22S NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL, LV No. 102NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1953Per Copy—151
COST OF LIVING AT
NEW RECORD HIGH
WASHINGTON, UP!—'The gov
ernment reported today living
costs edged to a new record high
in mid-July. The increase was
enough to give a million auto in
dustry workers a one-cent hourly
■p^y boost.
It was the second straight
month the government’s living
cost measurement had hit a rec
r ord. The index has risen now for
i five months in a row.
Higher prices for food, rent,
transportation and medital care
were the main items responsible
for the new hike in consumer
costs.
Red Maneuver Will
Force U.N. To Vote
On Soviet Plan 1st
UNITED NATIONS, N.Y., UP) —
Russia Wednesday came up with
a parliamentary maneuver to
force the U.N. to vote first on the
Soviet proposal for inviting six
fighting countries. and nine “neu
trals” to the Korean peace con
ference.
The Soviet move came as the
General Assembly’s 60-nation pol
itical committee began discussing
in detail a half-dozen resolutions
dealing with the Korean problem.
Voting was expected to begin
tomorrow.
Soviet Delegate Andrei Y. Vish
insky had put in a revised propos
al only yesterday listing the 15
countries Russia wants to seat at
the conference. But under normal
voting procedure, this would be
voted on last since it was the last
resolution submitted.
Vishinsky, however, submitted
his list again this morning in the
form of an amendment to a reso
lution sponsored by the United
States and 14 other countries that
fought for the U.N. in Korea.
The latter proposal, recom
mending that all the fighting
countries be invited to the con
ference, had been introduced first
and had priority in the voting.
But assembly rules provided that
amendments must be voted first.
This means the Soviet list would
be put ahead of the U.S.-spon
sored pi'oposal.
There are separate resolutions
on the participation of Russia and
India. The U.S. is opposing India’s
participation, but has agreed to
support a proposal for Russia’s
inclusion “provided that the other
side desires it.”
Russian H - Explosion
Calls for U.S. Review’ of
Its Defenses, Says Radford
WASHINGTON, (JP)—Adm. Ar
thur Radford said today the Rus
sian hydrogen explosion requires
that the United States review its
defenses against such weapons.
The new chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff told a news con
ference that U.S. military leaders
knew, however, that Russia would
achieve an hydrogen explosion
sooner or later just as the United
States had. He said the fact of the
achievement has not changed this
nation’s strategic planning.
Communists May
Return More POWs
Than Promised
PANMUNJOM, UP — Another
400 U.N. soldiers returned from
North Korean stockades today
amid indications the Reds will
send back some Americans hand
ed jail terms and possibly more
prisoners than they originally
promised.
Two of 133 Americans who
crossed into friendly hands today
said some fellow Americans sen
tenced to prison for “instigating
against the peace” were awaiting
repatriation, possibly in a day or
two, at Kaesong. Kaesong, just
north of Panmunjom, is the Red
holding point for Allied POWs.
The apparent switch in the
Communist attitude toward these
prisoners followed protests by the
U.N. Command that the Reds were
holding back dozens of men on
trumped-up charges.
Along with 133 Americans, the
Reds returned 17 British and 250
South Koreans today, the 22nd
day of the big exchange of war
prisoners. And 150 Americans and
250 South Koreans will be handed
over Thursday, the Reds said.
From the first day of prisoner
exchange, returning Americans
told of men being handed armis
tice eve prison terms from one to
three years for infractions.
There^was still no official word
when the Reds will hand over
their prize prisoner, Maj. Gen.
William F. Dean, commander of
the U.S. 24th Division, who was
captured in the early days of the
war.
Alaska Steam/May
Start Run From
‘Frisco To Haw aii
SEATTLE, UP) — The Alaska
Steamship Company’s biggest pas
senger ship, the Aleutian, is
scheduled tentatively for year
round operation between San
Francisco and Honolulu, the Seat
tle Post-Intelligencer learned to
day.
The Hawaiian - Pacific Steam
ship Lines have listed the 305
passenger vessel for regular ser
vice on their Hawaiian economy
run from Dec. 5 to Aug. 31, 1954.
Such operation would knock the
Aleutian out of next year’s Alas
ka trade and slash the number of
available Alaska steamship liners
to' three.
In earlier discussion of the Al
eutian’s transfer to Hawaiian ser
vice, it had been generally sup
posed the 6,361-ton ship would be
used there only in the winter and
returned to Seattle for her regu
lar summer Alaska runs.
However, in answer to ques
tions, Jack C. Comyn, vice presi
dent of Hawaiian-Pacific’s Seattle
agent, the Girdwood Shipping Co.,
declared:
“We hope to offer this service
on a ^ear-round basis, providing
the passenger traffic is there to
warrant it.”
Built in 1906, the Aleutian has
been operated by Alaska Steam
since 1930.
“Pre-Atomic Charter”
Of United Nations Called
“Seriously Inadequate”
BOSTON, UP)— Secretary of State
Dulles said today the “pre-atomic
age charter” of the United Nations
contains “serious inadequacies”
and needs to have important alter
ations.
In a speech prepared for the
American Bar Association, Dulles
said he believes the administra
tion can achieve a better world in
the face of the fact that man now
has the power “to destroy him
self.” But he said the U.N. would
have to be changed to make this
possible.
He recalled that the charter
s drafted and signed at San
Francisco in early 1945 “when
hone of us knew of the atomic
bomb which was to fall on Hiro
shima on August 6, 1945,” and he
added:
“The charter is thus a pre-atom
ic age charter. In this sense it
was obsolete before it actually
came into force.”
American Party
Fails To Conquer
Mt. Godwin Austen
KARACHI, Pakistan, [ffi— De
layed reports from Kashmir said
today Mt. Godwin Austen (K2)
has defeated efforts of a nine-man
American expedition to climb to
its unconquered peak and a geolo
gist lost his life in the attempt.
The victim was identified as
Arthur K. Gilkey of New York.
The accounts said he was killed
while descending from the expe
dition’s Camp No. 8 to Camp No. 7
and later was buried in the Kara
koram Mountains with a 10-foot
high stone marking his grave.
The reports said Robert W.
Craig, a ski instructor from Col
orado Springs, and a physicist,
George R. Bell of Los Alamos,
N.M., were seriously injured, suf
fering from frostbite.
Details were scant, but storms
and low temperatures have har
assed the men since they reached
their base camp early in July to'
tackle the 23,250-foot peak in
northern Kashmir.
It is the world’s second highest
peak and the highest remaining
unconquered after the scaling of
29,202-foot-high Mt. Everest by
two members of a British expedi
tion last May.
The American party is headed
by Dr. Charles Houston of Exeter,
N.H., who calls himself a “small
town doctor.”
EMERGENCY RADIO PLAN
TO BE OPERATED BY HEAD OF
ALASKA BROADCASTING CO.
SEATTLE, UP)— Col. James C.
Crockett, Alaska’s director of civil
defense, has announced the ap
pointment of William J. Wagner
to the territorial defense staff as
officer in charge of radio broad
casting affairs.
Wagner, owner and president
of the Alaska Broadcasting Co.,
%
will operate an overall plan for
the utilization of radio broadcast
ing stations in Alaska in the event
of an enemy-caused emergency.
The plan will be presented to
Col. Crockett in Juneau at an
early date.
Statehood Committee, Impressed By
The Will Of A People Who Know
What They Want, Returns To U S
-<s
Better Plane Connections
With Northwest Airlines’
New Anchorage Terminal
SEATTLE, UP)—Vastly improved
connections for points throughout
Alaska will result from North
west Orient Airlines’ move Sept. 1
from Elmendorf Air Force Base to
Anchorage International Airport,
G. E. Hatch, western regional
sales manager, said today.
Northwest’s fleet of four-en
gined Stratocruisers and DC-4s,
operating between Minneapolis
St. Paul and the Pacific North
west and Anchorage, will connect
with 59 flights of intra-Alaska
air lines each week, outbound
from Anchorage to other cities
in the territory.
Passengers passing through An
chorage from points in the terri
tory, and bound “outside,” like
wise, will find better connections
to eastbonnd Northwest Air Lines.
A total of 70 flights of intra-Alas
ka carriers will connect with
Northwest flights every week.
“Much time will be saved pass
engers transfering to or from our
flights with the need elimated for
a trip across the city of Anchor
age between Elmendorf and Inter
national,” Hatch said.
Sen.Butlerlnv olved
In Libel Suit
Between Alaskans
ANCHORAGE, UP)—Sen. Htigh
Butler, chairman of the Senate
Interior Committee, got involved
in a $175,000 libel suit between
two Alaskans here Monday.
Butler, here to preside at state
hood hearings, was summoned to
the office o'f Stanley McCutcheon
to give a deposition in connection
with McCutcheon’s suit against
territorial Senator Marcus Jensen
of Douglas.
Butler refused to testify, claim
ing congressional immunity.
McCutcheon, an Anchorage at
torney and former speaker of the
territorial House of Representa
tives who resigned last week as
Democratic national committee
man, said he will institute con
tempt proceedings on the conten
tion that Butler is a key witness
in the libel case.
McCutcheon contends Jensen
provided Butler ' with inaccurate
statements which were inserted
in the Congressional Record in an
effort to postpone Alaska state
hood in 1950.
The record shows that the Neb
raska senator stated Alaska state
hood should await an inquiry into
the conduct of some of Alaska’s
officials.
Butler has been an oppenent of
Alaska statehood legislation, al
though he has said he is holding
the present hearings “with an
open mind.” While he was a legis
lator, McCutcheon assailed Butler
on the floor of the House.
> ANCHORAGE, UP>—The Alaska
statehood hearings conducted by a
Senate Committee on Territories
and Insular Affairs concluded
here yesterday. Five members of
the committee left last night to
return to the States.
The chairman, Sen. Butler, re
mained and may visit other Alas
ka points.
The senators expressed the
opinion the Alaska hearings gave
them facts to use in the next Sen
ate debate. They said they were
impressed with the caliber of Al
askans and with the will of a
people who know what they want.
They haven’t got statehood yet,
but Alaskans have been cautioned
against having too many counties
when, and if, they do get state
hood.
The caution was voiced by Sen.
Anderson (D-NM), and quickly
seconded by two fellow members.
Sen. Butler recommended four
counties, following the pattern of
the territory’s present judicial
divisions. Sen. Clements <D-Ky)
agreed, saying his own state is
burdened with the government of
120 counties.
An anonymous citizen who op
poses statehood for the territory
wrote the committee Tuesday that
he was afraid to testify for fear
of reprisals and recrimination*.
Sen. Butler urged the letter wri
ter to step forward so his testi
mony could be included in the
record.
The senators heard 57 witness
es in Anchorage, only one of
whom was against statehood. (De
tails of Monday hearings on P. 2).
Ed Suddock, an Anchorage
wholesale grocer, told the com
mittee that Alaska’s young busi
nessmen are showing their faith
in the north country by expand
ing and putting their profits back
(Continued on Page Two)
Police Nab Stenographer
In Brutal Slaying of •
14-Year-Old Girl
NEW YORK, Iff) — A pretty
'Massachusetts stenographer, sob
bing hysterically, admitted to po
lice today she killed the 14-year
old sister of a former boy friend,
who broke off with her and mar
ried another woman.
Police quoted petite Mildred
McDonald, 25, of Somerville,
Mass., as saying she shot the girl,
Mary Di Rocco, on Monday after
the child told her the brother
was happy with his new wife.
A sharp-eyed policeman, Patrol
man George F. Grace, spotted
Miss McDonald near Times
Square last night and took her
into custody. He recognized her
from an Associated Press tele
photo he had seen in the New
York Daily News only minutes
before.
For 10 hours, the blond steno
grapher protested her innocence.
Then near dawn, police said, she
admitted: “I shot her several
times.”