THE M
_ MtRT NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRES
62nd Year No. 126 NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1961
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Soviets Blast Off
Two - One a 50
Megaton Bomb
By The Associated Press
The Atomic Energy Commis
Ssion reported the Soviet Union
detonated two nuclear explosions
today—one possibly as high as 50
megatons 'but more likely about
30 megatons.
It said the second was of low
yield. Both explosions were in
the Novaya Zemyla area in the
p Arctic region.
The Atomic Energy Commis
sion said the first of these was
detonated in the atmosphere. “The
yield of this test was very high,
possibly as high as 50 megatons.
/Preliminary analysis indicates it
was more probably on the order
of 30 megatons. The second was
detonated some two hours later
under water south of the island
of Novaya Zemyla. It was in the
low yield range.”
The first explosion had been
reported earlier iby scientists in
Sweden, France and Japan. They
said it probably was the 50 mega
ton bomb promised by Soviet
Premier Khrushchev.
By comparison, the largest pre
vious detonation by the Soviets
has been estimated at 10 mega
tons.
The biggest abnormal atmos
pheric pressures on record were
reported at several observation
stations in Japan between 8 and
9 a.m. E3ST.
An earthquake possibly caused
by the Soviet explosion was felt
in Matsushiro, 120 miles north
west of Tokyo,
The observatory at Uppsala, j
Sweden, said the explosion was
twice as heavy as any recorded
for previous Soviet tests in the
current series.
The effect of the blast reached
Sweden several hours before it
was felt in Japan.
Premier Khrushchev told the
Communist Party Congress last
week that the current series of
Soviet tests probably would con
clude at the end of this month
with testing of a thermonuclear
device equivalent to 50 million
tons of TNT.
Some versions of Khrushchev’s
Kspeech had the explosion pegged
for Oct. 30 or 31.
Meantirpi* a storm of protest
against plans for the blast has
been building Up in the United
Nations and elsewhere in the
world. Thus the1 Soviet Union
conceivably could have decided
to go ahead vfrith the test ahead
of the scheduled time.
Dr. Arthur Baath, of the Upp
sala Seismological Institute, said
he found reason to /believe to
50
of
is
I
iccasianal light
•unset at 4:13
tures a year ago
low 28. Ex
since 1907:
low of 2 in
Methodist Church
Consecration to
Be Held Tonight
Nome was honored today by a
visit from Bishop Raymond
Grant, resident bishop of the
Portland area of the Methodist
Church, who will participate in
the consecration ceremony of the
Community Methodist Church
this evening. This is his second
visit,' having been here before
nine years ago.
Bishop Grant, who is board
president of the Alaska Methodist
University, has distinguished, him
self as a delegate to the World
Council of Churches at Amster
dam in 1948, as well as the Ox
ford Conference in 1951, and he
holds degrees and honorary de
grees from Cornell College, Bos
"tsn University, College of Puget
Sound, and College of Idaho. He
is also a member of the Masonic
order and a Shriner.
Bishop Grant arrived today
from Fairbanks where he con
ducted, services Sunday and was
Joined here by a charter flight
of Anchorage Methodist people
coming for the special services
this evening. The Anchorage
group is beaded by Rev. David
Blackburn.
They were met at airport by
both dog teams and a bus.
This morning they visited the
Methodist hospital and then were
guests of the Chamber cf Com
merce at noon. During the after
non they visited the LwY Com
munity Center.
Dinner is scheduled for this
evening at 5 pm. and the con
secration ceremony at 7 pm
There were 44 persons from the
Cook Inlet area aboard the char
ter flight and included the fol
lowing:
Rev. Daniel Harlan of Kenai,
Rev. and Mrs. Ted Townsend of
Seward, Rev. and Mrs. David
Blackburn of Anchorage, Rev.
arid Mrs. Wayne Hull of Chugiak,
Rev. and Mrs. Kenneth Heflin of
Anchorage. Dr. and Mrs. Marshall
Simpson of Chuigiak, Rev. and
Mrs. Roger Thompson of the First
Church of Anchorage, Rev. and
Mrs. Leo Schlegel of Anchorage,
and Rev. Richard Bruner of An
chorage.
Thomas Howell, Seward; Mrs.
Herrick A. Poore, Jess H. Nich
olas Jr., Mrs. Ed Hollier, Mrs.
Gene Morin, all of Kenai; Mrs.
Bruce Roberts, Anchorage; Mr.
and Mrs. John Huey, Ninilchik;
Mrs. J.R. Watkins, Erma Trigg,
Lysond Morgan, Mrs. Thomas Ho
well, Mr. and Mrs. A.R. Brooks,
all of Seward; Mrs. Frost O. Jones
and Mrs. Daniel Harlan of Kenai;
Mrs. Harold Jester, Elmendorf;
Mrs. Burton Carver and Mrs. Vir
ginia J. Gibbs of Soldotna; Mrs.
Opal Baldwin of Nome;
Mrs. Walter Anderson, Mrs.
Donald Keil, Mrs. Dennis Rother
mel, and Mrs. Orvel B. Jacks, all
of Anchorage.
Rap. Rivers Arrives Here
On A Brief Visit
Rep. Ralph J. Rivers arrived
this morning on a quick trip thru
the state and was a guest of the
Chamber this noon.
He stated his visit was very
brief due to the fact that he
must be in California for Public
Land-hearings early in Novem
ber. He is meeting with the Board
of the Chamber this afternoon.
#t<
Initiative Petition
To Move Capital
Is Approved
JUNEAU — Secretary of
State Hugh Wade today approved
an application for an initiative
petition designed to move the state
capital from Juneau to westward
Alaska.
The application was filed Oct.
10 by Dr. Merritt P. Starr of An
chorage, Dr. Clarence Bailey of
Palmer and James Fisher of
Kenai.
Under the provisions of the pro
posed initiative, the capital of
Alaska would be relocated at a
site west of 141 west longitude,
roughly 46 miles west of Yakutat,
tout in no instance closer than 30
miles to Anchorage.
The sponsors of the petition
must obtain the supporting sig
natures of 6,218 voters before the
initiative can be placed on the
ballot.
Under the law, Wade must pre
pare a petition and a summary
of the subjeot matter of the pro
posed bill. He told Starr, Bailey
and Fisher he would “weelame |
any proposed summary you might
care to send me.”
Wade suggested that he and
the three principal sponsors meet
to “discuss not only the form of
petition but also some of the
problems inherent in the circula
tion of the petition.”
Wade said the .petition book
lets would be very similar in form
to the one used a year ago on an
other capital relocation initiative,
which was defeated at the polls.
Wade said, however, that be
planned to add an additional
column in the new petition ask
ing for the length of residence
in the election district where
signers of the petition reside at
the time of signing the document.
Under the provisions of the pro
posed initiative, a capital site se
lection committee composed of the
senior senators from each sena
torial district would pick three
potential capital sites in westward
Alaska.
The eventual new capital site
would be selected by the vpters,
with movement of the capital to
the new site to start toy June 1,
1968.
Soviets Have
Rocket-Nuclear Troops
MOSCOW UP) — The Soviet
News Agency Tass said tonight
that Marshal Rodion Y. Malinov
sky, in describing anti-aircraft
and anti-rocket defenses, declared
today: “The problem of destroy
ing rockets in flight has been
successfully solved.”
Marshal Malinovsky, the Soviet
Defense Minister, told the 22nd
Soviet Communist Party Congress
that a new branch of the Soviet
armed forces has been created—
strategic rocket-nuclear troops
which are in constant readiness.
“They are capable of inflict
ing a crushing defeat upon the
aggressor,” he added.
Although the decisive role in
any future war will belong to the
rocket troops, he went on, “we
believe that tee final victory over
the aggressor can be achieved
only through joint action of all
armed forces.” ■>
We sometimes feel tee price of
everything is constantly going up,
but there are some exceptions.
Example: The first bicycle built
in this country weighed 70 pounds
and cost $313.
Nobel Peace Prize
Awarded Posthumously
To Dag Hammarskjold
OSLO, Norway UP) — The Nobel
Peace Prize for 1961 was award
ed today to Dag Hammarskjold,
who perished on a peace mission
in the Congo.
Hammarskjold became the first
man to receive the prize posthum
ously. The U.N. Secretary-Gen
eral was killed Sept. 18 when his
plane crashed enroute to Ndola,
Nothem Rhodeasia. He was seek
ing to end the fighting between
Katangan and U.N. forces by ne
gotiating with President Moise
Tshombe of Katanga Province.
Hammarskjold, Swedish aristo
crat who headed the executive
branch of the United Nations
from 1953 until his death, was
mentioned as a candidate last
yea*- after organizing a U.N. force
that halted the chaos in the Con
go in mid-summer of 1960. How
ever, the closing date for the list
of candidates is Feb. 1 of the
y var of the award.
The prize committee’s state
ment gave no specific reason for
Hammarskojlu’s award. The prize
will be placed at the disposal of
I Hammarskjold’s estate.
Adlai Stevenson had joined
I others in urging the prize be
awarded to Hammarskjold pos
| thumously. In view of the early
j closing date for nominations,
l Hammarskjold must have already
Ibeen under consideration at the
time of his death. (
Seattle Bank Offers
Alaska Spot in Century 21
JUNEAU UP) — Gov. William
Egan said today legislators have
displayed highly favorable initi
tial reaction to an offer by the
National Bank of Commerce,
Seattle, to provide space for an
Alaska exhibit at Seattle’s Cen
tury 21 Exposition next year.
The Seattle (bank offered to
share space with Alaska, without
cost to the state, in a $125,000
building the bank plans to con
struct on the exposition grounds.
The state has estimated its
costs for staffing and equipping
the Alaska exhibit would be ap
proximately $175,000.
In an effort to provide the
bank with an early reply, Egan
asked members of the Legisla
ture if they would support a re
quest for supplemental appropri
ation of up to $175,000 for the
project.
Early replys, Egan said, have
been “overwhelmingly favorable” ,
to acceptance of the National
Bank of Commerce’s proposal.
Egan said that while no direct
general approach has been made
to Alaska industry for financial
aid pending a final return of the
legislative poll, assurances of sub
stantial contributions have al
ready been volunteered by more
than half a dozen Alaska firms.
HOFFA FILES SLANDER
SUIT AGAINST AFL-CIO
DETROIT UP) — James R. Hof
fa and his Teamsters Union filed
a million-dollar libel and slander
suit today against AFL-CIO Presi
dent George Meany and 24 other
top AFL-CIO officers.
The suit, brought by Teamsters
President Hoffa in U.5. District
Court, charged Meany with try
ing to “lie and steal away” mem
bers of the Teamsters Union.
Meany and the co-defendants,
the suit said, conspired to por
tray Hoffa as “perpetrator of a
fraud upon the American labor
movement.”