THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
NOME, ALASKA
Telephone: Main 125 P.O. Box 618
$1.50 PER MONTH $16.00 A YEAR
E. P. BOUCHER . Managing Editor
CLINTON GRAY . Production Manager
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the
postoffice at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
NEW AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA
Charles E. Bohlen, who is expected to leave soon
as the U.S. ambassador to Russia, is well qualified by
experience and training to handle the Moscow post
efficiently. Though the loss of a man as well versed
in Soviet affairs as George F. Kennan is to be regret
ted, President Eisenhower has picked the one man who
probably knows as much about Russia as did Kennan.
It is generally agreed that Kennan and Bohlen are
among the best qualified Americans available to handle
the Moscow post.
It will be recalled that the Russians kicked out
Mr. Kennan on the grounds that he uttered insulting
words about Russia while visiting Berlin. It was widely
believed that Kennan’s ability to accurately sense con
ditions in Moscow and Russia made him a thorn in
Russia’s diplomatic side. If this appraisal was accurate,
the Russians will face the same problem in dealing
with Mr. Bohlen.
ON THE UNIFICATION OF KOREA
Recently thousands of citizens in Seoul, South
Korea, gathered in front of the capitol building in a
ceremony celebrating their 34th anniversary of inde
pendence. Part of the sentiment exhibited in this dem
onstration was in favor of a drive into North Korea.
South Korean officials and the demonstrators have
long demanded a drive to the Yalu River as a means of
unifying their country once again. The country was
split after World War II when the 38th “Parallel was
decided upon as the dividing line between Soviet and
U.S. occupation. Although this was not completely
satisfactory to the South Koreans it had to be accepted
since they had been a defeated power and occupied by
the Japanese for many years.
When the North Koreans crossed the 38th Parallel
and attacked South Korea in June, 1950, they became
the first to abrogate the 38th Parallel agreement and
now the South Koreans feel there is little point in their
stopping at the 38th Parallel.
However, many members of the United Nations
feel that the only purpose of the U. N. forces in Korea
is to defend the freedom of South Korea and drive the
invading armies out. Some U.N. members will not sup
port any effort to capture North Korea, thus unifying
the country once again.
ALASKA IN ADOLESCENCE
(From "The Versatovian," Sitka)
Alaska is an adolescent boy, passing through a per
iod of “Sturm und Drang,” a period of storm and strife.
Notice this young fellow. One day he is a small
child — short and chubby. All of a sudden he shoots
up like a bean pole. He outgrows his clothes, but con
tinues to wear them. His shirt does anything but fit
him. The bottoms of his trousers come up above his
ankles. His movements are clumsy and inefficient. He
is accused of being all thumbs, and of being a stumble
heel.
Beause he suddenly finds himself quite taller than
he was just a short time before, he thinks he is all
grown up now. But his parent, the federal government,
doesn’t think so, and continues to treat him as a little
schoolboy, which the young man resents.
For the first time he becomes aware of his social
environment and earnestly endeavors to fit into these
surroundings by trying to join and become one of the
States. But these older and more grown up relatives
think he is still not man enough to handle his own
problems. They think he has grown too big for his
breeches and therefore they have not accepted him.
Adolescence is a period of adjustment, and Alaska
is in just that period—-the period between childhood
and maturity. The federal government thinks it is help
ing this young boy grow up. Alaska thinks he is being
bossed and pushed around.
ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU LOSE SOME SLEEP i
** . * i i ~ ~ • • i ,«■ ■, —— ■awni I
FLOURIDE IN WATER PROVES ITS WORTH
A six year experiment in the east Texas city of
Marshall was recently cited as proof that flouride in
drinking water can reduce dental cavities considerably.
The test, which was hailed as one of the most care
fully conducted in the country, was carried on with
the cooperation of the American Medical Association
and the American Dental Association.
Dr. Edward Taylor, chief of the Texas Health De
partment’s dental division, in announcing results of
the test recently, said that Marshall children have had
57 percent fewer cavities than those of the same age
group in another town included in the test, where
flouride was not provided. In fact, the cavity rate
among Marshall children is reported to be declining
steadily while cavities among children in the other
town, where flouride is not being used, are increasing.
This latest test, which covered a period of six years
should settle the arguments for and against the chemi
cal once and for all. Every town and community in the
country which has the money should look into the pos
sibility of adding flouride to the drinking water supply.
Simon Ahkolik Writes
Of Narrow Escape In
Fighting In Korea
Simon Ahkolik, member of a
well known Diomede family and
a former resident of Nome who
has been fighting on the Korean
front for many months, writes that
he recently was the only one in
his group to escape injury when
enemy fire hit their location.
Four other men in his group were
hit but he had moved a few feet
away a few minutes before the
enemy struck.
He sent the following poem to
his sister, Mrs. Sam Mogg:
- A
Hundreds Perish in
Earthquake in Turkey
ISTANBUL, Turkey, UP) — A
violent earthquake shook western
Turkey Wednesday night and un
official reports Thursday said
from 500 to 1,000 persons per
ished. President Celal Bayer left
Ankara with government officials
for the stricken region.
The quake apparently centered
around Balikesir, across the sea of
Mamara from Istanbul, and near
the World War I battlefield of
Gallipoli.
Washington News-Letter
By Mary Lee Council
Secretary to E. L. (Bob Bartlett,
Delegate to Congress from Alaska
Treasury Dept. Opposed
Increased Price For Gold
The new administration’s Trea
sury Department is opposed to
any legislation which would in
crease the price of gold or other
plans which would bring about a
market price increase, according
to information given Delegate
Bartlett recently.
In February of this year, Dele
gate Bartlett urged that the new
administration take a “realistic
position” to assist gold miners.
“I don’t have to tell you,”
Delegate Bartlett stated in a let
ter to Secretary of the Treasury
Humphrey, “that the gold miner
has been uniquely, I believe, dis
criminated against in our econ
omy. He is the only producer so
far as I am aware, the selling
price of whose product has re
mained constant and fixed by the
government itself and who has
been exposed to all the inflation
ary pressures which have caused
production costs to rise. This is
written to express the hope that
the present administration will
take a realistic position in respect
to this matter, which is of con
suming interest to an industry
important not only in Alaska but
in several western states. I should
very much like to know what the
Treasury Department’s position
will be with respect to the move
ment so long under way to have
the United States government in
crease the price of gold, either
directly or under some system as
that used by the Canadian gov
ernment.
In declaring the adverse posi
tion, the Treasury Department re
plied, “The Treasury remains op
posed to any such legislation
which would change the price of
gold), primarily because of the
inflationary effect such a program
would have upon the domestic
economy of the United States.”
In conclusion, it was stated,
“Careful study has ‘been given by
the Treasury Department to both
the Canadian subsidy and free
market program for marketing
newly-mined gold. Although the
Department is sympathetic to the
problems of the gold miners, it
does not favor the adoption of
either plan by the United States.”
Delegate Bartlett in January
introduced legislation which
would allow gold to seek its own
price level in the world market.
Inventory Blanks at Nome Nugget
G.I.’s Home Thoughts from Abroad
BY A G.I. IN KOREA
Up in the hills of Korea
Bloody Ridge is the spot,
Battling the terrific weather
In the land that God forgot,
Out in the heat with a rifle,
Or down in the ditch with a pick,
Doing the work of a convict,
But too damn tired to kick.
Here with the lizards and spiders,
Where the G.I. is always blue,
Right in the middle of nowhere—
Twelve thousand miles from you.
We are soldiers in the Army,
Earning a measly pay,
Guarding you folks by the millions
For a measly two-sixty a day.
•
We are living in our memories
Of our folks back home and our gals.
We hope that when we return
They’re not married to our pals.
All day it keeps on raining—
It’s as much as we can stand—
But folks, we aren’t complaining,
For we’re the defenders of our land.
We left the good times behind us.
Some of our best years we’ll miss.
It sure is tough when you’re drafted.
But it’s a hell of a lot worse to enlist.
When they have the last formation
In the big drill field upstairs,
We will fall in at attention
And march by the stand in pairs.
Then Saint Peter will see us,
And then we will hear him yell—
“Come in, you guys from Korea.
You have served your time in hell. !” A