SSI NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA— MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LVI NO. 59 NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, MAY 17, 1954 Per Copy— 15y
Statehood Groups
Feel Successful In
Dramatizing Plea
WASHINGTON, UPV— Statehood
missions from Hawaii and Alaska
ended their week in the nation’s
capital Saturday satisfied they
have succeeded in dramatizing
their plea for admission to the
union.
Gov. Samuel Wilder King of
Hawaii told a reporter he be
lieves the trip did “an enormous
amount of good.”
“It has called attention to the
situation we are in and the very
intense desire of the people of
Hawaii to have statehood at this
session of Congress,” he said.
Barrie White of Anchorage,
president of Alaska’s “Operation
Statehood,” said members of Con
gress and administration officials
“were impressed by the fact that
50 Alaskans thought enough of
Alaska statehood to pay their own
way and take a week off from
work to see what they could do
to get the bill passed.”
House Speaker Martin told the
visitors during the week that he
favors Hawaii statehood but does
not believe Alaska is “physically,
financially and economically”
ready for statehood.
The House Speaker said he is
still seeking a way to separate
the two bills again so Hawaii and
Alaska statehood can be consid
ered separately on their own
merits.
Vice President Nixon told the
Hawaii deelgation Friday there is
still a chance that Hawaii can
achieve statehood this year by
separation of the two bills in a
Senate-House conference.
Race Segregation
In Public Schools
• Is Unconstitutional
WASHINGTON, UR — The Su
preme Court Monday declared
unanimously that race segregation
in the public schools is unconstitu
tional and so eventually must end.
But, to ease the wrench on the
17 states where negro and white
pupils are separated, the high
court withheld a formal order
putting its history-making deci
sion into effect.
Instead, it called for further ar
guments that fall on the question
of how the decision shall be car
ried out. Involved are such issues
as the time for segregation to
end, whether a special master
shall be appointed to' recommend
specific terms for a decree, or
whether the question of imple
mentation shall be tossed to the
lower federal courts.
Chief Justice Warren delivered
the court’s decision which tossed
out, so far as the schools are
concerned, the doctrine of “sep
arate but equal” facilities which
had stood as the keystone of seg
regation laws since 1896.
The whole issue has been an
inflammatory one in parts of the
south. There has been talk in at
least three states—Georgia, Mis
sissippi and South Carolina — of
abolishing the public schools in
event of such a Supreme Court
ruling.
New Soviet Bomber
Spurs U.S. Build
Supersonic Model
WASHINGTON, UP) — A test
model of a faster - than - sound
bomber may be flying within the
next year.
High priority is kno\yn to have
been given the project by the
United States Air Force, which
has watched with evident concern
Soviet progress in both bomber
and fighter-intercepter designs.
This interest sharpened with
the display two weeks ago of a
new heavy Russian bomber
driven by jet engines of substan
tially greater power than any now
in operational use by the U.S. Air
Force.
The Air Force announced in
December 1952 that it had asked
Consolidated Vultee Aircraft
Corp., builder of the B-36 piston
jet engined heavy bomber, to pre
pare detailed design studies for a
“supersonic bomber.”
Since then, it was learned to
day, substantial progress has been
made toward production of a
prototype B-58 jet bomber.
The increasing speed of new
fighter models, both Russian and
American, is a factor in the urg
ent push for development of a
supersonic bomber. The United
states, and quite probably Russia,
already has bombers in produc
tion that fly at the speed of sound
(761 miles an hour at sea level).
If interceptors are up to sonic
or supersonic speed, then bomb
ers must be as fast or faster if
they are to be expected to reach
their targets.
In addition to the matter of
bomber - vs - fighter capabilities,
there is involved the American
policy of deterrent power—if the
United States continues to keep
ahead of Russia in bomber quality
and maintains supremacy in
atomic weapons, Russia will con
tinue to be discouraged from
starting war. But if Russia takes
the lead with faster and better
bombers, which can elude U. S.
interception, the deterrent factor
is diminished or eliminated.
Frank Costello Sentenced
To Five Years In Prison
On Income Tax Evasion
NEW YORK, (#) — Racketeer
Frank Costello was sentenced to
day to five years in prison for
federal income tax evasion and
fined $30,000.
He was sentenced by Federal
Judge John McGohey shortly be
fore noon after the government
had described Costello as “the
symbol of the successful racket
eer.”
Costello, who could have re
ceived up to 15 years imprison
ment, also was assessed the cost
of the trial
Costello, 63, whose hoarse voice
became familiar to millions dur
ing his televised testimony before
the Senate Crime Investigating
Committee, has been in jail twice
before: 10 months on a guncharge
39 years ago, and 14 months for
contempt of the Senate committee
in 1952-53.
A native Italian who came to
the United States at the age oJ(
4, his woes include a pending de
portation action.
Armed Forces
Day Observance
Eventful For Nome
A clear sky welcomed Armed
Forces 'Day last Saturday and its
many events while a nippy west
wind reminded everyone that the
ice pack was still in Bering Sea.
Many people responded to the
invitation of the open house at
Nome Field in the morning and
inspected the C-124 which was on
display.
Jets were visible momentarily
during the morning and after
noon.
At 2 o’clock the 9th Army Band
with W/O Carleton Hickok led
the Armed Forces Day parade
down Front Street to the review
ing stand in front of the N.C.
Store.
From the reviewing stand,
Mayor Anderson paid tribute to
Gen. John Noyes for his years of
service in Alaska and the Alaska
National Guard which he repre
sents.
Andersen also expressed the ap
preciation of the people of this
area to Gen. Donald B. Smith of
Ladd AFB for his continued in
terest and cooperation during his
tour of duty in the north.
Gen. Noyes, adjutant general of
the Alaska National Guard, re
caled that when he first came to
Alaska 28 years ago there wasn’t
any iron curtain. Peace and the
people of this area had open
trade relations with those popu
lating the country just across the
sea.
He warned the people of Nome
that modern history is full of
instances of unprovoked attacks
on unprepared nations and that
the United States and its terri
tories are not immune to such at
tack.
He praised the work of the 1st
Scout Battalion of the ANG which
has its headquarters in Nome, and
those from the many villages who
make up the guardsmen, stating
that it is “an obligation and a
privilege to help yourselves”
against invasion.
Gen. Donald B. Smith, special
guest from the armed forces, was
speaker for the day and his ad
dress was aumented with the dis
tant sound of jets, almost too far
away to be seen.
He stated that the strength of
our armed forces, particularly the
air force, is for the prevention
of war and never in our history
has been used for striking the
first blow. He advocated power
through strength as the best meth
od of maintaining the peace be
cause the Soviets have always re
spected a power greater than their
own. “Being ready to strike back
in case of a surprise attack is the
best preventative the free nations
have today,” he said.
“The iron curtain has but few
windows so we do not know what
all is going on over there and
sometimes we can miscalculate.
No one can be 100 per cent per
fect, but the more air power we
can develop for the least man
power will be the continued in
surance for the peace.”
He told of the enormous ex
pense of this plan, citing how one
v otiii'iut'd on Uage Two*
Soviet Plane Flies
Low Over U.S.
Floating Ice Island
WASHINGTON, —Air Force
spokesmen said Saturday a Soviet
transport plane made three low
passes over America’s floating ice
island near the North Pole 10
days ago, apparently taking
photographs.
No protest is planned, however,
because “nobody owns the North
Pole.”
The spokesman said the plane
was a Soviet-built IL-12, used to
carry troops or to make recon
naissance. They said the twin-en
gined craft was clearly marked
with Russian insignia.
The ice island, called “T-3,” was
taken over by the Air Force sev
eral years ago as a weather study
outpost. It moves about freely,
being unattached and formed en
tirely of ice, shifting between 150
and 500 miles of the North Pole.
The Air Force said it was on
May 5 when the Soviet plane
swooped low over T-3, startling
the island’s Air Force contingent.
The U.S.A.F. interceptor field at
Thule, Greenland, some 508 miles
away, was promptly notified.
But by the time the F-94’s—four
are kept constantly on the alert
at Thule—had arrived, the Soviet
plane had made its three passes
and was on its way.
During its three sweeps, the
spokesman said, the Soviet craft
was challenged by the T-3 trans
mitter to identify itself. There
was no reply, however, and no
shots were fired by anybody.
The top of the world is con
sidered the same as the open
sea, the spokesmen said, so no
protests are planned. There have
been incidents in which Soviet
and American planes, getting
close to each other above the
Arctic wastes, have cut loose. In
such cases diplomatic protests
follow.
Flash Flood Ravages
Massachusetts Town
PEABODY, Mass., Ufi—This in
dustrial city of 23,000 counted a
loss of millions today as it cleared
debris and fought a health men
ace in the wake of a flash flood
caused by a dam burst.
Mayor Philip C. O’Donnell said
the flood water which raced into
the heart of the city last night
caused what may result in the
“heaviest property damage of any
non-fatal disaster” in the city’s
300-year history.
The health menace was in
creased, officials said, by the mix
ture of chemicals from leather
tanneries and other industrial
plants with the flood waters.
Hundreds of gallons of gasoline
also flowed freely as some serv
ice station pumps toppled.
NAVY MEN BLAST OPEN
ICE TO SNAKE RIVER
In the roadstead is the U.S.
Burton Island which is on its sec
ond visit here this spring. At
noon today a crew of men from
the icebreaker blasted a lead
through the shore ice so that
their landing barge could enter
Snake River. The explosive charg
es were placed by the men who
had landed on the ice pack.
Presidential Order
Shuts Off Inquiry
Of “Higher-ups”
WASHINGTON, 'The future
of the McCarthy - Army hearings
was thrown in doubt today by a
presidential order—denounced by
Sen. McCarthy as an “iron cur
tain” — shutting off inquiry into
whether “higher-ups” directed the
Army’s charges against the Sen
ator.
McCarthy, claiming that “this
cover up” made it impossible to
get at the truth, declined to say,
when asked by reporters, whether
he might walk out on the hear
ings if the subcommittee accepts
the order.
The President’s order was laid
before the subcommittee when it
convened, and received a calm
reception at the time.
But later, Sen. Jackson CD
Wash), McClellan CD-Ark) and
Symington OD-Mo) fired a few
critical volleys at it.
McCarthy decribed the Jan. 21
meeting of Atty. Gen. Brownell,
White House aide Sherman Adams
and others as one at which the
charges the Army has fired at him
of “improper” pressure to get fa
vored treatment for Pvt. David
Schine, “were instigated and con
ceived.”
McCarthy said the questions
raised by the White House direc
tive “go far beyond” what was
said and done at the Jan. 21 meet
ing. They deal not only with “this
occupant of the White House”
but whether future occupants “can
by executive order keep the facts
from the American people.”
The President based his stand
on the constitutional separation
of powers of the legislative and
executive branches of the govern
ment.
He said the principle must be
upheld “regardless of who would
be benefitted.”
Alaska TB Patients May
Be Treated In Washington
State Hospitals
SEATTLE, W> — The possible
treatment of several hundred tu
bercular Alaska Eskimos and In
dians in Washington state hospit
als is being studied by Public
Health and hospital officials here.
A bill before Congress calls for
a deficiency appropriation of
$1,700,000 to the Bureau of Indian
Affairs to pay for transportation
and hospitalization of patients.
As planned, about 500 Alaska
natives would get treatment here
at one time, with perhaps a total
of 800 for three years. Those num
bers are only part of the cases
needing isolation and treatment.
N.C. Store Clerks at Fairbanks
Return To Work With Pay Raises
FAIRBANKS, (*—'The 38 retail
clerks of the Northern Commer
cial Co., returned to work, with
wage increases, Saturday after a
month-long strike.
The agreement calls for an
hourly pay scale for men clerks
of $2.02 to $2.80 an hour, com
pared with the old scale range
from $1.94 to $2.49 and for $1.60
to $2.10 for women, compared
with the old scale range of $1.44
to $1.67.