m NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS _
VOL. LV NO. 153 NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1953 Per Copy—15<?
World Readies For
Best Christmas
Since End of War
(By tke Associated Press)
Christians the world around
looked forward today to one of
the most joyous observances in
years of the birth of Jesus. They
were buoyed by the greatest hopes
for peace, justified or not, since
the start of the cold war.
Although officials were skepti
cal, millions in Europe felt the
threat of war had ebbed with the
signing of the Korean truce and
indications that the Soviet gov
ernment was paying more atten
tion to the welfare of its peo
ple at home than to spreading the
Communist gospel abroad.
The end this year of the fight
ing in Korea and the release of
thousands of Communists - held
prisoners also brightened homes
throughout prosperous America.
Here as in other lands, traditional
Christmas eve festivities and cere
monies were the order of the day.
But some trouble spots still
blotched the world’s face as the
faithful prepared for the birthday
of the prince of peace. French
union troops struggled on in their
war against the Communist - led
Vietminh rebels in Indochina.
British foTces stood guard in
Malaya against jungle forays by
Red Chinese guerrillas and in
Africa’s Kenya colony against at
tacks by the anti-white Mau Mau
tribesmen.
In Korea, a special airlift flew
tons of last-minute Christmas mail
to the thousands of American
troops still stationed in that war
torn country.
In line with the general pros
perity and relaxation throughout
the world, pilgrims poured into
the little town of Bethlehem, the
birthplace of Christ. Fears that
Arab-Israel tension along the bor
der dividing the Holy Land might
frighten tourists away proved un
founded. The greatest influx of
visitors since the 1948 Palestine
war was in prospect.
Western Europe readied for its
best Christmas since before World
War II. More food and consumer
goods in most countries promised
a happier Yuletide than many
youngsters could remember.
Pope Pius XII touched off
worldwide spiritual observances
today with his 15th annual Christ
mas broadcast to the world.
33 Below At The North Pole
NORTH POLE, UP)—It was clear
and cold here on the day before
Christmas — the time for Santa
Claus to load up his cargo.
The U.S. Air Force, which sends
weather observation planes over
the Pole, said the temperature
was 33 degrees below zero and
the skies clear.
Radios For Hospital Patients
Detachment 23 played Santa
Claus to the patients in the MMM
Hospital by presenting them with
six bed-side radios as Christmas
gifts.
The men of this group at Nome
Field made the presentation pos
sible by taking up a generous
Christmas collection among them
selves.
Russian Diplomat Refused
Entry To Jerusalem
For Christmas Pilgrmage
JERUSALEM, UP) — A Russian
diplomat tried to join the Christ
mas pilgrimage of Christian
Arabs to Bethlehem today but
Jordanian authorities turned him
back at the Mandelbaum Gate
checkpoint.
The first of 2,000 Arabs with
Israeli passes for a Christmas visit
to the scene of the nativity and
the Christian holy places in Jor
dan appeared at the gate separat
ing Israeli and Jordanian Jeru
salem at dawn.
Jacob Maidenek, first secre
tary of the Soviet legation, turned
up at the crossing point and ask
ed permission to enter Jordan
with the pilgrims, although there
are no diplomatic relations be
tween the Soviet Union and Jor
dan.
The Jordan answer was quick
and negative.
“No, can’t do it.” There was no
prolonged discussion. Somebody
said “maybe next year” and one
of the men in the Soviet party
echoed “maybe next year.”
Seattle Owner of Alaska
Mill Named In Suit
By New York Stockholder
SEATTLE, UP) — A New York
man filed suit in federal court
here Wednesday asking more than
$5,000 and recognition of his as
serted 20 per cent interest in Ai
aska-Wrangell Mills, Inc., a mil
lion-dollar Seattle firm operating
a mill in Alaska.
The New Yorker, Ben Grey, di
rected the court action against the
corporation and its president, C.
T. Takahashi, wealthy Seattle
importer.
Grey said in the suit he had a
20 per cent interest and Taka
hashi an 80 per cent interest in
the mill’s site and equipment
when Takahashi undertook to put
the plant into operating shape in
September, 1950.
Grey asked for a “full account
ing” of the corporation and that
20 per cent of the stock and
money Takahashi received for the
deal be held in trust in the mean
time.
On December 14, nine Oregon
residents sought damages total
ing $213,970 on a complaint they
had bought corporation stock with
the understanding their invest
ment would be returned in three
years but had received no income
to date.
Mrs. Howe Reaches Home
MINNEAPOLIS, UP)—'With hope
still in her heart for her son’s re
turn, Mrs. Portia Howe, Alden,
Minn., farm wife came back to
her home state today to spend
Christmas with her family.
Mrs. Howe set out to win back
her son, Pfc. Richard R. Tenne
son from the Communists in Ko
rea but failed to meet him face
to face. She got no further than
Tokyo because of military regu
lations.
“I’d like to show the Commun
ists they haven’t spoiled Christ
mas,” Mrs. Howe told newsmen
and photographers. She carried
many gifts from Japan for her
husband and their other children.
Anchorage GOPs
Release Sharp
Criticism of Gov.
ANCHORAGE, UP) — A group of
Anchorage Republicans has re
leased a sharply worded criti
cism of the Governor Heintzleman
administration in Alaska.
A letter to' the governor was re
leased as the latest development
in the growing tension between
the Anchorage group and the
Governor’s dffiee at Juneau.
The letter from 18 Anchorage
Republicans requests the resigna
tion of Robert De Armond, the
governor’s administrative assist
ant, and his replacement with “a
progressive man from the railroad
belt” area. De Armond is from
Sitka.
The letter also asks a special
session of the legislature within 60
days.
Reflecting the sharpest open
breach in the territorial Republi
can ranks since the party return
ed to long-awaited control in the
1952 election, the letter complain
ed of what it called “control of
territorial affairs in the hands of
stateside groups and special in
terests.”
It asked for positive action to
ward aiding the party in the 1954
elections.
Walter J. Hickel, newly elected
head of the Anchorage Republican
Club and spokesman for the group
said the letter was being re
leased for the public so “discus
sions from here on out” can be
“in terms of principles rather than
personalities.”
The letter has been bouncing
around as a hot potato' in Repub
lican circles here for more than
a week but had not been released
before.
The group of 18 includes some
of Anchorage’s most prominent
Republicans but includes only
two of the nine Republican mem
bers of the legislature from the
city.
Air Force To Drop Xmas
Gift Packages To G.I.’s
At Isolated Arctic Posts
WASHINGTON, UP) — The Red
Gross and the Air Force are in
vading Santa Claus’ own back
yard.
Planes will take off from Thule
Air Base in Greenland and Goose
Bay Air Base in Laborador short
ly before Christmas to drop Red
Cross gift stockings to servicemen
manning isolated weather sta
tions inside the Arctic Circle.
The invasion of Santa’s domain
is only one facet of a Red Cross
Christmas program for Ameri
can men and women serving in
isolated regions overseas.
Besides special gift boxes ser
vicemen at isolated points in Ko
rea will have a visit from Red
Cross girls and their clubmobiles.
The girls will eat Christmas din
ner with them, decorate trees and
arrange parties.
The Red Cross said its chap
ters throughout the nation collect
ed more than 50,000 gift boxes
for the men aboard ships which
will be at sea on Christmas day.
Pravda Accuses Dulles Of
Twisting Meaning Of
Red Atomic Proposal
MOSCOW, WP)—Pravda accused
U. S. Secretary of States Dulles
Thursday of twisting the meaning
of the Soviet declaration on Presi
dent Eisenhower’s proposal to
pool atomic materials.
Dulles said in Washington Tues
day that Russia “seems not to
have caught the spirit” of Presi
dent Eisenhower’s invitation to
join with other nations in plans
for peaceful atomic development
and has made it evident “that lit
tle can be achieved by the contin
uance of public debate.”
Dulles referred to the Soviets’
qualified acceptance of the U. S.
atomic plan, in which they again
raised their demand for a ban on
atomic weapons.
Tony Schwamm
Resigns as Director
Dept, of Aviation
ANCHORAGE, UP) — Alaska’s
director of the Department of Avi
ation, Tony Schwamm, submitted
his resignation at a hearing Tues
day, making it immediately effec
tive.
Schwamm said, “I have found
it increasingly difficult to the
point of becoming impossible to
carry out what I have always
considered my duties as director
of aeronautics for the territory of
Alaska by reason of policy diver
gencies which have aggravated a
disability incurred in World War
II.”
Schwamm declined to elaborate
on his reasons for resigning ex
cept to say, “I’m tired o'f investi
gation. There has been one in
vestigation after another since I
have been in office, beginning
with the Palmer case.”
The reference apparently was
to the charge that territorial of
ficials, Schwamm included, boost
ed land valuations on the Palmer
airport site to get a better appro
priation from the federal govern
ment.
Prior to his appointment as di
rector, Schwamm had been a war
time flyer and instructor in the
Army Air Corps. Before that he
had been an airline pilot and once
a stunt flyer in Hollywood.
71-Year-Old Rene Coty
Elected President of
France on 13th Ballot
PARIS, UP)—France’s new presi
dent, 71-year-old Conservative
Sen. Rene Coty, drove triumph
antly into Paris Thursday. The
nation’s weary parliament which
elected him went home to a
Christmas rest and prospects of a
New Year fraught with strife and
divisions.
Co'ty, generally known to the
public and no relation to the per
fumers, was elected Wednesday
night on the 13th ballot for a
seven-year term to succeed Social
ist Vincent Auriol.
Coty’s election ended a week’s
voting deadlock unprecedented in
French history. Previously no
more than two ballots had been
required to name a chief of state.
Early Morning
Fire Destroys
ACS Transmitter
The new siren set up by the
Civil Defense and which had its
trial try-out at noon yesterday,
was put to use early this morning
at about 1:30 when the Fire De
partment was called to a fire at
ACS transmitter station.
Three men were on duty at the
time the fire was discovered, it
was reported, but within a very
few minutes had spread through
the building, causing a 60 to 70
per cent loss of valuable com
munication equipment with a
value estimated to run into sev
eral hundreds of thousands of
dollars.
It is believed the fire started
from a short-circuit in wiring un
der the building. Though the fire
started under the floor, due to
the type of construction, it quickly
climbed up the partitions to the
attic. Firemen reported that the
attic was constructed with three
fire walls and that fact helped
to prevent the flames from going
competely out of control.
Capt. Stan Morgan, officer in
charge, praised the Nome Fire
Department and the Nome Field
Fire Department and the Nome
Volunteers for the prompt re
sponse and efficient manner in
which the fire fighting was han
dled.
Since the nearest city fire hy
drant is five or six blocks away,
water was supplied to the two
pumpers by water trucks of the
two' local water companies.
Before the fire was completely
out, stated Morgan, emergency
equipment had been put into op
eration and through the use of
CAA circuits, the local ACS sta
tion was back in business without
any interruptions.
Plans are now under way, said
Capt. Morgan, for setting up the
necessary equipment to operate
the station in the Federal Bldg.
615-Mile Pipeline
Starts at Fairbanks
ANCHORAGE—Bulldozing and
clearing of right-of-way for the
$30,000,000 pipeline project from
Haines to Fairbanks began this
week. The work is being started
at the Fairbanks end of the line
by Oakes Construction Co. of An
chorage, the sub-contractors.
Low bidders on the project
were joint venturers Williams
Brothers of Tulso, Okla., J. L.
McLaughlin of Great Falls, Mont.,
and Marwell Construction Co.,
Ltd., of Vancouver, B.C.. The com
bined bid was $29,001,287.
The pipeline, which will serve
Alaska air bases with jet fuel, will
serve Alaska air bases with jet
fuel, will run 615 miles from
Haines to' Fairbanks and the com
pleion date is set for Sept. 1, 1955.
It is anticipated that pipe delivery
along the route can be made this
winter and trenching done later.
Maj. John England is project
engineer for the military. H. L.
(Red) Davis is serving as superin
tendent of Alaska operations for
the contractors.