SHE NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
_ ____ m ... .
VOL. LVI NO. 55_ NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MAY 7, 1954 _Per Copy—1
Dien Bien Phu Falls To Reds
After 57 Days of Bloody Siege
PARIS, (.¥1—Dien Bien Phu has
fallen.
Premier Joseph Laniel announ
ced late today the northwest Indo
china bastion “has been sub
merged.”
A little fortress named Isabelle,
site of the French Union garri
son’s main artillery, was still
holding out three miles south of
the bloodied, muddied bastion
that had epitomized the Indochina
war to* the world for 57 days.
One of the last orders Brig.
Gen. Christian De Castries, the
lanky commander in chief, sent to
Isabelle was to fire on his own
command post when the Com
munist-led rebel riflemen finally
cut through.
There was no immediate word
as to the fate of Gen. De Castries,
commander of the fallen garrison,
nor that of Genevieve De Galard
Terraube, a French nurse and the
only women in the besieged fort.
She had been decorated for gal
lantry twice within the week.
All the deputies in the Assem
bly stood while Laniel announced
the fall of Dien Bien Phu—except
the Communists. They remained
seated.
De Castries was estimated on
the eve of the showdown battle
to have 14,000 men, including
wounded, at his command. These
were Frenchmen, Foreign Legion
naires, Vietnamese and North
Africans. There were about 1,000
wounded in underground bunk
ers of the fort. All efforts for a
truce to evacuate them had failed.
Plans to supply the fortress
with an airlift from Hanoi proved
expensive and extremely diffi
cult. Planes had to drop their
supplies from a high altitude, so'
that much equipment fell im
mediately into Vietminh hands.
Meanwhile the Geneva confer
ence is ready to take up the prob
lem of making peace in Indo
china. The intensity of the Dien
Bien Phu attack showed the Com
munists’ determination to present
its capture an accomplished fact
before the diplomats at Geneva.
Zsa Zsa Chilled in
Rubirosa’s Plane
SHANNON, Ireland, UP)—Zsa
Zsa Gabor started out for New
York yesterday with Porfirio Ru
birosa but landed here complain
ing “I’m frozen.” The dapper
Dominican’s private plane devel
oped heater trouble enroute from
Paris.
Zsa Zsa—complaining of the
chill—hopped off the plane bun
dled up in a full length mink,
blue jeans, two cardigan sweaters
and wrhite woo'l ankle socks.
When it appeared it would take
some time to fix the plane, a con
verted B-25, Zsa Zsa hurried off
to the airport hostel to get some
rest.
Rubirosa stood by silently while
his blonde companion did the
talking.
f-r
| Dien Bein Phu Will Stand
l Forever As Symbol Of
Free World’s Resistance
WASHINGTON, (A — President
Eisenhower said today the resist
ance of French Union forces at
the now-fallen fortress of Dien
Bien Phu “will forever stand as
a symbol of the free world’s de
termination to resist dictatorial
aggression.”
The President issued a formal
statement, closely following up
calls from congressional leaders
for united action by free world
nations to stem the Communist
tide in Asia.
Eisenhower said France has
suffered “temporary defeats” in
the past, but always she has tri
umphed in the end to continue
as one of the world’s leaders in
all things that tend to bring
greater richness to the lives of
men.”
“It is time for our allies and
so-called allies to stand up and
be counted and stop quibbling,”
Sen. Bridges (R-NH) said.
Atom Works Construction
Shut Down by Walkout
RICHLAND, Wash., UP)—A work
stoppage by 10,000 members of 21
AFL unions shut down two big
construction projects yesterday at
the Hanford Atomic Works.
Only a few hundred mainte
nance workers reported on the
two jobs, which are costing a total
of 150 million dollars.
The walkout, biggest in a series
of about 50 work stoppages on the
atomic plant expansion projects,
started Wednesday night as a pro
test against use of non-union men.
It affected only construction
work, not actual production at the
atomic plant.
$2,307,000 ASKED FOR
EKLUTNA POWER PLANT
WASHINGTON, UR — W. A.
Dexheimer, commissioner of re
clamation, asked a Senate appro
priations subcommittee yesterday
for $2,307,000 for the Eklutna
hydro-electric project near An
chorage.
He said the amount would be
sufficient to complete the project,
which will cost 9Vz million dol
lars.
The House allowed only $1,162,
000 for Eklutna.
THURSDAY SCORES
American League
New York 9, Baltimore 0
Chicago 5, Washington 4
Cleveland 3, Philadelphia 2
National League
Chicago 8, Brooklyn 7
Cincinnati 5, New York 5
Milwaukee 3, Pitsburgh 0
Pacific Coast League
Los Angeles 4, Portland 2
Hollywood 2, San Diego 1
Seattle 7, Oakland 6
Sacramento 6, San Francisco 1
Big Three Reject
Russian Offer
To Join NATO
LONDON, LP> — The United
States, Britain and France sent
notes to Moscow today rejecting
Russia’s offer to join the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Diplomatic officials reported the
the western notes argued broadly
that the security proposals put
forward by the Russians on
March 31 could in no way replace
the free partnership of like
minded states at this time.
The western three were reply
ing to a surprise Russian com
munication which Soviet propa
gandists later respresented as an
effort to restore the wartime
grand alliance that defeated Hit
ler. In it Premier Georgi Malen
kov’s government:
1. Called for an international
agreement banning atomic wea
pons and cutting armaments.
2. Opened the door to Ameri
can participation in a Soviet-type
security system for all Europe.
3. Warned that allied plans for
rearming Germany within a Eu
ropean defense community would
split Europe into rival military
camps.
4. Offered to join the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization pro
vided the 14-nation group drop
ped what Russia called its ag
gressive character.
Flier and Wife Crash
On 7,000-Foot Glacier
FAIRBANKS, IT)—A pilot and
his wife, attempting to bring sup
plies to a party climbing Mt. Mc
Kinley, crashed on the 7,000-foot
level of the mountain but escaped
injury.
The fliers were Dick Colpins, a
Civil Aeronautics Administration
employe at the Minchumina range
station, and his wife, Jeannie.
They now are marooned in gla
cier - clad Peters Basin on the
north side of the mountain.
Attempts to reach the couple by
helicopter have been thwarted toy
wind and blowing snow. Another
attempt will be made by rescue
units from Ladd Air Force Base
as soon as the weather improves.
Florence Rucker and Florence
Robinson, two women fliers from
Fairbanks, were escorting the
Collins plane to the rendezvous
with the climbers when the crash
occurred.
They said Collins was attempt
ing a landing when his wing dug
into the glacier ice. The plane
crashed, destroying the landing
gear and crumpling a wing. The
hikers could be seen in the dis
tance and may have joined the
flyers.
Collins had flown the climbing
party to Straightaway glacier at
a lower elevation, three days pre
viously. They were supposed to
prepare a landing strip at the
7,000-foot level so he could re
supply them in their attempt to
be the first party to climb the
northwest buttress of the 20,300
foot mountain.
W.W. Laws and B. Mozee Share
In Nenana Guessing Contest
-9-s
Sen. Butler Asks For
Look Into Federal Tax
Setup Of Territories
WASHINGTON, (3—Sen. But
ler asked yesterday for»a “new
look at tax relationships” between
the federal government and the
unincorporated territories of
Guam, Puerto Rico and the Vir
gin Islands.
Butler, chairman of the Senate
Insular Affairs Committee, said in
a report that “the United States
derives very little benefit, if any
at all, from taxes connected with
her territories except for Hawaii
and Alaska.”
Expressing hope that both Ha
waii and Alaska soon will win
statehood, Butler asked Congress
to take “a new look at our pol
icy with respect to' our offshore
dependent areas.”
Butler noted that “full Ameri
can citizenship” has been extend
ed to all on the Virgin Islands,
Puerto Rico and Guam but all
three receive different treatment
on tax revenues.
Puerto Rico, an American com
monwealth levies its own income
tax and retains this as well as all
excise taxes on Puerto Rican pro
ducts for its own treasury.
The federal income tax applies
on Guam and the Virgin Islands
and collections go to the local
treasuries. Guam gets excise taxes
on local products while the Virgin
Islands do not, Butler said.
Flying Barrow Missionary
Is Reported Missing
FAIRBANKS, UP) — The Rev.
William Wartes, a Presbyterian
missionary, was reported missing
yesterday on a flight in his small
plane frcfm Pt. Barrow to Barter
Island, two northernment points
on the North American continent.
Rev. Wartes, an experienced
flier who figured in an Arctic
rescue mission only a few weeks
ago, has not been heard from
since he left Barrow at 7 p.m.
Tuesday on the 300-mile* flight..
He had planned an overnight stop
at Colville River.
An Air Force plane from Ladd
Base here flew to Barrow today
to aid in a search.
Last month Rev. Wartes, flying
his Piper Cub plane, sighted three
Air Force men missing after a
plane mishap. He radioed word
that led to their rescue.
The minister, formerly of Seat
tle, has been at Barrow about
four years. His wife and three
young children live at Barrow.
TOKYO, UP) — Two Japanese
scientists said today the United
States apparently exploded a
fourth hydrogen bomb at Bikini
between April 25 and 27.
They said their estimate was
based on geiger counter tests of
rain which fell this week on
widely separated areas of Japan.
FAIRBANKS, UP)—The ice of
the Tanana River at Nenana went
out at 6:01 p.m. Alaska time
last night. Of 100,000 guessers,*
nine had guessed correctly.
Three false alarms preceded the
actual breakup witnessed by most
orf the town’s school children and
other residents of the town.
School had been dismissed at
noon.
The correct guessers were re
ported to be as follows:
W. W. Laws and B. Mozee of
Nome; M. I. Associates, Fair
banks; Marcus Vera Cruz, An
chorage; Unit Number One, An
chorage; Harold W. Taber, An
chorage; B.A. McTavish and com
pany, Anchorage; Bea Grant and
company, Spenard; Harry F. Hav
rilack, Rampart, Alaska, and C.
H. and E. G. Mason, Skagway.
Two Kidnapers
Condemned to Die
In Gas Chamber
SAN FRANCISCO, UP — Two
former private detectives con
demned to death for a kidnaping
in which the victim was rescued
and no ransom was paid faced the
San Quentin gas chamber with
radically different attitudes today.
Dapper, 52 - year - old Harold
Jackson and mild Joseph Lear, 43,
were convicted late yesterday
under California’s “Little Lind
bergh” law of kidnaping Leonard
Moskovitz, 36, a real estate brok
er, Jan. 16. They demanded
$500,000 ransom; later $300,000.
The jury of six men and six
women found that Moskovitz had
suffered bodily harm in being
chained and threatened with a
knife before he was rescued by
police after 61 hours in captivity.
The jurors automatically con
demned the two to death by not
recommending leniency.
The verdict didn’t seem to bo
ther Jackson, a one-time sailor
and an all-time adventurer who
operated a wartime private guard
agency cfn the San Francisco
waterfront.
As the verdict was read, Jack
son grinned and circled his right
forefinger and thumb in a symbol
of triumph.
“Well, well, old rocking chair’s
got me,” he said.
Then he laughed aloud at Lear,
whose face was strained and
taut.
When an identical guilty ver
dict was read for Lear, Lear broke
into tears.
Large Cache Russia-Made Arms
Found On Nicaragua's Coast
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, UP —
President Anastasio Somoza says
a large cache of Russian - made
arms has been found on Nica
ragua’s Pacific coast, and he be
lieves they were landed by sub
marine. .
COVENANT CHURCH __ill- I / _ - 1*1_* _ ■ BILLY GRAHAM
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