisheries
are already in economic trouble,
Pelly told Seaton a “new, ad
justed abstention agreement” si
needed between the two nations.
Fairbanks Team Takes
Part in Junior League
Baseball Tournament
ROSEBURG, Ore., UP) — Five
state champions will compete in
the Pacific Northwest American
Legion Junior Baseball Tourna
ment opening Saturday night.
The defending champion Bill
ings, Mont., will meet Fairbanks
in the opening game. Roseburg
and Boise clash in the second
game. Seattle draws a bye.
The title will be determined
Wednesday night.
National Guard
Prevent Looting
In Quake Area
WEST YELLOWSTONE PARK,
Mont., (7P> — National Guardsmen
moved into this earthquake-rav
aged area today to prevent pos
sible looting.
The quake’s death toll, mean
while, reached nine. Mrs. Ray
Painter, 42, of Ogden, Utah, died
yesterday in a Bozeman, Mont.,
hospital. She was hurt when the
quake split a mountain and sent
it thundering down on Rock
Creek campground and into the
Madison River.
Search officials fear other
campers may be entombed in that
massive landslide. Army Engi
neers are expected to determine
soon whether to attempt to move
the 50 million tons of rock, earth
and debris.
The Guardsmen replaced Idaho
and Wyoming state patrolmen
who joined others from Montana
in rescue operations during the
chaos that followed the multiple
earth shocks of Monday and Tues
day.
Lesser jolts continued in the
area yesterday. The U.S. Geo
detic Survey counted 372 after
shocks.
The aftershocks, rain and the
threat of new landslides has de
layed groups searching for pos
sible other victims.
Hope Diamond
Jinx Dogs Mailman
Who Delivered It
WASHINGTON, UP)—The Hope
diamond, given to the Smithson
ian Institution last year by a New
York gem dealer, has a sinister
history. It is supposed to have
brought death or misfortune to
a long string of owners.
When jewel merchant Harry
Winston gave it to the govern
ment museum last November he
sent it by mail. James G. Todd,
35, was the mailman who deliv
ered the 44V2 carat diamond.
Since then, these things have
happened to Todd:
His leg was crushed by a truck.
While he was recuperating, his
wife, mother of their four chil
dren, died of a heart attack. In
a later accident, Todd was thrown
from his car and suffered a head
•injury.
Wednesday night fire swept
four rooms of Todd’s suburban
home.
“I don’t believe any of that
stuff,” Todd said, referring to the
diamond’s legend of trouble.
“Perhaps I’m actually having
good luck — thank God all four
children were outside instead of
in those rooms.
“If the hex is supposed to af
fect the owners, then the public
should be having the bad luck.”
THURSDAY BALL SCORES
American League
Cleveland 6, Washington 1
Detroit 14, New York 2
Baltimore 7, Chicago 6
Boston 11, Kansas City 10
National League
Pittsburgh 3, St. Louis 1
San Francisco 5, Milwaukee 3
Los Angeles 8, Cincinnati 5
Philadelphia 8-4, Chicago 5-6
Pacific Coast League
Vancouver 6, Seattle 5
San Diego 9, Phoenix 0
Salt Lake 5-0, Sacramento 0-5
Hawaii Becomes The 50th State Today
By D. HAROLD OLIVER
WASHINGTON, l£>—Hawaii, a
group of volcanic and coral is
lands 2,400 miles west of San
Francisco, officially joins the
union todhy as the nation’s 50th
state.
President Eisenhower arranged
a noon ceremony at the White;
House to proclaim statehood for
the territory after a 56-year ef
fort by Hawaiian citizens, now
numbering 585,000.
Besides signing the statehood
proclamation today, the President
issues an order designating a new
50-star, flag to become officially
effective next July 4.
The new banner will take the
place of the 49-star flag which
| became official only last July 4.
It supplanted the 47-year-old 48
star flag.
Soon after the Hawaiian pro
clamation, the government will
put on sale a special 7-cent air
mail stamp commemorating the
event.
The signing also will be the sig
nal for Gov. William F. Quinn, a
Republican elected as the state’s
first governor last July 28, to take
the oath in Honolulu, capital of
the new state.
Quinn will then notify Wash
ington of his certification of the
election last month of Hawaii’s
first congressional delegation in
time for the two senators and one
representative to take their oaths
here Monday.
The two senators are Hiram L.
Fong, 52-year-old Republican of
Chinese descent, and Oren E.
Long, 70-year-old Democrat and
former territorial governor. The
House member is Daniel K. In
ouye, 34 - year - old Democrat of
Japanese parentage who lost an
arm fighting with the 442nd Regi
mental Combat Team in Italy in
World War II.
Terms of the senators will be
decided by a drawing after they
take the oath.
Swearing of the three will raise
the Senate to 100 members—65
Democrats and 35 Republicans.
House strength will go to 437 —
283 Democrats, 153 Republicans,
and one vacancy.
AGC Meets to Ratify Pact
ANCHORAGE, UP — The Asso
ciated General Contractors had
scheduled meetings yesterday and
today to vote on approving an
agreement that could end an
Alaska-wide carpenters strike
that is now nearly two months old.
The AGC member • meetings
were scheduled here yesterday
and the Fairbanks group for Sat
urday. They were expected to
approve the agreement.
The carpenters local here will
vote at 1 p.m. Sunday and in
Southeastern Alaska the time is
set for 3 p.m
July Cost-of-Living
Attains New High
WASHINGTON, UP —The cost
of living rose three-tenths of 1
per cent in July to another rec
ord high, the government reported
today.
The government said higher
prices for all haajor classes of
goods and services contributed to
the advance, with food prices
leading the way.
The consumer price index for
July was 124.9 per cent of the
1947-49 average, eight-tenths of
1 per cent higher than in July
1958.
The increase will mean wage
boosts to about one million work
ers primarily in the automobile,
farm equipment and aircraft in
dustries.
Hersey E. Riley, chief of the
department’s Division of Prices
and Cost of Living, said the in
crease from June to July was
“pretty milch a result of seasonal
factors. Only twice since 1941
have food prices declined in July
and the average increase for that
month iS^S-lOths of 1 per cent.”
“We are quite certain from what
we see now that food prices will
drop in August, but we can’t tell
just how that will affect the en
tire cost of living index,” Riley
said.
Riley also announced that the
spendable earnings of factory
workers and the buying power of
those earnings dropped in July.”
| Senate Provides
Alaska National
Guard Armories
WASHINGTON, (P—The Sen
ate approved 89-0 today a $1,428,
178,700 bill providing funds to
build armories, aircraft shops and
hundreds of military construction
projects in this country and over
seas.
Sen. John Stennis (D-Miss>
floor manager for the second big
defense money bill, said each of
the projects was “essential to the
maintenance of our military
strength at home and abroad.”
He won unanimous approval of
addition of $143,176,000 to the
funds previously voted by the
House, including 86 additional
Army National Guard projects in.
30 different states. They will cost
some 13 million dollars more than
the budget recommendations for
the current fiscal year.
Even so, Stennis and Sen. Fran
cis Case (R-SD> noted that the
Senate total still was more than
135 million dollars under Presi
dent Eisenhower’s budget re
quests of $1,563,200,000.
The bill carries the following
National Guard projects in Alas
ka: Bethel, $480,000; Fairbanks,
$277,000; Ketchikan, $277,000 and
Sitka, $45,000.
Controversial Sculptor,
Jacob Epstein, Dies at
Age of 78 In London
LONDON, P— Sir Jacob Ep
stein, noted American-born Brit
ish sculptor, died at his London
home last night.
Epstein, one of the most con
troversial figures in the world of
art, was 78. Born on New York’s
East Side to poor Russian-Polish.
immigrants, he lived abroad for
most of his adult life and was a
naturalized British citizen.
Queen Elizabeth II knighted
him in 1954.
Epstein’s works were of two
types—huge figures of enormous
vitality and power which often
infuriated the traditional minded
by what they termed their crud
ity, and portrait busts of a host
of famous persons which were
generally admired.