m NOME NUGGET
_OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS_’ '
VoT^’lV No-27 NPM7, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, MARCH .4, 1953 ~ Per Copy—151
School Board Flan
Building In 1955
With AFW Funds
Last evening the Nome School
Board, in special session, discus
sed plans of enlarging the school (
facilities to care for the in- j
creased enrollment. Additional |
rooms are needed for the next
school year and it had previously
had been decided to convert the
gymnasium into' nine classrooms,
a new gym to be constructed at
a later date.
Participation in the project by
the Alaska Public Works was dis
cussed. The APW, a federal
agency, has assisted, on a 50-50
basis, with much major school
construction in the Territory in
recent years.
Due to the length of time need
ed in processing and approving
an application for Public Works
participation, the building pro
gram, with APW assistance, could
not be started prior to the 1955
construction season.
The decision of the School
Board, to be presented to the City
Council for their approval, is to
make no alterations this summer
but to plan for construction in
1955 with the aid of APW. The
exact nature of the building pro
gram will not be known until the
present plant has been inspected
by an APW architect, who is due
to arrive in Nome next month.
The crowded condition in the
school has been alleviated these
past few years by making use
of three or four rooms in the
Annex. It will be necessary to
continue using this building, a
temporary structure with poor
lighting and inadequate heating,
for two more years.
The School Board will attempt
to remedy the heating situation by
the next school year and will
have flourescent lights installed at
an early date.
Bomb Intended For Peron
Explodes in RR Station
BUENOS, AIRES, Argentina,
UP)—A powerful bomb planted in
a luggage checkroom in the
Buenos Aires railway station ex
ploded Monday a few minutes be
fore President Juan D. Peron re
turned by special train from his
state visit to Chile.
Peron’s car, at the rear of the
train, was halted about 100 yards
from the site of the explosion,
which ripped a big hole in the
checkroom wall and shattered
windshields of cars parked out
side.
The only casualty reported was
a boy who suffered facial cuts.
A few persons nearby fainted and
received first aid treatment.
Coast and Geodetic Survey Party
Leaves Seattle For Alaska's
North Arctic Coast
SEATTLE, UP) — A Coast and
Geodetic Survey party leaving
here Wednesday for its summer
operation on Alaska’s north Arc
tic Coast, is carrying a monument
to be erected at Pitt Point, Alaska.
It is a memorial to three Seattle
men who lost their lives in the
Arctic Ocean near there last sum
mer while on duty with the Sur
vey.
Van Fleet Tells Coi
In Korea Was of 0
That A Military
Alaska S.S. Vessels
To Serve Alaska Pending
Settlement with Unions
■SEATTLE, Iff! — Three Alaska
Steamship vessels are scheduled
to sail to Alaska this month al
though no settlement of a wage
dispute has been reached yet be
tween the Alaska Steamship Co.
and deck officer’s and radiomen’s
unions.
The announcement of the sail
ings was made after a meeting
yesterday with Seattle Mayor
Allen Pomeroy’s Maritime Ad
visory Committee and Union and
Alaska Steamship representatives.
Edward Black, chairman of the
meeting, said this does not mean
that a settlement has been reached
between the unions and the com
pany but that it is only a measure
to supply Alaska while an agree
ment is being reached.
The three sailings are for south
eastern Alaska.
Earlier Tuesday Alaska Steam
ship announced it was going to
abandon Alaska sailings because
deck officers of the AFL Masters,
Mates and Pilots Association had
refused to sign on the freighter
Nadina, and that members of the
CIO American Radio Association
were expected to follow suit.
Both unions are seeking wage
increases from west coast steam
ship company members of the
Pacific Maritime Association.
The mayor’s committee was ex
pected to meet again Wednesday
in an effort to reach further ag
reements on vessel sailings from
Seattle.
Parents Stand Trial
For Negligent Homicide
In Death of 21-Mo. Infant
ANCHORAGE, UP)—Trial open
ed in federal court Tuesday for
Samuel and Marjorie Leprell
charged with negligent homicide
in the death of their 21-month
old daughter, Nancy Ann. The
baby died last May 19 at the fam
ily’s cabin near Seward.
Dr. Joseph Desiher, who per
formed an autopsy, said the
baby’s body was covered with
burns, scratches, bruises, blisters,
cuts and gouges. He attributed
death to shock caused by a blow
on the abdomen which he said
was hard to explain on the basis
of a fall of less than five feet,
unless backed by some force.
Defense counselors Harold But
cher and George Grigsby declared
Nancy had fallen into an excava
tion a few days before her death.
They told the court the parents
showed the baby much love and
affection.
Neighbors, however, testified
Nancy Ann was left alone in the
cabin for hours at a time, was
dressed in rags and covered with
mosquito bites.
They described the Leprells as
“filthy.”
The government contends the
child’s death was the result of
improper care and feeding, im
proper housing, beating and fail
ure to provide adequate medical
treatment.
tigress Situation
>ur Own Choosing,
Victory Is Possible
j
WASHINGTON, Uf) — General
James A. Van Fleet declared to
day the United Nations forces can
win a military victory in Korea
without necessarily broadening
the war.
“That is my personal opinion,”
the four - star general told the
House Armed Service Committee.
He added he would have to dis
cuss any details in a closed ses
sion. Van Fleet called the present
war situation of stabilized lines a
“sitdown of our own choice.” He
said it is “not a checkmate, not
even a stalemate.”
Rep. Vinson asked the former
Korean commander “if an offen
sive is launched, wouldn’t that be
broadening the war?”
“Not necessarily,” replied the
general. “That’s my opinion. It
would not.”
Van Fleet" repeated a belief he
had expressed in Korea when he
was retiring from his command—
that the United Nations could
have won a military victory in
the spring of 1951.
He said that after a Commun
ist offensive was beaten back the
United Nations forces had crip
pled the Reds so seriously they
could have driven on to victory if
the U.N. Command had not or
dered a halt after the Commun
ists suggested truce talks.
“They were hurt badly,” Van
Fleet said. “In my opinion that’s
why they asked us to talk things
over at the conference table.
“We did not follow up on the
field and pursue the enemy and
polish them off.”
He said the Eighth Army had
“complete supremacy” over the
Communists in three vital areas,
listing them as:
1— Quality of troops.
2— Firepower of weapons.
3 — Mobility and flexibility to
meet new situations.
“My personal opinion is that we
can win in Korea,” Van Fleet said.
“It must be a military victory.”
Gold Miner Would Get
More Money in Bill by
California Congressman
WASHINGTON, Ub—Rep. Engle
(D - Calif) is pressing for con
gressional action on his bill to1
provide a free market for domes
tic, newly mined gold.
Gold, pegged by the govern
ment at $35 an ounce, is the
only commodity that has not in
creased in price in the last 15
years, Engle contended in asking
Chairman Walcott (R-Mich) of the
House Banking Committee for a
hearing.
He said his bill is primarily de
signed to get the gold miner more
money.
Mighty Mo Attacks Reds 140
Miles North of 38th Parallel
SEOUL, UP)—-The U. S. battle
ship Missouri steamed 140 miles
north of the 38th parallel on the
east coast and plastered Red
coastal targets with its 16-inch
guns. The Navy called the attack
“hei.vy” and said the Mighty Mo
concentrated on Communist
or. s and tunnels.
Stalin Reported
1
In Coma After
Brain Stroke
LONDON, {#> — Moscow an
nounced today Joseph Stalin is
gravely ill after suffering a brain
stroke. Leaders of the Commun
ist satellites in Europe were re
ported called to Moscow—adding
to speculation that the Russian
prime minister already may be
dead.
First word of the illness of the
73 - year - old dictator came soon
•after sunup, in a Moscow broad
cast saying he had suffered the
stroke Sunday night—more than
48 hours earlier. Stalin was. de
scribed as in a coma, with his
body partly paralyzed and his
condition grave.
There was immediate specula
tion among diplomats here that
Stalin already was dead, and that
the Communist party was leading
up to the disclosure of that in
easy stages.
A lot of gueswork was involved
pending a final clarification from
Moscow, but some western diplo
mats said handling of the illness
announcement supported their
theory that the dictator was dead.
Conversely, other expressed be
lief no announcement would have
been made at this time unless
there were signs Stalin was on
the mend.
Western correspondents in Mos
cow were unable, because of cen
sorship, to indulge in any sort
of speculation. Even the official
announcement of Stalin’s illness
was held in Moscow until it could
be passed formally through cen
sorship.
There is the possibility that the
matter of Stalin’s successor may
have been decided long ago.
Georgi M. Malenkov, a ruthless
follower of Stalin’s methods, has
been mentioned most prominent
ly in the west in the last year as
the probable successor, but there
is always a chance that other fig
ures such as V. M. Molotov and
L. P. Beria will be included in
the new setup.
There is considerable doubt, too
whether a Soviet under new lead
ersip would be any easier for
the west to get along with.
Mildred Keaton To Join
Nome Welfare Office
JUNEAU — Henry A. Harmon,
director, Department of Public
Welfare last week announced the
appointment of Miss Mildred Kea
ton as a member of the staff. Miss
Keaton will be assigned as a Vis
itor in the Second Division in the
Nome District Welfare Office.
Miss Keaton’s long experience
in the Second Division and her
knowledge of the communities
and the people, will be of inesti
mable value to the Department
in helping administer the pro
grams in that area.
Miss Keaton will remain in Ju
neau for a period of orientation
before going to her new assign
ment. She will leave Juneau
about March 5 for Nome. She will
worx under the supervision of
Mrs. Louise BocAmc-n, District
\. or :er. L is hoped she will be
uuie o begin visi.in0 in the Dis
_ jo~t the iir_. oJ April.
House Bill Would
Provide Probe All
Territorial Offices
JUNEAU, UP)—The H'ouse turn
ed into a bill mill Monday with
14 measures introduced, among
them the pair which were quickly
passed to revamp the Employ
ment Security Commission.
Most of them appeared as com
mittee measures. Thpy included
ones which would:
Take schools with over 100 en
rollment away from territorial
control by requiring the establish
ment of a school district for their
own administration.
Forbid any municipality or dis
trict from holding an election on
the territorial election day; pro
hibit electioneering within 200
feet of the polls; outlaw prosti
tution dr soliciting.
A bill was introduced to pro
vide for a legislative investigat
ing committee to comb through
the whole pyramid of territorial
government agencies and report
to the next legislature.
The bill by Rep. Herald String
er calls for inquiry into the “of
ficial conduct, administrative acts
and operations of all territorial
boards, commissions, bureaus and
elected and appointed territorial
officials.”
Stringer issued a statement say
ing, “The Republican party recog
nized there has been an alarm
ing amount of waste, extrava
gance, inefficiency, corruption
and misconduct in office not only
on a national level, but to a con
siderable extent in the territory
■as well.”
He said the committee would
make findings available to the
legislative, executive, adminis
trative and judicial bodies to help
them “better perform their func
tions.”
The bill calls for three senators
and three representatives on the
committee with an appropriation
of $100,000.
Committee Approves
Statehood for Hawaii
But Rejects Alaska Bid
WASHINGTON, (ffl—1The House
Committee on Interior and Insular
Affairs Tuesday approved state
hood for Hawaii by a vote of
21 to 5.
An attempt to add to the bill
a provision for statehood for
Alaska was beaten 14-13.
Rep. Engle (D-Calif) made the
first of several moves to get Alas
ka into the statehood bill.
Democrats backed him.
Republican congressional lead
ers are aiming to put the Hawaiian
statehood bill on President Eisen
hower’s desk . in about three
weeks.
Sen. Taft of Ohio, the GOP
Senate floor leader, told report
ers he anticipated there would be
about a week of debate, once the
Senate takes up the measure, but
felt sure it would be passed.
House GOP leaders say there
is no doubt the House will pass it.
President Eisenhower said at
his new conference last week that
he thought Hawaii was ready for
statehood but there there should
further study as to Alaska.