2£ NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LVIII No. 26 NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 1956 Per Copy—15*
■ — ■ ■■ - ■■ - .. . - 1 ,
Nomeites Sue U.S.
For WPB Order
On Gold Mining
JUNEAU—At least two Alaska
miners have claims pending be
fore the court of claims for reim
bursement for losses suffered
when a War Production Board or
der suspended gold mining opera
tions during World War II, their
attorney acknowledged here this
week.
They are Pete Reader and Sam
Godfrey, both of Nome.
Their attorney, Mrs. Mildred
Hermann, said their claims to
taled about $500,000.
A decision in favor of a gold
mine similarly damaged was made
in Washington D.C. last week.
Metcalf Seeks Removal
Of Davis From Ballot
For Highway Engineer
Frank A. Metcalf of Juneau,
former territorial highway engi
neer, has filed an injunction suit
in the district court of Anchorage
to get Charles (Jack) Davis with
. drawn as candidate for highway
engineer.
The action names John A. Mc
Kinney, territorial director of
finance, and the territory’s four
District Court clerks as defend
ants. A hearing was set before
Judge J. L. McCarrey at 10 a.m.
today.
Metcalf claims Davis’ name
should not appear on the April 24
primary ballot since he “is not a
competent civil engineer and is
not eligible for the office . , .”
-Davis, answering Metcalf’s
charges that he is not a “com
petent engineer,” said: “I have
an engineer’s rating with the De
partment of Commerce, and the
attorney general’s office has ad
vised me this qualifies me for
the position.”
Metcalf and Davis are both
candidates on the Democratic
ticket for the office of highway
engineer.
House Provides
Research Funds
On Cancer, Heart
WASHINGTON, UP)—The House
Appropriations Committee today
voted a big boost in funds to fight
cancer, heart trouble and other
diseases as it recommended $8,
301,508,041 in new money to fin
ance 24 government agencies.
The money is for use during the
fiscal year starting July 1 and is
$154,155,641 more than President
Eisenhower had requested.
However, the increase was more
than accounted for by the com
mittee’s decision to add 305 mil
lion dollars more than Eisen
hower had requested for the Civil
Service retirement fund.
The committee said the extra
money would help keep the fund
on a sound actuarial basis. It
noted that the fund technically
^has a deficit of $13,400,000 be
'cause the government hasn’t been
regularly paying its share to sup
plement the 6 per cent contribu
tions of federal employes.
One of the sharpest cuts, $37,
100.000 below the President’s re
quest, was made in funds for the
Civil Defense Administration, for
which the committee voted $86,
100,000.
For operation of the National
Health Institutes, which conduct
research in medicine, the commit
tee voted $135,525,000. This is 9
million more than Eisenhower re
quested and $37,102,000 more
than the institutes received this
year.
Landslide Kills 40 lo 50 In
Coffee Port of Santo, Brazil
RIO DE JANIERO, Brazil, (UP)—
A landslide has killed an esti
mated 40 to 50 persons and in
jured 100 in Santo, the world’s
biggest coffee port and a city of
200.000 population.
A cloudburst loosened the earth
on a hill and sent the landslide
crashing down on an area of
workers’ homes.
Harolds Club, Reno Gambling Casino,
Is Sold For 14 Million Dollars -- Cash
By ED OLSEN 4
RENO, (tf — Harold’s Club,
which in 21 years grew from a
$500 bankroll and a white mouse
into the world’s biggest gambling
casino, was sold last night for
close to 14 million dollars—cash.
The vast enterprise, by far the
biggest moneymaker in Nevada—
the nation’s only state with legal
gambling — was sold to a San
Francisco property - management
firm headed by Jules J. Agostini
Jr. Agostini, in his early 40’s, will
be called a “square” in Nevada’s
gambling fraternity because he
never had had a connection with
that business.
His firm, the Morgan-Agonstini
Properties Co., owns 28 San Fran
cisco bay area buildings.
In acquiring Harolds Club with
its 70 gambling games and more
than 800 slot machines the firm
also comes into possession of the
club’s huge parking garage, a mil
lion-dollar motel, a plush trap
shooting country club, several
warehouses, several hundred
acres of ranchland near Reno, ex
tensive business property and
numerous subsidiary holdings.
Also included are more than
2,500 “Harolds Club or Bust”
highway billboards which have
helped make the casino familiar
to motorists.
>
Known in local gambling cir
cles as “the factory,” Harolds
Club takes in' more than 8 million
dollars yearly. Of this, it pays al
most million a year in gambl
ing taxes to the state of Nevada
alone.
The club—operating 24 hours a
day—has been closed only a few
hours since 1940. That was on
V-J day.
The club has given millions of
dollars to churches and charitable
functions in the state.
It was a family corporation—
brothers Harold and Raymond A.
Smith and Harold’s former wife
Dorothy — from its inception in
1935. However the sparkplug of
the organization has been color
ful, 68 - year - old Raynjond I.
Smith, father of the two brothers.
He sent Harold here in 1935
with a penny roulette wheel, op
erated with a mouse instead of a
ball.
At that time, veteran gamblers
scowled glumly at customers who
won.
Smith replaced most of the men
with young women dealers, hiked
the winning percentage on slot
machines and generally tried to
give patrons the impression he
loved to see them win.
Jordan Dismisses
British Leader of
The Aral) Legion
AMMAN, Jordan, —Lt. Gen.
John Bagot Glubb, dismissed as
army commander, was escorted
out of Jordan today undef guard
of 16 tanks. His ouster by King
Hussien was a new blow to Brit
ish prestige in the Middle East.
The British government, which
set up Jordan’s Arab Legian and
has been subsidizing it, said it
had assurances friendly relations
would continue. But the Foreign
Office in London said the “abrupt
dismissal of this distinguished
officer” brought deep concern to
London officials.
Glubb, 4eader of the Arab
Legion in the war against Israel
in 1948, was dismissed as chief
of the army general staff. Britain
pays Jordan $22,400,000 annually
for support of the 20,000 - man
Legion. This is more than half the
budget of the Arab kingdom.
King Hussein and Premier
Samir El Rifai carried out the
ouster of Glubb and other British
officers to satisfy strong anti
Western elements demanding that
the Arab Legion come completely
under Arab control.
Britain Shocked At Glubb Ouster
LONDON, UP)—Britain express
ed deep shock today at Jordan’s
dismissal of Lt. Gen. John Bagot
Glubb, the Briton who had led
the desert kingdom’s Arab Legion
since 1939.
The action by English-educated
King Hussein aroused fear that
more anti-British acts might be
in the offing in a country which
has long been regarded as this
nation’s firmest friend in the
Middle East.
Dulles Off To Visit
Asia and Far East
WASHINGTON, OP—Secretary
of State Dulles sets off today on
a visit to Asia and the Far East,
major front in the cold war.
lie hopes on his return later
this month to have information
which will help him decide whe
ther U.S. foreign policy should
be revised to meet the Russian
drive for new political and econ
omic influence in the area’s un
derdeveloped countries.
The immediate purpose is Sec
retary Dulles’ scheduled attend
ance March 6-8 at a meeting of
the Foreign Ministers Council of
the Southeast Asia Treaty Organ
ization at Karachi, Pakistan.
Dulles will also visit nine other
capitals from New Delhi to Tokyo
and confer with a wide range of
Asian leaders including India’s
Prime Minister Nehru.
The 25,000-mile journey will
raise his total travel since he took
office three years ago to approxi
mately 300,000 miles.
Snowslide Takes Life of
Youth In Idaho Town
WALLACE, Idaho, UP — A 10
year-old boy was killed and at
least a dozen other persons in
jured early today by a massive
snowslide that buried five houses
in the sleeping village of nearby
Mace.
The slide trapped residents in
their beds.
Tommy Spencer, 10, was killed
but his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
John Spencer and another son,
escaped alive after being buried
by snow and debris.
Mr. and Mrs. Art Bell and their
eight children were trapped and
| had to be dug out by neighbors.
Eisenhower’s Health Fast Becoming
An Issue in Presidential Campaign
Republicans, Confident of
Eisenhower, Focus on
Congressional Campaigns
WASHINGTON. UP — Republi
cans confident of winning with
President Eisenhower focused
their strategy for 1956 today on
sweeping congressional candi
dates to victory with him.
The strategy looks a little into
the future, beyond the current
two-party sparring over Eisen
hower’s second term bid and his
health, and beyond current Re
publican uncertainty over a vice
presidential nominee.
The GOP campaign planning
will crystalize in more detailed
form at a party powwow of mem
bers of the National Committee,
state chairmen, and Republican
Senate and House members. Re
publican National Chairman Leo
nard Hall says it will be called
soon, probably for Washington.
Such a session is bound to pro
duce, too, more talk about whe
ther Vice President Nixon should
be second man on the GOP ticket.
The New York Times, in a dis
patch from Washington, said to
day Eisenhower will support
Nixon for renomination if Nixon
“wants it.”
GM President Foresees
Gas Turbine Powered Cars
Before Atomic Engines
LOS ANGELES, UP> — The
president of General Motors
doesn’t foresee use of atomic
energy for automobiles very soon.
Harlow H. Curtice predicted
yesterday the development of gas
turbine engines for autos before
atomic power can be applied to
them.
He told a news conference that
turbine engines might replace
conventional piston models “per
haps within 10 years.’’
Curtice is in Los Angeles for
the local opening of the GM
Motorama.
Finnish Skiers Out
To Sweep World
Jumping Crowns
IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich., UPV—
Weather permitting, Finland may
complete the final phase in the
time table of an apparent master
plan to claim every ski-jumping
championship in the world, here
Sunday in a special event on giant
Pine Mountain slide.
Esko Mommo and Pentti Uoti
nen, here for last weekend’s
wind-whipped tournaments, are
staying over to take another crack
at the North American distance
record of 316 feet in Sunday’s
event.
The 316-foot mark is the only
claim to ski-jumping fame left
for Norway, onetime world rulers
of the sport. Norwegian Ansten
Samuel-Etauen set the record in
ft51 at Steamboat Springs, Colo.!
The Finns own every other cov
eted championship in the world.
If either of the flying Finns
Mommo or Uotinen can break the
North American record here Sun
day, Finland will have a grand
slam of important ski - jumping
championships.
The all-time record here at Pine
Mountains is 300 feet set last year
by Rudy Maki, U., S. Olympic
jumper from Ishpeming, Mich.
WASHINGTON, (JV-President
Eisenhower ’pressed his second
term bid Thursday by entering
Republican primaries in Califor
nia and Wisconsin.
He was off and running. And,
as was widely anticipated, his
health already was becoming an
issue of the fast-developing cam
paign.
Democrats challenged his own
estimate of his physical capabili
ties, and asked whether the coun
try wanted what they termed a
“part time President.”
From GOP Chairman Leonard
Hall came the retort Eisenhower
has- been “a full time President.”
He predicted Democrats would
lose votes if they sought to make
the President’s health a matter of
importance in the campaign.
'Developments came thick and
fast on this first day after Eisen
hower announced his big decision.
They turned on three main sub
jects:
Eisenhower's Healfh—Democrats
were questioning whether the
President could, in fact, fully
handle the duties of his office in
the light of his heart attack. Their
general attitude was that Eisen
hower himself had raised the is
sue by discussing his health in his
broadcast Wednesday night.
Gov. Averell Harriman of New
York said the President’s health
certainly would be a campaign
issue—that Eisenhower “has made
it a major issue.”
The Possible Vice Presidential
Nominee—GOP Chairman Leon
ard W. Hall predicted it will again
be Richard M. Nixon. Hall called
Eisenhower and Nixon “the great
est team” in the country. And
Senate GOP leader Knowland of
California said he assumes Nixon
will again be Eisenhower’s run
ning mate.
There has been recurrent talk
some elements in the Republican
Party want to “jettison” Nixon.
This got a filip Wednesday from
Eisenhower’s refusal at his news
conference—after announcing his
own intention to run again—to
say whether he wanted Nixon to
be on the ticket with him.
The GOP Convention—Eisen
hower signed statements permit
ting his name to be entered in
the presidential Drimaries to be
held in Wisconsin and California
on April 3 and June 5 respective
ly. Laws of these two states re
quire a candidate’s written con
sent. Eisenhower’s name already
has been entered in half a dozen
other states where no such con
sent is required.
By all the signs, the delegates
to the national convention, to be
held in San Francisco beginning
Aug. 20, will be solidly Eisen
hower.
Explosion Rips Open New
Lava Mouth On Mt. Etna
ZAFFERANI, Sicily, iff) — A
terrific explosion has ripped open
a huge new lava mouth on the
side of flame-spouting Mt. Etna.
Anxiety increased in Zafferani
and half a dozen other villages on
the volcano side as a 500-foot
wide tide of molten lava surged
down ominously toward orchards
and outlying homes.
Police stood by in case volcanic
experts, who watched closely thru
the night, decide that some vil
lages must be evacuated. Up to
daybreak the peril was not re
garded as imminent.