22 NOME NUGGET
_OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LV No. 95 NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1953 _Per Copy—15^
17 Disabled U.S.
Prisoners Enroute
Home Bv Air
PANMUNJOM, (#) — Seventeen
disabled but happy Americans left
Tokyo by plane tonight for the
U.S. after 37 months in North
Korean prison camps.
Another 328 Americans boarded
a Navy transport in Inchon har
bor and will sail for home tomor
row. About 1,800 U.S. Marines
are also returning home on the
transport Nelson M. Walker.
The big Air Force plane carry
ing the vanguard of more than
3,000 Americans scheduled to be
liberated in the massive prisoner
exchange, will probably set down
at Travis Air Force base near
San Francisco about noon Tues
day. The ship probably will take
about two weeks to cross the
Pacific to Seattle or San Fran
cisco.
Monday saw 389 more Allied
soldiers return from North Kor
ean stockades — laughing, happy
Americans, British, and Turks.
The 125 Americans and 25
Turks all appeared in good condi
tion, The British, 50 in all were
in excellent spirits.
But there were grim faces
among tough U.S. Marines who
unloaded Red ambulances loaded
with wasted, emaciated ROK sol
diers.
And cynical Communist press
photographers largely stayed
away since the South Korean liv
ing dead offered no propaganda
possibilities for them.
There were 200 non - Koreans
exchanged Monday. It was the
first day that more non-Koreans
than ROKs have been returned.
Early Monday the Reds suddenly
announced they were substitut
ing 25 more Americans and 25
more British for 50 South Kor
eans.
There was speculation the Reds
made the sudden switch to avoid
delivering the ghastly ROK litter
cases before the eyes of India’s
foreign minister, R. K. Nehru.
Nehru, a member of the neutral
nations ' advisory commission
which will oversee prisoners who
refuse repatriation, reached Pan
munjom in time to witness the
third hourly delivery of prison
ers. This was the exchange group
that was switched by the Reds.
Sunday nearly 475 Red nurses,
wives and camp followers were
repatriated in scenes of bitter
violence.
The Reds moved north, singing
Communist songs, as usual.
While Allied soldiers told of
grim months under Communist
captivity, Red propaganda mills
broadcast stories of “brutality”
in U.N. POW camps.
EMMONS SWORN IN AS
INDIAN COMMISSIONER
WASHINGTON, W—Glenn L.
Emmons of Gallup, N. M., was
sworn in today as Indian Com
missioner.
Emmons, a native of Atmore,
Alta., has been in the banking
business in Gallup since 1929 and
has had extensive contacts with
the Indians in that area.
Emmons succeeds Dillon S.
Myer, who resigned.
i Plumbers Union
Head Attacks
Pattern of Plunder
WASHINGTON, Iffi — Secretary
of Labor Durkin’s stand - in as
head of the Plumbers Union lash
ed out today at what he called
the “pattern of plunder” of the
Eisenhower administration.
Writing in the current issue of
the union’s journal, Peter T.
Schoemann said:
“Today, the pattern of plunder
is designed to eradicate hard-won
gains such as the minimum wage
law, unemployment compensation,
public power development, public
housing, social security, etc. These
are all under attack. Certainly the
public climate forbids the expec
tation of further advances. We
will do well to hold our own.”
Schoemann wrote that the work
er “had a better break during
the past 20 years” in Washing
ton, adding:
“Now Washington has changed.
The administration is again in the
hands of business with emphasis
on big business. It has powerful
voices in Congress, representa
tives in most cabinet posts and
men in all important administra
tive posts. This is a formidable
array.
“As a result of the change,
labor now fights on two fronts.
In the states, labor fights off
additional anti - trust laws. In
Washington labor fights a policy
of plunder—plunder of resources,
welfare programs, and minimum
standards . .
Bids Opened In Juneau
Today On Sale Nome R.R.
JUNEAU, U’)—Bids for the sale
of the long-abandoned Nome rail
way which served mining camps
in that area during the gold rush
days will be opened here at 9:30
a.m. Monday.
Irving Reed, Territorial High
way Commissioner, said the bids
were scheduled originally to be
opened last Tuesday, but a delay
was granted on the request of s
prospective Kotzebue buyer.
A telegram from Kotzebue said
a bid had been mailed, and asked
postponement of the opening until
it could reach Juneau. Reed’s
office has charge of the sale.
The old railroad went into re
ceivership after the mining boom
faded, and finally reverted to the
territory. Only the rails remain.
Juneau High School
Principal Dies In Oregon
MEDFORD, Ore., 1® — Leslie
Byron Avrit, 48, of Juneau, Alas
ka, died Tuesday while visiting
friends here. He was buried
Thursday at Klamath Falls.
Avrit attended school in Cor
valis and was graduated from
Oregon State College in 1931. He
was active in sports, and coached
football at high schools in Kla
math Falls, Coos Bay and Shelby,
Mont.
He served in the Air Force dur
ing World War II, and later was
a Juneau high school co'ach. He
became principal of Juneau high
school in 1946.
Survivors include the widow, j
Sarah, a sister and four brothers.
U.S. ill Retaliate
If Reds Refuse
Return x411 POWs
DENVER, (iPl — Secretary of
State Dulles said after a confer
ence with President Eisenhower
today that the United States prob
ably would adopt “reciprocal
measures” if the Communists re
fuse to return some American pri
soners of war.
Dulles left no doubt at a news
conference that he meant this
country would take retaliatory
steps if prisoners are withheld in
violation of the armistice terms.
The secretary arrived at Eisen
hower’s vacation headquarters
after an overnight non-stop flight
from Honolulu on the way back
from South Korea, where he con
ferred with the president of that
republic, Syngman Rhee.
Dulles told newsmen he gave
Eisenhower “a very full report”
on his talks with Rhee. The sec
retary then noted that a com
munique released before he left
Korea had said that the South
Koreans had given “categorical
assurance” that they won’t upset
the newly-won armistice.
Dulles volunteered the informa
tion that he had been most im
pressed by what he saw of the
exchange of prisoners of war at
Freedom Village while he was in
Korea.
AP Photographer Noel
Liberated After 37 Months
In North Korean Prison
TOKYO, UP) — Associated Press
photographer Frank Noel and his
wife Evelyn were reunited here
today after a 3-year and 1-month
separation. Noel spent 32 of those
weary months in Red prison
stockades, 42 straight days in soli
tary confinement facing blank
walls.
The longing and waiting ended
as the 48 - year-old cameraman
known as “Pappy” to his friends
strode briskly from an air evac
uation plane after being flown
here from Korea, where he was
released yesterday.
Tears welled in the eyes of Mrs.
Noel but her face was bathed in
a radiant smile. Pappy embraced
her at the bottom of the ramp.
Then Noel, with a wide grin
spread across his tanned face,
grasped his wife firmly by the
arm and said:
“Come on, Toots, let’s go.”
The Pulitzer Prize winner was
taken prisoner by the Chinese
while covering the Marine retreat
from the Changjin Reservoir in
northeast Korea in December,
1950.
SUNDAY SCORES
American League
Chicago 5, New York 0
Cleveland 9, Boston 3
Philadelphia 4-8, Detroit 3-8
St. Louis 3-3, Washington 0-12
National League
Brooklyn 9, Cincinnati 1
St. Louis 6, New York 2
Milwaukee 7-10, Pittsburgh 4-3
Philadelphia 7-5, Chicago 0-6
Coast League
Hollywood 2-3, San Diego 1-2
Seattle 14-0, San Francisco 5-2
Los Angeles 2-8, Portland 1-0
Sacramento - 4-1, Oakland 3-6
Celebrities Depart After Gathering
Material To Publicize Nome Area
_^
Population of U.S.
Rises to 160 Million
Person Today
j
WASHINGTON, G>)—The pop
ulation of the United States
reached 160 million persons at
7 seconds after 10:02 a.m. EST
today, according to the Commerce
Department population clock, and
kept right on gaining at the rate
of one each 12 seconds.
The statistical clock’s recording
of the event was witnessed by a
crowd of about 100 Commerce
Dept, officials, newsmen and
passersby in the lobby of the de
partment’s building here.
The population clock is a huge,
16-foot device set up by the cen
sus bureau to measure population
losses and gains. It works on the
basis of Census Bureau estimates
that there is one birth each eight
seconds, one death each 21 sec
onds, one immigrant each two
minutes, one emmigrant each 17
minutes for a net gain of one
person every 12 seconds.
$100,000 Fire Destroys
Matanuska Valley Co-op
Power and Steam Plant
PALMER, MV—A. $100,000 fire
early Sunday destroyed the Mat
anuska Valley Cooperative elec
trical powerhouse and generating
facilities.
Hot ashes apparently started
the blaze about 6 a.m. The fire
bust out of control inside a half
hour. A temporary tin wall re
cently erected prevented damage
to a warehouse, garage and trad
ing post 30 feet away.
Palmer residents used water
hooked up to' new mains only
Saturday night to battle the blaze.
Fort Richardson fire chief Sam
uel H. Hurley took one pumper to
the fire from Anchorage.
Steam for the new creamery
which opened two weeks ago, and
the Valley Hospital now is being
supplied from the Matanuska
Electric Association for power.
Fred Zieke, coop manager, fore
cast no shortage of milk pro
ducts.
Zieke said rebuilding would
start as soon as investigation is
completed by an insurance ad
justor.
Nudists End 22nd Annual
Conclave, Put On Their
Clothes, And Go Home
CAJON, Calif., W—The unclad
clan — members of the American
Sunbathing Assn. — put on their
clothes and headed for home last
night.
The week-long epidermis bar
ing—officially, the nudists’ 22nd
annual national convention—con
cluded with the selection of “Sun
beams”—the cutest little nudists
on the grounds.
“Mrs. Sunbeam” was Mrs. Mar
guerite Hamrick of Burbank. Win
ner of the “Mr. Sunshine” title
was David Weisner of Sunnyrest
Lodge, Pa. The sunbathers re
elected Mervin Mounce, Spokane,
Wash., president.
V
Glamour descended on Front
Street Friday when Michael
O’Shea arrived with Hollywood
stars, distinguished columnists
and an internationally known
photographer to do Nome as they
saw it.
The party were guests of Alas
ka Airlines from Portland to
Nome and the return on Sunday.
While in Nome they were
guests of Paul Mandeville at the
Wallace Hotel. Their appetities
were more than satisfied by meals
given through the courtesy of the
North Star Grill owners Ernie
Gustafson and Bob Renshaw, as
well as the Bering Sea Club.
Angello Buffas donated cab and
bus service and also a beach
gold panning trip. A side trip to
Teller was furnished by O. W.
Tosch who took the party on a *
beach trip where they photo
graphed that which is hard to
believe in the States—swimming
in ultra modern swim suits at
just about the most westerly
point in North America and right
next door to the Iron Curtain.
The whole trip originated when
Michael O’Shea visited Nome as
a tourist six weeks ago and liked
it so well that he wanted his
friends to see and publicize Nome
as a wonder spot. He communi
cated with the NVA and through
director George Goshaw the trip
was arranged.
In th# party were:
Danion Walker, distinguished
writer for the New York Daily
News and Chicago Tribune syn
dicate, the only U.S. newspaper
man selected as a “Man of Dis
tinction” to represent his pro
fession as a columnist. Mr. Walk
er writes a monthly news column
for SCREENLAND, one of the
leading motion picture magazines
distributed nationally in the U.S.
Peier Perri, one o'f New York’s
leading photographers, has had
his fine portraits and pictures
published in LIFE, LOOK, SIL
VER SCREEN, SCREENLAND,
QUICK and every other major
periodical. An expert with the
camera, Mr. Perri found Nome
area to be without peer when it
comes to pictorial resources. He
is a native New Yorker and looks
forward to returning to' Nome
early next spring.
Lynn Bowers, national maga
zine writer. For the Saturday
(Continued cm Page Two)
A. B. Phillips of Juneau
Appointed Director Of
Employment Security
JUNEAU, (iR—A. B. Phillips of
Juneau Saturday was appointed
executive director of the Terri
torial Employment Security Com
mission, with the appointment to
become effective Aug. 24.
Phillips will replace J.T. Mc
Laughlin, who is to resume his
old post as director of the com
mission’s Unemployment Insur
ance Division.
Phillips is a former superin
tendent of schools here.
The commission scheduled a
meeting at Anchorage in October
to discuss seasonal employment
periods for cannery workers.