£fl NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LVIII No. 61 NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 1956 Per Copy-^15^
SOVIET MOVE MIGHT
PERMIT U.S. AIR TRADE
Pan American Likely
To Meet With Russians
On Service to Moscow
WASHINGTON, The State
Department ihas disclosed it is
considering a Soviet move which
could open Moscow and Lenin
grad to commercial American air
travel.
Department Press Officer Lin
coln White told a news conference
he had few details. He said there
had been no direct Soviet govern
ment contact on the question with
the U.S. government.
But he said the State Depart
ment “understands Pan American
Airways has been told appropriate
Soviet officials would welcome
conversations concerning the es
tablishment by Pan American of
direct air service to Moscow.”
White told reporters Russia re
jected a western Big Three sug
gestion, during the Geneva for
eign ministers’ meeting last Octo
ber and November, that Russia
negotiate “normal air transport
agreements” with the West.
White saicf Pan American was
issued a certificate by the Civil
Aeronautics Board in 1945, auth
orizing it to serve Leningrad and j
Moscow.
In reporting the Soviet contact
with Pan American, White said,
“Pan American has told us about
this intimation and the depart
ment has it under consideration.”
The United States has never
flown commercial airliners as a
LIONS ON RAMPAGE
IN BITISH COLONY
KAMPALA, Uganda, (A*)—Lions
have eaten 40 persons recently in
the Ankole district of this British
East Africa colony, a Game De
partment official said yesterday.
The government has decided to
hire a white hunter to try to ex
terminate the man-eaters.
Gov’t Life Insurance Law
Makes Progress in India
NEW DELHI, India, The lower
house of India’s Parliament today
approved legislation to create a
government corporation whiph
will take over all life insurance
in this country.
The bill still must be approved
by the upper house.
The government already has
taken over management of the life
insurance business of 109 Indian
and three foreign companies
pending its transfer under the law
to government ownership.
TRASH PICKUP TO
START ON MONDAY
% The City announced today that
it would start picking up piled
refuse on Monday, as the begin
ning of clean-up week.
Property owners are urged to
place their piles near to the road
in boxes or cartons for easy lift
ing and handling.
regular thing into Russia. White
said he is not sure whether Pan
American could automatically be
gin scheduled flights to Moscow
and Leningrad under' its 1945
certificate.
Pan American currently serves
Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki, and
presumably would operate a Rus
sian service through the Finnish
capital.
A spokesman said Pan Ameri
can is ready to “activate” imme
diately the route authority it has
held so long, if the conditions
agreed upon by Russia are satis
factory to the U.S. and to Pan
American.
Pan American also has asked I
the Civil Aeronautics Board for I
a transpolar route between Eur- ^
ope and the U.S. west coast. The
spokesman said this route also
would tie in well with a Moscow
service.
The Pan American spokesman
said there have been indications
from the Russians they would
welcome a visit by U.S. airline
officials for air service confer
ences. He added some Pan Ameri
can officers very likely soon will
go to Moscow.
Argument Among
Armed Services
Seen as Healthv
WASHINGTON, UP)—President
; Eisenhower said today he would
i be frightened indeed if, in these
j times, there were not good strong
j arguments among the armed ser
| vices of America.
The President told a hews con
ference, however, all differences
| should be studied in a spirit of
honest search for the truth, and
not with any purpose in mind of
just seeing whether an interser
vice flight can be promoted.
A great many of the questions
put to Eisenhower dealth with the
rivalry among the services which
came to light last weekend.
At the outset of his news con
ference Eisenhower was asked for
I his views of the situation.
He noted that he is Commander
in Chief, as well as President,
and said no important matter
dealing with the armed services
comes up that does not concern
him.
Alluding to the interservice dif
ferences over the role to be played
by the various branches, Eisen
hower said it is necessary to get
the matter in proper perspective.
In these days of new weapons,
Eisenhower said, there is constant
change and fluidity, and military
doctrines that were sacrosanct in
the past now are being deserted
It was then he said that if there
were not good, strong arguments
among the armed services, he
would be frightened indeed.
Later on, Eisenhower said with
great emphasis that the strength
of Ajnerica is not found alone in
bombs or in guided missiles. It is
instead, he added, a combination
of many things, such as balancing
the budget.
King Salmon
Derby Proposed
For Unalakleet
Nome and Kotzebue
Chamber Help Asked
Unalakleet has asked the sup
port of the Nome Chamber of
Commerce, financially, and with
publicity and advertising sugges
tions and ideas, in starting an
annual King Salmon Derby start
ing on June 4th and lasting for
a month.
Unalakleet is noted for ^ts won
derfully big king salmon which
come to the local market each
spring and could be developed
into a thrilling sportsman’s event.
It was suggested at the meeting
of the Chamber yesterday noon
that the Nome and Kotzebue
Chambers of Commerce should
plan a joint meeting for discussing
mutual problems.
Rev. Willard Mecklenburg pre
sented a proof of the new Cham
ber of Commerce tourist pamph
let now being printpd and soon
to be ready for distribution.
Norman Hogg, from the Office
of Vocational Rehabilitation, re
ported briefly on the purpose of
his visit to Nome which was to
render assistance to handicapped
people by way of finding them
employment and teaching them
skills that would make employ
ment possible. He brought greet
ings from the Fairbanks Chamber
of Commerce.
H. Chappel of the Territorial
Police, who returned recently, was
also a guest of the Chamber at
their luncheon yesterday.
OPERATION MONA LISA BRINGS
MILITARY CARGO TO BERING SEA
SEATTLE. Ships and men
are streaming out of Seattle this
week in the first, “Vlona Lisa,”
phase of the Defense Department’s
massive arctic supply mission of
1956.
Most of the 306 troops who will
manhandle cargo ashore at remote
Defense Department installations
on the west coast of Alaska and
in the Bering Sea area are sched
uled to sail from here either today
aboard the freighter Sgl. Truman
Kimbro or tomorrow aboard the
big landing ship Whitemarsh.
“Mona Lisa” is the code name
for the annual supply project that
carries subsistence stores, re
placement parts for equipment
and other “general housekeeping"
cargo to arctic outposts that can
be reached by sea only once a
year.
In 1956, seven ships are bearing
an estimated 26,000 tons of cargo
and 109,000 barrel*; of bulk pe
troleum north on the mission.
The tanker Cossatot already has
been at sea 10 days on her part
of Mona Lisa. The reefer Ship
Valectine sailed Sunday from Se
attle. The landing ship LST 1072
was scheduled out of Seattle yes
terday, the freighter Sgt. Truman
Kimbro will finish loading tonight
at the Seattle Army terminal and
the landing ship Whitemarsh is
scheduled in today.
The Whitemarsh is the expedi
tion workshop. On loan from thp
Navy’s Pacific amphibious forces,
she’s an LSD (landing ship dock*.
She’ll pause just long enough in
this port to pick up the five utility
craft she’ll carry north piggyback
style.
Once in the north, the big LSD
and her piggyback craft will have
the job of shutting cargo in to
beaches from the cargo ships that
must lie offshore.
About mid-June the last two'
units of Mona Lisa are scheduled
to sail—the New Zealand Victory
from Long Beach and the landing
ship LST 1072 from Seattle.
But the rest of the Mona Lisa
fleet should be working up north
by the time the greater arctic fleet
starts forming here next month
to transport equipment to the Dis
j tant Early Warning radar stations
Replacement for McKay
Getting Lots of Thought
By President Eisenhower
WASHINGTON, ttfv--President
Eisenhower, asked at his press
conference today when he plans
to name a successor to Douglas
McKay as a secretary of the In
terior, said he knows of nothing
he has given more thought and
study to.
But he gave no hint when a
successor will be nominated. Mc
Kay resigned from the cabinet
April 15 to run for the U.S. Senate
from Oregon.
Anzio Beach Landing a Mistake?
Truman Denies He Said So, But
AP Reporter Sticks By His Story
Villagers Wail Out
Y ukon Floods in
Boats, Graveyard
ANCHORAGE, (M—New floods
in the Yukon River flatlands have
forced villagers to seek refuge in
boats and a graveyard, civil de
fense officials reported Monday.
A new bombing mission has
been ordered in the Delta area.
Most critical point is Alakanuk on
the south of the Yukon.
Two hundred villagers there
have sought refuge in boats, Jo
seph Agayard, Ground Observer
Corps supervisor, said. Yesterday
villagers reported a new ice jam
10 miles down river had forced
water up 18 inches and threatened
the trading post.
' Monday night rising waters
forced the villagers to spend the
night in boats. The water then
dropped, but was up again the
next day. The Alaska Command
hoped to drop 500-pound bombs
to break the jam. The bombing
was requested by villagers thru
the civilian defense at Anchorage.
The village of Hamilton on the
north fork of the Yukon was
flooded Monday night and resi
dents sought high ground at a
nearby cemetery. The water later j
dropped when ice broke near\
Hamilton.
NAPLES, Italy, ItfV—Harry S.
Truman disclaimed today the
comment attributed to him con
cerning the Anzio-Salemo beach
head—and added he’s embar
rassed about the whole affair.
Reporters accompanying Tru
man on his tour through Italy
quoted him yesterday as saying
the two World War II landings
were unnecessary “and planned
by some squirrel-headed general,”
not named.
These developments followed:
1. The controversy over the
landings, previously criticized in
Congress and elsewhere, took on
new life. Gen. Mark W. Clark, 5th
Army commander in the landings,
said he had just followed orders.
A British commander accused
Truman of talking nonsense.
2. Truman’s secretary said the
former President made “a com
plete denial” of the quotations
attributed to him yesterday. Fred
Zusy, AP correspondent who filed
yesterday’s story, said Truman’s
comment “was reported exaotly as
he said it.” A reporter for the
United Press filed a similar story,
and also stood by it today.
3. President Eisenhower said he
and his wartime staff did not fa
vor carrying out the Anzio beach
landing exactly as it was done,
but that he does not think it can
be called a failure. He said it
would be a long story to tell who
planned the operation.
4. Truman himsell spoke to the
reporters of the three major news
services, several hours after his
secretary had issued the denial.”
“I would make no comment like
that,” said Truman, referring to
the quotations attributed to him.
“I had been listening to a con
versation of several people who
had been there. I am sorry about
it. But it’s a very embarrassing
situation and I hope you’ll clear
it up.”
“I don’t want to embarrass any
body, especially the people who
are with me and reporting on me.
(Continued on Page Two)
Steady Moviegoer Won
Two Mates There But
Declines Sentimental Seats
NOTTINGHAM, England, UP)—
Mrs. Mary Bettison has been go
ing to the local movie house three
times a week for the past 45 years.
In that time she has been wooed
and won by two successive hus
bands in the same seats—two on
the aisle four rows from the rear.
The movie house announced to
day it was shutting down and of
fered to deliver the seats to her
as a sentimental token.
Mrs. Bettison, 53, declined.
‘‘It would be nice to have some
thing to remind me of so many
happy days, but I don’t think,
we’ve got room for the seats,” she
said. “Anyway, my present hus
band and I have pretty well worn
them out.”