SSI NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
62nd Year No. 76 NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 1961 Per Copy 15^
JFK Says Berlin
Crisis Is Soviet
Manufactured
By Whitney Shoemaker
WASHINGTON UP! — President
Kennedy today called the Berlin
crisis Soviet manufactured. He
told the Russians it would be a
“grave mistake” to try to under
mine Western unity “by threats
or fresh aggressive acts.”
“There is peace in Germany
and in Berlin,” Kennedy said at
a news conference. “If it is dis
turbed it will be a direct Soviet
responsibility.”
Kennedy spoke solemnly of “the
gravity of this threat” by the
Soviets against the integrity of
West Berlin. He called on Russia
to join with the Western powers
in discussion of what he termed
the unfinished business of Ger
man problems.
“Discussion,” he said, “will be
profitable if the Soviets will ac
cept in Berlin — and indeed in
Europe — self determination,
which they profess in other parts
of the world, and if they will work
sincerely for peace rather than
an extension of power.”
The President set forth his
views shortly after Soviet Pre
mier Khrushchev offered in Mos
cow to negotiate on Berlin and
Germany — but warned the West
against attempting any military
buildup in that area to strengthen
its hand.
Kennedy said nothing Russia
does can affect the West’s rights
in Berlin.
It was Kennedy’s first news
conference in Washington in near
ly eight weeks, and he opened
it by reading a statement reiter
ating his administration’s strong
position on the German city.
Kennedy also announced that
he had instructed his Science Ad
visory Committee to organize a
special study to determine
whether the Russians have been
or could be engaged in secret
testing of nuclear weapons.
Kennedy said the Soviets’ in
sistence on a veto over machinery
to police a nuclear test ban is dis
heartening and “raises a serious
question” about how long the
United States can maintain its
voluntary ban on such tests.
Taking note of Soviet Premier
Khrushchev’s recent statement
that Russia would be out-produc
ing the United States by 1970,
the President said that could
never take place at any time in
the 20th Century and added:
“We invite the USSR to en
gage in this competition which is
peaceful and which could only
result in a better living standard
for both of our peoples.”
Kennedy showed no signs of
his back strain or recent virus in
fection. He replied to a question
about his health by saying he was
“feeling very well.”
90-YEAR-OLD MAN CLIMBS
MT. CHOCORUA AGAIN
CHOCORUA, N. H. UP) — John
Pratt Whitman of Sandwich, has
climbed 3,475-foot Mt. Chocorua
again.
That feat might might not be
unusual except that Whitman
climbed the mountain for the first
time when he was 10 years old
—and that was 80 years ago.
The 90-year-old Whitman was
accompanied by some relatives.
The round trip took 10 hours yes
terday.
When he got to the summit,
Whitman who runs an art gal- j
lery, planted a 50-star flag.
General Motors and
United Auto Workers
Start Wage Negotiations
DETROIT UP) — Both profes
sing hope for peaceful settlement,
General Motors Corp. and the
United Auto Workers Union
opened 1961 contract negotia
tions today.
Louis G. Seaton, a GM vice
president and its chief bargainer,
said “an excessive increase in la
bor costs, whether in the form of
increased wages or fringe bene
fits, can only contribute to un
sound wage and price movement,”
and that GM would “not contri
bute to such inflationary pres
sures.”
Walter Reuther, UAW presi
dent, said in a countering state
ment just before they entered
the bargaining room that “infla
tion talk is over-exaggerated.”
“The real problem is how to
expand the ourchasing power and
get idle manpower and machines
back into production.”
“We are not looking for a fight
but economic justice.” Reuther
said he wanted to “make it crys
tal clear we hope to reach agree
ment at the bargaining table,
without any intervention from
Washington or other outside
sources.”
For the first time the UAW
is entering negotiations without
a specific all-out goal. In 1953 it
j was profit-sharing and in 1955 it
was a guaranteed annual wage.
It got neither, but it both aimed
and fought for them,
j This time the union is going in
j with a flexible program aimed
primarily at making more jobs and
making those of its members more
secure. The industry, too, has an
nounced a flexible position but
has emphasized it will fight to
avoid any costs that could in
crease car prices.
East Germans Issue New
Law to Halt Air Traffic
BERLIN — East German
Communist authorities issued a
new law today that could serve
as a basis for halting air traffic
between isolated West Berlin and
the outside world.
Effective Aug. 1, the law will
require all aircraft with radios
to receive special permission from
East German authorities to cross
their territory.
Air traffic from West Germany
to West Berlin now is handled
by an air safety center including
representatives from the United
States, Soviet Russia, France and
Britain.
NOME'S NEW PATROL CAR
ON DISPLAY IN SEATTLE
The new Dodge police and am
bulance car, fitted to specifij
tions for Nome, has been on ex
hibit in Seattle by S. L. Savidge,
Dodge dealers, reports Larry Gal
vin, local Dodge dealer. Galvin
said sheriffs from all around that
area have been admiring the idea
of ambulance-patrol car for small
communities. The car was ordered
recently by the City of Nome to
replace the car now in operation.
PAPPAS TO LEVEL SCHOOL
The Nome School Board has
accepted a bid submitted by Jim
Pappas in the amount of $1,900 j
to level the original school struc- j
ture and the school annex. Pappas j
was the only bidder.
There were no bids submitted
on the job to build a roof, enclos
ure and concrete pad for the
school transformers, so the board
has authorized the work be done
on an hourly basis.
AGC Reveal Terms
Blocking Contract
Negotiations
ANCHORAGE iiP — A spokes
man for the Associated General
Contractors today said Gov. Egan
had asked them to continue work
on certain military projects but
said nothing about private con
struction work.
“Why is the governor to throw
private investors to the wolves
when the legislature has appro
priated money to attract new in
vestment capital and the various
Chambers of Commerce in the
state are making every effort to
bring needed investors into the
state,” the spokesman asked.
The spokesman said there is
now a large percentage of pri
vate construction for the first
time in many years and it was
only among these jobs that the
unions struck first.
The AGC also released for the
first time the terms of the dis
pute which blocked negotiations
for a new contract with the Iron
workers Union.
i The union reportedly rejected
| a tentative offer of 23 cents an
1 hour in favor of their demand for
' 25 cents an hour plus various
j fringe benefits including free
j room and board on bush jobs.
No firm offer was ever made,
j the spokesman said, because the
talks never got beyond the other
union demands that were com
pletely unacceptable to the AGC.
A general strike situation is
rapdily approaching, the spokes
! man said, because the union said
■ no ironworkers will be dispatched
I to new jobs until the contractor
signs a contract at the union’s
terms.
At the opposing end of the
power struggle, Russ Conlon, ne
gotiator for the unions involved—
excluding the ironworkers— has
wired the Defense Department
that they will man vital military
jobs.
JKPs Education
Aid Bill Faces
Defeat In House
WASHINGTON UP) — House
leaders have just about given up
hope that President Kennedy’s
multibillion-dollar aid to educa
tion program can be put to a
vote this session.
A deep split among Democrats
on the Rules Committee over the
issue of aid for parochial schools
apparently has doomed both Ken
nedy’s $2.5-billion public school
bill and a $ 18-billion extension
of the National Defense Education
Act.
The House has a long history
of opposition to school bills, hav
ing killed three in the last eight
years. This time the addition of
religious controversy to the nor
mal opposition of conservatives
has made the going even tougher.
The threatened demise of the
bills in the Rules Committee is a
blow not only to Kennedy but
to Speaker Sam Rayburn, who
won a five-vote victory early in
the session over Rep. Howard W.
Smith, <D-Va.), chairman of the
Rules Committee, in a bitter fight
for its control.
When Rayburn won the way
seemed open for Kennedy’s pro
gram to get to the floor. But
events have played into Smith’s
hands in the school fight and he
now appears firmly in control.
Bill Passed by Senate to
Simplify Shipping Between
Alaska and Hawaii
WASHINGTON UP* — A bill
to simplify shipping between
Alaska and Hawaii and the other
states was passed by the Senate
and sent to the House yesterday, j
The bill, by Sen. E. L. Bartlett
would allow carriers serving the
two new states to set up joint
rates and through service.
Shippers now are often re
quired to make separate arrange
ments with land, sea and air
carriers to serve Alaska and
Hawaii.
The bill also would establish !
a joint board to regulate traf
fic. It would be made up of one
member each from the Federal
Maritime Board, the Civil Aero- 1
nautics Board and the Interstate
Commerce Commission.
Wasilla Youth Camp
Teenagers Open Up
8 Miles of Chilkoot Trail
JUNEAU OP — A team of 12
| teenagers from the State’s Wa
silla Youth Camp has opened up
eight miles of the historic Chil
koot Trail in six weeks of work
on the old gold rush route.
“They’re battling mosquitos
and blisters but they’re enjoying
every minute of it,” Charles
Pfeiffer, State Director of Youth
and Adult Authority, said today.
The Chilkoot Trail winds over
the St. Elias Mountains from the
old ghost town of Dyea, near
Skagway, to the Yukon water
shed in British Columbia.
The trail echoed to the foot
steps of thousands of men at the
turn of the century as they hur
ried to the rich Klondike gold
strike.
The Wasilla Youth Camp teen
agers, a hand-picked group, are
opening the trail as a tourist at
traction. They are rebuilding the
trail in spots, clearing brush and
slides and bridging small streams.
They are also carrying historic
sites along the old trail.
“They received a tremendous
reception in Skagway,” Pfeiffer
said.
Pfeiffer said the Youth Camp
was preparing to establish a per
manent camp at the old ghost
town of Canyon City.
“It’s going to get rougher from
now on,” Pfeiffer said, “but
the boys aren’t complaining.
They’re doing a wonderful job.”
Another historic spot on the
old trail, Sheep Camp, lies an
other three miles beyond Canyon
City and the summit of Chilkoot
Pass is another nine miles beyond
Sheep Camp.
Pfeiffer said the morale of the
boys has remained very high and
that what work remains to be
completed after the current party
leaves for Wasilla, some six weeks
hence, will be done next year, by
another Youth Camp work party.
Dr. Salk Urges Further
Study on Oral Vaccine
NEW YORK UP) — Dr. Jonas A.
Salk, father of the Salk polio
vaccine, urged the American
Medical Assn, today to make a
further study before backing mass
use of a newer type vaccine to
be taken by mouth instead of in
jection.
However, the house of delegates
of the AMA adopted a resolution
backing a report of the Council
on Drugs that recommended that
the organization support sweep
ing use of an oral vaccine devel
oped by Dr. Albert B. Sabin, j
There was no discussion.
Nome to Have Full
Day of Act! vities
()n 4th of July
Nome is to have a full day of
activities and patriotic exercises
to celebrate the 4th of July which
will be highlighted by the dedi
cation of the New Alaska Nation
al Guard Armory.
Participating in the program
will be the Adjutant General of
the ANG, Maj. Gen. Thomas B.
Carroll from Juneau; Col. B. P.
Major, Hq. U. S. Army, Alaska,
from Fort Richardson; and Col.
John Dalton, Senior Army Ad
visor, from Juneau.
Local persons taking part will
include Mayor Roscoe Wilke,
Sen. Lester Bronson and Sen.
John McNees with Don Perkins
as master of ceremonies.
Parades and floats will be or
ganized under the leadership of
Johnnie Stephenson and Jessie
Jones with the VFW and Ameri
can Legion in charge of the races.
Volunteer firemen will take
| over the responsibility of serving
j refreshments to the children fol
I lowing the parade,
j Rotary Club will handle the
| collection of necessary funds for
the celebration.
The Fourth of July Committee
j is offering prizes for the best
float of $25. Also prizes for the
i best decorated bicycle, both boys
and girls and best decorated tri
i cycle, for both boys and girls,
i Each organization or business
I house is invited to enter a float
I as well as individuals. Those
j wishing to enter please contact
Johnnie Stephenson at either
| Main 24 or Main 199.
Nome School Granted
$18,830 In Federal
Impact Money
WASHINGTON — (Special)
The Office of Education has cer
tified for immediate payment of
$18,830 to Nome Public Schools
under federal law granting opera
tion and maintenance payments
to federal affected areas.
JFK Orders Investigation
Whether Soviets are Still
Testing Nuclear Weapons
WASHINGTON UP) — President)
Kennedy today ordered an investi
gation into whether Russia has
been secretly testing nuclear
weapons and whether such tests
could be conducted without de
tection.
The order to his Science Ad
visory Committee indicated clear
ly that Kennedy is studying the
possibility of a resumption of
U. S. nuclear tests, now volun
tarily suspended.
But Kennedy told his news con
ference the United States still
wants, and will strive for, a con
trolled and agreed-on nuclear
armament test ban.
He will keep the U. S. negotiat
ing team at the stalled test ban
conference in Geneva, he said.
Kennedy urged that Soviet
Premier Khrushchev end his na
tion’s “intransigence” and accept
a reasonable formula for per
manently ending the nuclear
testing.
The stumbling block has been
Soviet rejection of Western de
mands that an effective policing
system be set up along with a ban
on tests, and more recent Kremlin
demands for moving the nuclear
test negotiations into the bigger
talks on general disarmament.