es NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LVI No. 53 ~ NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, MAY 3, 1954 Per Copy—loV
French Unable
Account For Halt
In Rebel Assaults
HANOI, Indochina, l/f) — The
Communist - led Vietminh halted
their third massive infantry as
sault on Dien Bien Phu last
night. The breather for the weary
and battered French Union de
fenders extended into today.
The French took immediate ad
vantage of the slack in the fight
ing to parachute tons of ammu
nition and supplies into the be
leaguered fortress.
There was no immediate ex
planation for the rebel pullback,
a startling development since pre
vious reports of the fighting had
indicated the Vietminh probably
could overrun the besieged posi
tion whenever they threw the
bulk of their much greater num
bers into the charge.
The Vietminh had launched
their third wave-on-wave infan
try assault on the fortress Satur
day night. The garrison force, out
numbered about 6 to 1 and squeez
ed into a trap less than a mile
across, fought for their lives with
bayonets, knives and hand gre
nades.
The French army command said
its losses were heavy but claimed
the enemy toll was “extremely”
high.
Germany Ex-General
Declares French Mistaken
To Hold Dien Bien Phu
BONN, Germany, UP) — Ger
many’s World War II governor of
northern France and Belgium de
scribed the French Union’s stub
born defense of Dien Bien Phu
as “the second battle of Stalin
grad, in which the French are
making all the mistakes Hitler
made.”
Former Gen. Alexander von
Falkenhausen told an interviewer:
“To insist on holding Dien Bien
Phu, like Hitler did his famous
‘fortresses’ ” gives this battle a
propagandistic significance which
can have catastrophic conse
quences.
“Dien Bien Phu has no strategic
significance,” he declared.
Before World War II von Fal
kenhausen was a military adviser
to Chinese Generalissimo Chiang
Kai-Shek. He is considered an ex
pert on Asian affairs.
The Nazis arrested him in 1944
for alleged complicity in the of
ficers’ plot against Hitler. After
the war the Belgians sentenced
him to a long prison term as
a war criminal, but released him
in March, 1951.
Elizabeth Arrives At Malta
VALLETTA, Malta, UP—Escort
ed by low - flying helicopters,
Queen Elizabeth II and her fam
ily arrived in Malta today on the
last stages of the monarch’s round
the-world tour.
Two Forecasters Split
9,000 Guesses When
Chena Ice Went Friday
FAIRBANKS — The ice on the
Chena river went out April 30
at 2:52 p.m. and 9,000 guesses had
been made on the time.
Mr. and Mrs. P. M. Manley of
Fairbanks and the Greenlund Co.
of Fairbanks both shared in the
guesses.
In past years, the Tanana River
ice has gone out only a few hours
or few days after the Chena ice
goes.
Last year for example the
Chena ice went out at 11:08 p.m.
on April 28. The Tanana ice pool
indicator swept down the river
the next day at 3:54 p.m. How
ever in 1952, the Chena ice went
out on April 29 but the Tanana
ice did not go until May 12.
Nothing New Produced
In 8th Day of Hearings
On Army-McCarthy Row
WASHINGTON, UP — Secretary
of the Army Stevens flared today
“I’m not covering up anybody at
any time” when Sen. McCarthy
suggested someone in the Army
was “covering up” Communists.
The clash came with Stevens in
the witness chair on the eighth
day of Senate hearings into the
McCarthy - Army row. McCarthy
was seeking to explore the case
of Maj. Irving Peress, the Army
dentist who got an honorable dis
charge despite refusal to sign
loyalty papers.
Ray H. Jenkins, special counsel
to the Senate Investigations sub
committee, objected to McCarthy’s
line of questions. Jenkins said the
present hearings must steer clear
of the questions of the loyalty of
any individual who came under
scrutiny during McCarthys in
quiry into alleged subversive act
ivities in the Army.
McCarthy said Army officials
threatened smear reports against
his investigating committee staff
when the committee pressed for
the'names of those responsible for
“protecting” Communists.
It was then that Stevens,
straightened up in the witness
chair, clipped out his denial that
he was “covering up” anyone.
For the most part, the session
was a sparring, wrangling ex
change which produced little to
throw new light on the basic
issues in dispute between Mc
Carthy and Army officials.
SUNDAY BASEBALL RESULTS
American League
New York 12-0, Detroit 4-4
Chicago 4-1, Philadelphia 0-2
Cleveland 6-6, Washington 4-3
National League
St. Louis 10-7, New York 6-9
Chicago 5-10, Pittsburgh 3-18
Philadelphia 4, Cincinnati 3
Pacific Coast League
Portland 4, San Diego 3
Hollywood 7-4, San Francisco 1-1
Sacramento 8-5, Seattle 3-4
i Los Angeles 13-2, Oakland 12-4
Western Dragnet
Brings In Many
Russian Agents
BONN, Germany, 0P)—Western
sources reported today the defec
tion of Soviet Capt. Nikolai Kho
khlov set the stage for a wide
spread roundup of Red agents
that turned into one of the major
counterintelligence coups since
the war.
These sources said the crack
down on unsuspecting Russian
agents in Austria, West Germany,
Berlin and other west European
areas had dealt a hard blow to
the Kremlin’s far-flung espionage
and kidnapping, machine.
American intelligence author
ities won time for the operation
by keeping Russia’s MVD secret
police in the dark over Khokh
lov’s defection for almost two
months after he deserted to the
west, it was said.
Official sources declined to say
how many Kremlin agents were
caught in the wide dragnet, but
they said “The Americans alone
did very well with the number
they arrested.”
After Khokhlov surrendered to
American agents in Frankfurt on
Feb. 20, he continued to send reg
ular, but fake reports to the MVD
in Austria. He stopped only five
days before he announced on
April 22 his defection to the west
and the plot to kill a Russian
resistance leader, the sources said.
Recommends $400 Million
A Year Shipbuilding
Program For The U. S.
WASHINGTON, UP>—Robert B.
Murray Jr., undersecretary of
Commerce for Transportation, to
day recommended to the White
House and Congress a govem
ment-tbacked, 400-million-do'llar
a-year program aimed at encou
raging construction of 60 ships
annually by American shipyards.
Murray said a joint study by
the Martime Administration and
the Defense Department indicated
such a building program was
needed to prevent a large part
of the U.S. merchant fleet from
becoming obsolete all at once a
few years from now.
He alsG said a 60-ship-a-year
program was needed to keep a
nucleus of 36,000 shipyard work
ers employed on merchant ship
building. He said this was con
sidered the safe minimum for the
ship - building program which
would have to be undertaken in
case of national emergency.
He said most of the nation’s
present merchant sea-going fleet
—some 3,644 ships of 40,423,000
deadweight tons—was built dur
ing the war and would become
obsolete in the early 1960s, in a
block. Merchant ships are gener
ally considered obsolete after 20
years.
Democrats Pleased But
Cautious, GOP Determined;
But Downcast By Primary
JUNEAU, UP>—‘Democrats were
pleased but cautious, Republicans
were determined but downcast as
they view the primary election re
sults in which the Democrats
heavily out-polled the ruling Re
publicans.
Leaders of both parties express
ed the view that the October
finals should command their at
tention, not the primary in which
no one is elected.
“Despite the apparent swing to
the Democrats, we don’t feel the
picture is black or even gray,”
said Elton Engstrom, GOP cen
tral committee chairman. “The
Republicans did little campaign
ing for the primary but we ex
pect to go all out in our effort to'
take the general elections.” Eng
strom is a candidate for reelection
to the senate and polled top spot
on his party ticket in the First
Division.
Thomas B. Stewart, Democratic
party central committee chairman
in the First Division, said the re
sults were “highly gratifying.”
“But,” he said, “it will take
effort by the party to insure elec
tion of its full ticket in October.
We intend to make that effort.”
Tornadoes In Oklahoma
Kill Four and Injure 64
OKLAHOMA CITY, 14V—Dam
age reports were still coming in
today, and estimates now range
up to a million dollars, in the
wake of tornadoes and floods
which hit Oklahoma over the
weekend, taking four lives and
injuring at least 64.
Latest reports showed twisters
were seen at, or struck, 29 com
munities. A fifth death was in
directly caused by the weather.
When the tornadoes left the
state, a chilling north wind re
mained turning spring into winter
for Oklahoma. Temperatures in
the Panhandle dipped below
freezing.
Bids For Whittier Port
Facilities Too High
ANCHORAGE, UP)—'The Alaska
District Army Engineers’ Office
reported today that award of a
contract for rebuilding the burned
port of Whittier facilities on the
basis of last week’s bid “is ques
tionable.”
The question rose because all
of the seven bids were more than
15 per cent above the govern
ment’s $3,812,161 estimate for the
bid job. The 15 per cent is the
tolerance allowed the District En
gineer in awarding contracts.
The apparent low bid was $5,
442,961 by a three-firm Seattle
syndicate of the Manson, Osberg
and Scheumann & Johnson con
struction companies. It was 42 per
cent above the government esti
mate.
100 Hawaiians and
Alaskans To Visit
Congress Leaders
WASHINGTON, U?)—Robert B.
Atwood, chairman of the Alaska
Statehood Committee, said Satur
day plans are being made here
for a hundred Alaskans and Ha
waiians to combine their state
hood efforts in a May 10 visit to
congressional leaders.
Delegate Joseph Farrington of
Hawaii said 50 persons from the
islands will arrive May 9 on a
trip sponsored by the Hawaiian
Territorial government. Its mem
bership includes mostly legislat
ors who just have completed a
special session on statehood.
Delegate Bartlett expressed the
hope 50 Alaskans can join the
Hawaiians for a joint movement
on Congress.
The principal mission of the
group will be to meet with Rep.
Joseph Martin, the Speaker of
the House. Martin has expressed
unyielding opposition to' Alaska
statehood. Without his approval,
it will be difficult or impossible
to get the combined statehood
bills to the House floor for a vote.
The Hawaiian delegation is
having its expenses paid from
$160,000 appropriated for that
purpose by its legislature. The Al
askans are paying their own way.
In Anchorage, Barry M. White
Jr., president of Operation State
hood, said a special flight will
leave for Washington next Satur
day night or early Sunday.
Neopolitan Omen Portends
A Year Of Bad Luck
NAPLES, Italy, (41 — Catholic
Neopolitans feared today the city
faces a year of bad luck—the
hardened blood of their patrcrn,
St. Januarius, was a day late in
melting this year.
The blood is kept in two silver
phials in the Naples Cathedral.
For the past four centuries, it is
said, it has softened on the first
Saturday of May in answer to
prayers. Three times the blood
remained hard—before a bubonic
plague in 1527, a cholera epidemic
in 1884 and the 1944 eruption erf
Vesuvius.
Bell ringing and fireworks sig
nalled the public joy yesterday
when the cathedral announced the
blood of the martyred saint final
ly had liquefied.
Rejoicing was tempered, how
ever, because the word came one
day late. A delay of only a few
hours in 1940 was followed by
Italy’s disastrous entry into World
War II.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Evenings 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
At Lunch Room across from School,
Formerly the Furniture Store
— Wyman Photo Service —
PHOTOS AT FAIRBANKS PRICES!