2E NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LVI No. 45 NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1954 Per Copy—15f
Britain Agrees To Keep
Troops On Continent As
Long As There Is Danger
LONDON, WP!—Great Britain
agreed today to keep troops on the j
European continent as long as j
there is a threat of agression.
To speed French ratification of !
the six-nation European Army :
treaty, Britain also offered to' in
tegrate Army and Air Force units
in the European Defense Com
munity <EDC>.
Former Secretary Anthony Eden
announced the pledge in the
House of Commons to quiet fears
in France—and among left wing
Laborites at home—over rearm
ing West Germany.
West German units would be
included in the projected one
uniform European army.
The U.S.-backed EDC treaty
has been ratified by the Nether
lands, Belgium, West Germany
and Luxembourg. Only Italy and
France have yet to enact the
treaty legislation.
Picket Lines by Striking
Plumbers Halt Work At
Oak Ridge Atomic Plant
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., UP)—Picket
lines posted by striking AFL
plumbers and steamfitters Tues
day halted work on two atomic
plant construction projects here.
An Atomic Energy Commission
spokesman said approximately
7,300 workers honored the picket
lines, shutting down work on the
plants.
A total of 16 steamfitters, mem
bers of Local 102, walked out last
Saturday in what was described
officially as a jurisdictional dis
pute with AFL carpenters over a
job assignment on one project.
Projects affected by the walk
out are a half-billion dollar addi
tion to the uranium separation
center and a top secret nuclear
research laboratory.
Funeral Services Held
Today In Seattle For
‘‘Big Charlie” Gustafson
SEATTLE, UP)—Funeral services
for Charles Gustafson, 65, a pio
neer Alaska gold miner, were
held this afternoon in the John
son & Hamilton Chapel.
Gustafson, known in Alaska as
“Big Charlie,” died last Thursday
at Council, where he had gone to
begin spring mining. He was a
dredgemaster at the Council op
erations.
Gustafson, born in Sweden,
came to the U.S. as a youth. He
went to Alaska about 45 years
ago. He had worked there during
the summers since and has resid
ed in Seattle or California during
the winters. He spent last winter
in Berkeley.
Gustafson was a member of the
Alaska Pioneers.
Survivors include the widow,
Marie; and a son, the Rev. Theo
dore Gustafson, Benecia, Calif.
Soviet Diplomat
Asks Australia For
Political Asylum
CANBERRA, Australia, UP) —
Translators worked around the
clock today on “spy” documents
turned over to the government by
fugitive Soviet diplomat Vladimir
Petrov. But the Russian’s attrac
tive, honey-blonde wife declared
she believed he had been kidnap
ped.
Speaking to newsmen at the
Soviet embassy, Mrs. Petrov said:
“I don’t believe my husband
would go to your country like
this ... I am sure he has been
kidnapped and what the papers
write is only a lie.”
Her eyes red from crying, Mrs.
Petrov added: “He wouldn’t leave
me because we are married to
each other.” The Russian woman
who worked as a stenographer at
the Russian embassy, said she
would stay with the embassy.
Soviet ambassador Nicolas Iv
anovitch Genealov, who also spoke
to the newsmen, described the
government’s announcement yes
terday that Petrov had fled Com
munism and asked for political
asylum as nonsense from begin
ning to end.
The Russians have similarly
charged kidnapping in the disap
pearance in Japan last January
of Soviet diplomat Yuri Tastov
orov. Washington has never of
ficially acknowledged it, but Am
erican sources in Japan have said
Tastovorov asked for and was
granted political asylum by the
United States.
Australian officials express be
lief that Petrov is one of the
most important Russians to
switch allegiance to the West.
They said the documents he took
with him probably would be sent
on to other British commonwealth
governments as soon as they are
translated and investigated. They
said the information possibly
might go also to Washington.
Unhyphenated Republican,
Joseph Meek, Wins Illinois
Senatorial Nomination
CHICAGO, UPt—Joseph T. Meek,
who calls himself a “no label,
unhyphenated Republican,” early
today romped off with the Illinois
GOP Senatorial nomination in
the nation’s first primary of 1954.
The 50-year-old head of an or
ganization of Illinois merchants,
Meek has said he would support
most but not necessarily all of
President Eisenhower’s policies.
But he says, too, he is neither “a
Taft-Republican or an Eisenhow
er-Republican.”
Yesterday’s ballot produced no
surprises, no upsets no real tests
on national issues, and probably
the lightest (vote of any Illinois
primary in several years.
23 Japanese Fishermen
‘'Burned” By H-Bomb
Explosion Are No Better
TOKYO, l/P) — A government
spokesman said today the condi
tion of 23 Japanese fishermen
burned by radioactive ash from
the March 1 hydrogen bomb test
at Bikini “does not warrant op
timism.”
That backed up Japanese doc
tors who Tuesday challenged a
statement by U. S. ambassador
John Allison that initial tests of
the fishermen gave “no medical
basis for concern.”
The 19,000-ton whaling mother
ship Tonan Maru, which arrived
yesterday from the Antarctic was
found to be slightly but not dan
gerously radioactive, although it
never was closer than 750 miles
to Bikini, the government an
nounced.
The crew and the cargo of 8,329,
tons of whale meat were not
contamination.
Juneau Dine-and-Dance
Night Spot Raided For
Gambling Activities
JUNEAU, UP — Three persons
were fined a total of $700 in
U.S. Commissioner’s court here
after their arrest early this week
in a 3:30 a.m., raid on the Salmon
Creek Country Club.
Thomas George Sr., prominent
owner of the dine - and - dance
night spot on Gastineau Channel,
was fined $500. A 30 - day jail
sentence was suspended. He was
charged with maintaining a place
where gambling was conducted.
Mrs. Betty Brown and Gil Koffel
were fined $100 each on charges
of conducting a gambling game.
All three pleaded guilty, Koffel
was charged with conducting a
blackjack game and Mrs. Brown
with operating a “high dice”
game.
The raid was staged jointly by
the U.S. Marshal and Territorial
Police.
Cop Chides Truman For
Parking In Wrong Place
FULTON, Mo., UP—Secret Ser
vice agents once cleared the path
for former President Truman but
Tuesday a Fulton policeman chid
ed him for parking in the wrong
place.
When Truman drove up to ful
fill a speaking engagement he left
his car in front of the Westmin
ster College administration Build
ing, but the policeman, Paul Hil
ton, made him move it to a spot
which had been selected in ad
vance.
Truman obliged and cheerfully
drove to a lot pointed out by Hil
ton.
“He came wheeling in here,”
Hilton said, “and I didn’t even
recognize him. I hadn’t expected
him to be driving his own car
anyway.”
Govt. Suspends
Atomic Scientist on
Security Grounds
WASHINGTON, UP) — Congres
sional groups took a wait-and
see attitude today toward the gov
erment’s suspension and investi
gation of pioneer atomic scientist
J. Robert Oppenheimer on secur
ity grounds.
Sen. McCarthy declined to elab
orate, but said he has affidavits
purporting to show that Oppen
heimer once was a member of the
Communist party — an affiliation
the scientist has categorically
denied.
From two other persons famil
iar with the case came statements
that the accusation against Op
penheimer had been reviewed and
discounted years ago. In notifying
him of his suspension, however,
the AEC spoke of “additional in
vestigation” last year.
The AEC said in a formal state
ment yesterday that President
Eisenhower has ordered “a blank
wall” placed temporarily between
Oppenheimer, one of the chief
developers of the atomic bomb,
and secret data to which he has
had access for over 10 years,
pending the report of an AEC
investigating panel.
McCarthy told newsmen at
Phoenix, Ariz., that while Oppen
heimer’s suspension was “long
overdue — it should have been
taken years ago.”
“I wouldn’t want to interfere
with anything that is being done,”
he said, “As long as the adminis
tration continues to act, there is
no reason for us to move in.”
Melville McKinstry
Named General Manager
Of Alaska Steamship Co.
SEATTLE, UR—Melville (Jack)
McKinstry has been appointed
general manager of the Alaska
Steamship Co., effective May 2,
President D. E. Skinner an
nounced Tuesday.
McKinstry now is vice presi
dent and general manager of Al
evander and Baldwin, Ltd., in Se
attle. In his new post he will take
over part of the responsibilities
now held by Skinner.
Skinner has been general man
ager, as well as president, of the
Alaska line since since elected to
the presidency after death of his
father, V. W. Skinner, in October,
1953.
A former Alaska Steam em
ploye, McKinstry returns to man
age the firm he served from 1933
to 1942 as assistant to the vice
president and general manager,
operating superintendent and fin
ally executive assistant. In 1942
he left to serve with U.S. Army
Transportation Corps in South
Pacific operations. He left the
Army with the rank of colonel.
Flag Makers Confused
As To Number of Stars
For Old Glory
PITTSBURGH, UH — Flag
makers, confused as to' how many
stars should be put in the stars
and stripes, have been unable to
fill Allegheny County’s order for
polling place flags.
The flags are needed for the
May 18 primary elections. Each
polling place must have a flag.
When the county discovered its
supply was low, it awarded a con
tract to A. Mamaux & Son, con
tratcor, for 2,448 flags.
The firm today asked to be re
leased from its contract. It seems
the flag makers are confused .by
congressional indecision for state
hood for Hawaii and Alaska.
Mamaux explained, flagmakers
didn’t know whether to make
flags with 48, 49 or 50 stars. Not
knowing what to do, they are
doing nothing, he said.
Navy Reluctant To Build
Only Atomic Subs, So
Starts 2 Conventional Ones
WASHINGTON, UFt—The Navy
is reluctant to put all its eggs in
the atomic basket, at least right
now.
That apparently is why it plans
to start building two new con
ventional submarines—as well as
a third nuclear powered sub —
during the coming fiscal year.
The Navy’s cautious approach
to this and other innovations was
pointed up in recent testimony
by the chief of naval operations,
Adm. Robert C. Carney, before
the House Appropriations Com
mittee.
Carney’s testimony in support
of Navy money requests for the
year starting July 2 was made
public today.
Describing what he termed the
Navy’s “orderly” approach to new
developments, Carney said he is
convinced that nuclear power will
have a revolutionary effect on
fleets of the future.
But, he added, “until we know
exactly where we are going” he
won’t recommend a “large and
precipitate building program.”
The Navy asked $9,870,000,000
for next year, about 500 million
more than it got this year, despite
the fact that Navy and Marine
Corps manpower will drop by
61,000 and the Navy will operate
about 50 fewer ships.
NO DOUBT
RICHMOND, Va., {&—A couple
who registered at a local hotel
yesterday declined to take Room
13, saying it might bring bad luck.
The superstitious pair—later
identified as James McCulloch,
45, and Miss Olive Bailey, 40—
were reassigned to Room 12.
They were found dead in gas
filled Room 12 last night, leav
behind a joint suicide note.
Saturday at N.C. Store
by
Women’s Society
of the
B Community Methodist Church