m NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN AI.ARKA—MF.MRKR ASSOCIATED PRESS
( _ -- . ■■ ■ ' -
VOL. LX No. 150 NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1958 Per Copy—lhc
First Missile Fired Under Conditions!
Of Combat, With All Military CrewJ
By RALPH DIGHTON
VAiNDENBERG AIR FORCE
BASE, Calif., UP>—Out in the vast
Pacific lies a symbol of America’s
growing space age might — the
nose cone of the first ballistic
missile launched at this west
coast b£tse.
"Neither the Air Force nor the
Navy will make any attempt to
recover the cone, hurled 1,500
miles across the Pacific missile
range Tuesday. Yet it deserves a
place in some museum of scienti
fic endeavor.
For the cone of the medium
range Thor missile, capable of
carrying a nuclear warhead, marks
America’s first firing of a ballis
tic missile under combat condi
tions. It shows the Thor is moving
from the development stage to
the operational.
A regular Air Force crew push
ed some buttons and the 50-ton
weapon soared some 300 miles up
to the fringes of space. The blast
off came only 11 minutes after
the 11-man crew raised the Thor
upright and began filling it with
liquid fuel.
Unlike firings at Cape Cana-1
veral, this was no test of an ex
perimental rocket. No civilian ex
perts hovered over instruments,
watching for performance flaws
that could be corrected in later
models.
This was entirely a military
operation, demonstrating that the
Air Force has now developed
combat crews to fire missiles.
Two-and-one half minutes after
the first sign of fire in its tail,
the missile was racing targetward
at a speed of 9,000 miles an hour.
Seconds later the fuel tank sec
tion of the missile fell away and
was burned up by friction as it
re-entered the earth’s atmosphere.
The nose cone sped on, reach
ing its maximum speed of 10,000
miles an hour before plunging
back through the atmosphere to
its impaqt area 1,500 miles away.
Maj. Gen. David Wade, com
mander of the 1st Missile Divi
sion, said the shot was a great
success, despite a 3 - hour, 28
minute delay in the final half
hour of the countdown caused by
minor technical adjustments.
Supreme NATO Commander Pleads
For Missile Re-Armament In Europe
-—--—<
Ike Confers With
Bridges On GOP
Senate Tiff
WASHINGTON, UR — President
Eisenhower held a surprise con
ference with Senator Styles
Bridges today in an effort to
avoid a disruptive battle over the
Senate Republican leadership.
Bridges, chairman of the Sen
ate GOP policy committee, told
newsmen afterward that both he
and Eisenhower hope it will be
possible to start the new year as
a united party.
A split in Republican Senate
ranks has been widening over
the candidacy of Senator Everett
M. Dirksen of Illinois for GOP
floor leader.
Bridges indicated that Eisen
hower took the initiative in ar
ranging today’s meeting. But the
Senator added that the President
“just listened” and feels it is a
problem for the Senate itself to
resolve.
Bridges said he already has
talked to representatives of the
group opposed to Dirksen and that
he feels he has offered a fair
compromise.
If the differences aren’t worked
out, he went on, there will be an
all-out fight and his side will win
“because we have the votes.”
The compromise provides, he
said, for giving the insurgent
group the job of whip, or assist
ant minority leader, adequate rep
resentation on committees.
Bridges said again that he is
not interested in the minority
leader’s job for himself.
Eisenhower feels it would not
be fair for him to take sides in
the squabble over Dirksen’s can
didacy, Bridges said.
PUNCH~LINE TO SANTA
CINCINNATI, UR — Among let
ters to Santa received by the Post
Office is one from a boy age un
known who promises “to be good,
stay out of fights and stop push
ing and shoving.” His request —
a punching bag.
t> By GEORGE MacARTHUR
! PARIS, UP — NATO’s supreme
commander in Europe, U. S. Gen
eral Lauris Norstad, pleaded with
the Atlantic Pact countries today
to move quickly into missile re
armament.
In a strong presentation to the
foreign ministers of the 15-na
tion alliance, Norstad outlined
present strength and future needs
in the face of Soviet military
swaggering, primarily over Berlin.
Informed sources said Norstad
told the secret gathering his mil
itary command needed interme
diate-range American guided mis
siles as soon as they can be placed
on the European bases from which
they could reach the Soviet Union.
Only Britain has thus far ac
cepted these missiles. The Italians
are close to signing a similar
agreement. French delay on ac
ceptance is the big stumbling
block to getting what Norstad con
siders an adequate force of mis
siles in Europe.
Norstad’s speech was described
as sober and serious. A NATO
spokesman, asked if the comman
der expressed satisfaction with al
lied military progress, replied:
'Realism' Is The Word
“It would be wrong to conclude
that there was any optimism or
(Continued on Page Two
Valuables Ignored By
Hungry Housebreakers
PHOENIX, Ariz., (#) — Marvin
Phillips reported 15 break-ins at
his home during the past month.
Each time only food was taken.
Valuables were ignored.
Sheriff’s deputies have nabbed
the culprits.
Two sisters, aged 5 and 8, rocks
clenched in their tiny hands, were
caught just as they prepared to
smash a window and enter the
house.
They told officers: “We’re hun
gry. Daddy is in jail. Mother
doesn’t have a job.”
The deputies released the
youngsters to their mother and
made this notation on their report:
“We’ll leave final judgment to
the juvenile officers.”
School Christmas
Program Friday
The school children’s Christmas !
Program will be held on Friday
evening, Deember 19, at 8 p.m.,
in the School Gymnasium. An af
ternoon performane will be given
on Thursday, December 18, for the
children of the school.
The program consists of Choral
Reading by the first three grades,
a Christmas play, a second grade
Rhythm Band, and chorus and
band numbers with a Nativity
scene. More details about the pro
gram and names of those who take
part will be in the next issue of
The Nugget.
Santa Claus will be there, as
will be The Old Lady Who Lived
In A Shoe, and many of her chil
dren. They will be expecting you,
As the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Graders
say at the end of their choral
reading:
“And now, just get set for the
program —
For the program is all set
for you.”
Searchers Return
Unemployed Man
From Cold Hike
Bernard Bowmont, unemployed
construction worker, was brought
in this morning to the hospital
suffering from exposure, having
started to walk to Teller yester
day.
Sammy Ahwinona, who had
been questioned by Bowmont on
how to get to Teller, observed
that the man was not properly
dressed and reported the matter
to the U. S. Marshal, who organ
ized a search yesterday by char
tering a plane and making an
aerial search.
This morning Capt. O’Rourke of
the Alaska National Guard with
Lt. Lloyd Draper, organized a
search party on skiis of Company
A of the 1st Scout Battalion, who
quickly set up communications to
cover the route to Teller.
Major Gillespie and Martin Ol
son took to the air this morning
with observers and Bob Schick
entered the search with the C.A.A.
weasel.
A burning building at Specimen
Gulch was Observed by Martin
with his observer, George Bayer,
who reported, and the weasel, in
vestigating, found Bowmont, well
off his course, and brought him
to the hospital suffering from
exposure. '
MAO STEPS DOWN IN RED CHINA
By NATE POLOWETZKY
TOKYO, UP) — Mao Tze-Tunk is
stepping down as president of Red
China, Peiping confirmed today,
but it insisted he is still boss.
After keeping it secret a week,
Peiping Radio let China’s 600
millions in on the news. The shift
was reported last weekend on For
mosa, and Warsaw diplomats got
confirmation Tuesday.
Despite Peiping’s disclaimer,
there was a feeling in Hong Kong,
Seoul and Nationalist Formosa
that Mao is being downgraded by
the Communist apparatus and will
eventually be stripped of power.
This opinion is based largely on
reports of popular resentment in
China over the commune system,
which deprives the Chinese of
their individuality and puts them
to ’t\e in communities where their
(very action i; subjc:t to strict
orders from above.
Today’s broadcast gave no clue
on Mao’s successor.
Fearful of undermining the
Red China regime or ever, plant
ing the seeds for a possible re
volt, the Communist Party Cen
tral Committee emphasized that
Mao was stepping down volun
tarily.
Mao’s four-year term as head
of government expires in January.
But he will remain in the power
ful post as chairman of the Com
munist Party.
Foreign diplomats drew vary
ing impressions from Mao’s re
tirement.
U. S. and British foreign offi
cials took the view that Mao re
mained as powerful as ever. Some
diplomats in Communist Poland
felt that Soviet Premier Khrush
chev had a hand in the maneuver
— or at least welcomed it.
Mao stands as a potential rival
to Khrushchev as the high apostle
of world Communism.
The Chinese leaders used cau
tion in their communique to avoid
creating even the slightest impli
cation that Mao was forced out be
cause of any errors.
N.W.A. Chamber to Ash Governor To
Consider 4th Administrative Division
By RUTH McLEAN
A special Chamber of Commerce
committee headed by James von
der Heydt, chairman of the Legis
lative Committee of the NWA,
will send an immediate and ur
gent request to Governor-Elect
William Egan to consider four ad
ministrative regions for the new
State, instead of three as recom
mended by the Public Adminis
tration Services. Senator John
McNees reported on the prelim
inary summary report on the pro
posed executive branch f»r the
new State which has been pre
sented to Governor Egan.
Under this proposed program,
Senator McNees told the Cham
ber Monday, there will be eleven
departments with representatives
in three regions to make recom
mendations to the nine commis
sioners, the atty. gen., and the ad
jutant general in Juneau. In these
three regions, it was noted that
Nome will have no local repre
sentatives but will be administered
through Fairbanks. Because of the
distances involved and the geo
graphic location of Nome and
Seward Peninsula, the Chamber
feels that there must be four re
gions with offices of many of the
state departments in Nome to give
satisfactory and economical at
tention to the problems and af
fairs of this area.
M. J. Walsh reminded the
Chamber that the Constitutional
Convention recommended four
regions, similar to the present
four divisions, and this plan was
approved by the voters. President
Manning asked the special Cham
ber committee to prepare an im
mediate resolution to send, and
also strongly urged that individ
uals also express their concern to
the Governor.
The eleven departments pro
posed for the executive branch
include Administration, Law,
Revenue, Education, Health and
Welfare, Labor and Commerce,
Local Aifairs, Military Affairs,
Natural Resources, Public Works
and Public Safety.
There will also be the Board of
Regents to administer the Univer
sity of Alaska, Senator McNees
reported. If the PAS report is
adopted there will no longer be
a Board of Road Commissioners,
toe said; all recommendations for
the expenditure of funds in the
various departments will be made
rby the three regional directors.
Secret B-59 Jet ,
Bomber Crashes
TUCUMCARI, N. M., (J) — One
of the nation’s secrecy-wrapped
supersonic B-58 jet bombers
crashed Tuesday, killing the pilot
and injuring the other two
crewmen.
The four-engine bomber, which
can travel 1,400 to 1,500 miles an
hour, fell about 35 miles southeast
of here. It was the first of its
type to crash.
The pilot was killed while bail
ing out. The navigator and the
defense systems operator were
hurt as they parachuted.
The three crewmen were sta
tioned at Carswell Air Force
Base, Fort Worth, from which they
took off to test navigation equip
ment. Presumably the Delta-wing
bomber was traveling faster than
the speed of sound when the three
crewmen bailed out. The tremen
dous force of the wind has a
wrenching, tearing effect os a
human body at that speed.
Violent Assault and
Death Ends Beautiful
Family Dreams
COLUMBUS, Ohio, UP) — A tiny
crib stood at the foot of the still
bloody bed. Soft white blankets
edged in satin were gently folded
over its sides in anticipation of
a birth.
But the birth will never come.
The expectant mother, Mrs. Jan
ice Ora Porfter, 24, is dead, vic
tim of a savage assault and a
bullet in the brain.
Her body, trussed with twine,
gagged and blindfolded, was dis
covered yesterday by her father
in-law when he returned to his
home near here where she and
her husband lived.
Sheriff’s deputies following
footprints in the snow arrested
David S. Smith, 20, who lived just
up the road from the brutal slay
ing scene. They said he admitted
the killing. He is being held for
investigation of murder.
Smith was quoted as saying he
held planned for two or three
days to criminally assault Mrs.
Porter.
England’s Queen Gives
Household Cha Cha Party
LONDON, UPl —■ Buckingham
Palace bounced to the beat until
2 a.m. today and Queen Elizabeth
joined the hired help in the
cha cha.
It was the annual party for
the Palace household staff.
The Queen, Prince Philip, Mar
garet and Queen Mother Eliza
beth danced almost nonstop for
three hours.
Just before she left at 12:15
a.m., the Queen requested the
cha cha. She danced it with her
husband while the hired help
joined in.
WEATHER FORECAST '
Mostly cloudy with occasional
snow tonight and Thursday. Low
est temperature expected tonight
5 to 10, the high tomorrow 15.
Sunrise at 10 a.m., sunset at
1:56 p.m.