OIDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
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VOL. LX I No. 1 NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 1959_Per Copy—1^
Preamble to the Constitution of Alaska
WE THE PEOPLE OF ALASKA, grateful to God
and to those who founded our nation and
pioneered this great land, in order to secure and
transmit to succeeding generations our heritage of
political, civil, and religious liberty within the
United States, do ordain and establish this Consti
tution of the State of Alaska.
The people of Nome recognized Statehood Day with joy and
dignity as they met together in the Federal Building using the
new U.S. Court Room for the first time Saturday morning.
Stores closed for the hour dedicated to the culmination of
many years of hoping and dreaming, and under the leadership
of Mayor Steffen Andersen a short program was presented.
M. J. Walsh, past Grand President of the Pioneers of Alaska
and a member of the Constitutional Convention, reviewed the
history of statehood, relating from personal experience how the
Pioneers, when they organized in 1907, made statehood one of
their goals and aims.
He also related that Delegate James Wickersham, who pre
sented the first statehood bill to Congress in 1916, came from
Nome as a U.S. District Judge. He expressed the wish that the
many Nomeites who worked arduously for many years to attain
statehood might be present.
John McNees, senator for the new state and a member of
the Constitutional Convention, read the preamble to the Consti
tution of Alaska and eloquently told about the making of Alaska’s
constitution which has won acclaim in all parts of the country.
Carrie McLain, representing the Pioneer Women, who have
worked for statehood, sang “Alaska’s Flag,” accompanied by a
musical trio of Explorer Scouts, Fritz Chambers on the trumpet;
Rod Boucher and Harry Johnsen on tenor saxaphones.
Mayor Andersen recognized the military leaders of the area,
Sgt. Jim Blanning of the Alaska Communications System, and
Capt. James O’Rourke of the Alaska National Guard, expressing
their importance in the new state. An opening prayer was given
by Rev. Edgar Bibb of the Nome Ministerial Assn., and a closing
prayer by Father Nevue of the Catholic Church.
Colors were presented by Civil Air Patrol Cadets Frank
Gillespie; Grant Doyle and Thomas Boucher, after which the
audience, which filled the room, joined in singing “America.”
The happiness and solemnity of the occasion brought tears to
the eyes of many of those present.
The realization that we are Alaskans apart no longer, but
have a voice in Congress, voting privileges, equality with our
fellow Americans in 48 other states, is rather overwhelming for
those who have spent over 50 years hoping and wishing for
this status.
From this day we have a keener interest in what goes on
at the national capitol because we are part of it.
We are the State of Alaska.
We’re In ... It’s Irrevocable...
By FRANK W. VAILT.E
WASHINGTON, UPI — “Now
we’re in . . . it’s legal . . . it’s
irrevocable.”
With those words Senator-elect
E. L. Bartlett described to an An
chorage audience his reaction to
Saturday’s climax to Alaska’s long
fight for statehood
He was one of several Alaskans
who. along with Secretary of the
Interior Seaton, gave their per
sonal account of the White House
proclamation ceremony by tele
phone to a public meeting of An
chorage residents.
Recalling that opponents of
Alaskan statehood also had cited
the irrevocability of the action as
a reason to dela3r statehood, Bart
lett added:
“I’m sure the opponents of state
hood will be glad before long that
Alaska is the 49th state, because
we have many contributions to
make to the nation.”
Mike Stepovich, last appointed
Governor of Alaska, said with
Statehood “now the monkey is on
our back.” But he said he was
certain Alaskans will prove to the
Congress and residents of their
sister states “the worth and wis
dom of this action.”
Seaton transmitted to Alaskans
through his Anchorage audience
the “best wishes for success” from
President Eisenhower and greet
ings from Vice President Nixon,
Mrs. Nixon and their two chil
dren — all of whom visited Alas
ka during the recent election
campaign.
Referring to Alaska’s years of
striving for statehood, Seaton
said:
“The victory was Alaska’s but
(Continued on Page Three)
Mike Walsh Will
M-C Inauguration
At Juneau Jan. 17
It was announced today by
Felix Toner, chairman of the in
augural committee, that Michael
J. Walsh will be master of cere
monies for Alaska’s first inaugu
ration on January 17th.
The ceremony is planned to
take place in the Subport of Ju
neau, with appropriate music and
speakers for the occasion.
Although Mr. Walsh has lived
for more than fifty years in Nome,
he is well known throughout
Alaska, having served in the Ter
ritorial Legislature, on the Terri
torial Board of Education, and for
the past 12 years on the Board of
Regents of the University of
Alaska.
As ardent supporter of State
hood, Mike has worked untiringly
toward that goal since 1907, and
was a distinguished member of
the Constitutional Convention,
where his eloquence and wisdom
helped solve many problems.
Last year Mr. Walsh was sur
prised at the commencement ex
ercises at the University of Alas
ka, by being conferred an honor
ary Doctor of Laws degree.
Alaskans throughout the Terri
tory will be pleased with this an
nouncement.
.
Hospitalized Egan Starts
New State Functioning
JUNEAU, UP) — The government
of the 49th State began function
ing today with its first Governor
directing operations from St.
Ann’s Hospital.
Egan’s first actions as chief
executive included:
1. Appointment of John Rader
of Anchorage as special assistant,
amid reports that he is the Gov
ernor’s choice as Stato. Attorney
General.
2. A directive against the issu
ing of any licenses for use of #sh
traps in Alaska waters.
3. Appointment of Burke Riley,
of Haines, as executive assistant.
4. The naming of Lillian Mill
as acting State Treasurer, suc
ceeding Hugh J. Wade. She is the
assistant Territorial Treasurer,
and the daughter of Mrs. J. J. Con
nors. Mrs. Connors is the widow
of the former Alaska Democratic
National Committeeman, and at
one time was a resident of Nome.
Egan approved the directive
against fish traps and made ap
pointments even though he is un
dergoing diagnostic tests for a
jaundice condition.
The Governor entered the hos
pital Saturday, four hours after
he was sworn into office. The in
auguration of Egan and Wade, who
became Alaska’s first Secretary of
State, took place minutes after
the territory’s admission into the
union as a state.
Governor Egan’s condition was
reported unchanged today, with a
series of tests underway, not to be
completed until Tuesday.
The new executive assistant,
Burke Riley said that Rader’s post
as special assistant was tempo
rary, but he would not comment
on the attorney general reports.
Soviet Rocket ‘Mechta Dream’
Headed For Orbit Of The Sun
By HAROLD K. MILKS
MOSCOW, UPI — The Soviet
Union’s cosmic rocket continued
its headlong dash toward a solar
orbit today in man’s greatest con
quest of space.
Its radio signals ceased as the
\Vz-ton device — now called
Mechta Dream — went past an
estimated 370,960 miles in its
plunge away from the earth. It
had been in flight 62 hours.
Resources for feeding the radio
equipment had become exhausted,
the Soviet news agency Tass said.
“The program of observations
and scientific investigations of the
rocket has been completed,” an
announcement said.
This predicted the rocket will
finally enter an orbit around the
sun Wednesday or Thursday.
Mechta is due to take 15 months
to go around the sun, traveling
eliptically.
The Russians calculated this
Alaska Is Still
‘Overseas’ For
The Military
WASHINGTON, UP) — Alaska
now is a state, but for purposes
of military pay, it continues to be
“overseas.”
The Pentagon said Saturday
servicemen in the new, farthest
north state would continue to get
the extra money.
The so-called overseas pay is
based on hardship conditions ra
ther than geography. Part of the
recompense is in the form of extra
allowances for subsistence and
quarters.
The Army Times, unofficial
service publication, said today that
although a revamping of overseas
station per diem allowances will
mean reduction for servicemen
and families in many o'verseas
areas, some areas of Alaska will
have an increase instead of re
duction.
The Times mentioned, as an
example, military personnel in the
Anchorage area. A man with a
wife and two children, not living
in military quarters, will receive
more than $1 per day extra on his
living allowance.
49 - Star Flag
Joins Exhibit
Of Americana
WASHINGTON, tf) — A sym
bolic 49-star flag — one for Alas
ka — has taken its place along
side a lock of George Washington’s
hair and a check written by the
first President.
The flag was presented by Rep
resentative-elect Ralph J. Rivers
(D-Alaska) to Leo M. Bernstein
of Washington for inclusion in a
traveling display of Americana.
Bernstein has shown the exhibit
in a number of places.
Also participating in the cere
mony Friday was Commodore
Benjamin Wyatt, retired Naval
officer who received the Distin
guished Flying Cross for his work
in the first aerial photography of
the Alaska‘coastline in 1926.
orbit would have a maximum dia
meter of 214% million miles. The
sun averages 93 million miles
from earth.
The name Mechta was applied
to the rocket today by Pravda, the
Communist Party newspaper.
When it was -announced last Sat
urday that the rocket was headed
toward the moon, it ws called Lu
nik, a combination of Luna (moon*
and Sputnik.
Scientists here figured that it
was traveling at a maximum
speed of 1.52 miles a second when
it pased the moon Sunday at a
distance of 4,700 miles.
Results of radio transmissions
between the rocket and ground
stations will be published as soon
as they are analyzed, Tass said.
The actual number of days that
will be required for the solar or
bit will be 447, scientists said.
This is 82 more than it takes the
earth to go around the sun.
The earth has an elliptical orbit
around the sun, .the same as the
rocket will have, but it is tighter.
It takes the earth only 12 months
to make the full swing.
The nearest point of the earth’s
orbit to the sun is about 91% mil
lion miles, the farthest 94*4 mil
lion miles. The earth is now trav
eling away from the sun, having
reached its closest point January
1. When the Soviet rocket starts
away from the sun, it will swing
away faster than the earth, and
then the earth will pass between
the rocket and the sun.
The earth and the rocket will be
several hundred thousand miles
apart, and they will not be that
close again for another two or
three centuries.
Defense Spending
Is Reported At
$40 Billion In ’59
WASHINGTON, UP) — President
Eisenhower talked over his de
fense and foreign policies with
Congressional leaders today. He
reportedly told them defense
spending in the new fiscal year
will run about $40,900,000,000.
This figure — about 100 million
dollars more than the current
year’s defense total — was given
newsmen by Senator Alexander
Wiley (R-Wis.
The White House announced 10
days ago that the Administration’s
overall spending budget for the
new fiscal year, beginning next
July 1, will be balanced at about
77 billion dollars.
Today’s conference of Demo
cratic and Republican leaders
came against the background of
criticism by 'some Democrats that
the total budget is inadequate,
particularly in the defense field.
Wiley also said the discussion
was led by T. Keith Glennan,
chief of the new National Aero
nautics and Space Agency, a civi
lian unit.
As for foreign aid spending in
the new fiscal year, Wiley said it
is his understanding it will be
about the same as this year —
about $3,700,000,000.