— NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LIX No. 124NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1957 Per Copy—15^
TERRITORY CELEBRATES 90th
YEAR UNDER FUG OF U.S.
SITKA, UP—At half past three
of a cool afternoon just 90 years
ago today, the Russians lowered
their flag for the last time on this
continent, giving up the huge and
strategic territory of Alaska to
the 'United States.
Alaskans from Gov. Mike Step
ovich on down orated here today
on the transfer and many voiced
the question oWiow Russia would
look today on a suggestion it give
up such a great piece of land.
It was a land which in 1867 the
financially hard-pressed Russians
handed over for $7,200,000 in a
deal greeted with much grumbl
ing in the States.
The vast territory of 586,400
square miles, more than twice the
size of Texas, was dubbed “Sew
ard’s Icebox” in reference to the
climate and the Secretary of State
—William Henry Seward—who
negotiated the purchase.
Today the territory is ringed by
an electronic fence designed to
warn this country if Russia or
any other nation should attempt
to set hostile foot on North Amer
ican shores.
WASHINGTON, UP>—Secretary
of Interior Seaton took Alaska’s
celebration of Alaska Day today
as the occasion to say he hopes
that within the next year he can
join in celebrating the territory’s
entrance into statehood.
Seaton noted in the year ended
last June 30 the value of produc
tion from Alaska’s natural re
sources totaled $161,865,000—or
more than 22 times the original
purchase price.
In a radiogram to Mike Stepo
vich, governor of Alaska, Seaton
said:
“Please extend to the people of
Alaska my warmest greetings on
the 90th anniversary of the rais
ing of the America* flag over the
territory.
“On such an. occasion every
American citizen may well take
pride in the progress and promise
of this part of our national com
munity—in its phenomenal popu
lation increase, its impressive ec
onomic activity, its abundant re
sources for future growth and
prosperity.”
Queen Elizabeth Starts on Royal
Whirl Around Nation’s Capital
Seeing Art and Gala Reception
WASHINGTON, UPV—Queen Eliz
abeth II of Britain started a royal
•whirl around Washington today
on a cultural note and eight min
utes behind schedule.
The young British monarch was
driven to the National Gallery of
Art thru a steady morning rain to
inspect a part of the collections
of renowned paintings and sculp
tural pieces.
QUEEN WELCOMED
TO U.S_SEE PAGE 4
Garbed in brown, Elizabeth ar
rived at the art gallery in Eisen
hower’s bubble-top car, with a
robe drawn over her knees. She
was met under a protective can
vas canopy by gallery director
John Walker.
“Isn’t this a dreadful day,” said
Walker. “I must apologize for it.”
Elizabeth smiled but didn’t agree
right out loud, at any rate.
Inside, she was welcomed by
First Chinese Policeman
Sworn In as Member
Of Chinatown Force
SAN FRANCISCO, UPt—S a n
Francisco, which boasts the larg
est Chinatown in the world out
side of China, has its first Chi
nese policeman in the 101 years
of its police department.
Herbert P. Lee, 24, was sworn
in yesterday. He’s been a gasoline
station attendant and part-time
student at San Francisco State
College.
Police said few Chinese ever
•had applied for the jobs, largely
perhaps because the minimum
height requirement is 5-foot-9.
Lee is 5-foot-9V&.
Chief Justice Warren, chairman
of the gallery board. He presented
her in turn to officials of the gal
lery and to four persons who have
donkted works to the institution:
Mr. and Mrs. Lessing J. Rosen
wald and Mr. and Mrs. George D.
Widener.
A collection of the works of
William Blake, British painter,
engraver and poet, was arranged
especially in honor of Her Maj
esty’s visit and in memory of the
200th anniversary of Blake’s birth.
Prince Stays at White House
While Elizabeth was at the art
gallery Prince Philip stayed at
the White House and received
from President Eisenhower a Na
tional Geographic Society Gold
Medal.
The award was for his bringing
“to millions a better understand
ing of our planet and its peoples.”
It was given mainly in recogni
tion of Philip’s 40,000-mile round
the-world trip which took him to
many far outposts of the British
Empire last year.
The Prince has long had a keen
interest in scientific matters.
After her art gallery tour Eliza
beth’s next date was at Children’s
Hospital, a stop set up at the
Queen’s own request.
Flashiest Event
On tap for late afternoon was a
garden party at the British Em
bassy, with champagne, edible
knick-knacks, and such. About
2,700 people got invitations, and
plenty more would pay big money
to get in if they could. For this
was to be the biggest, flashiest
social event of Her Majesty’s
four-day visit to Washington. *
Nixon’s Europe Visit
Deferred Until After
Next Congress Adjourns
WASHINGTON, (if)—The White
House announced yesterday that
j Vice President Nixon will defer a
| trip to Europe until after adjourn
ment of the next session of Con
gress.
That means Nixon probably will
not leave for Europe until late
next summer or early in the fall.
The White House announce
ment said Nixon had planned to
visit various European countries
late this month and in November.
“However, it has not proved
practical to work out such a visit
which would be responsive to the
invitations received and at the
same time allow him to return to
meet commitments in the United
States later this year,” the White
House said.
Launching Site
Of Sputnik Was
On Arctic Island
SEATTLE, UP)—The University
of Washington’s specialist on Rus
sia said today a Russian news
paper had pinpointed the Sputnik
launching site as Franz Josef
Land Island about 700 miles from
the North Pole.
Dr. Ivar Spector, associate pro
fessor of Far Eastern affairs at
the university, said the informa
tion was contained in the lead
article of the Aug. 27 issue of the
newspaper Literary Gazette.
Spector received a copy of the
paper Tuesday. He said careful
translation of the article disclosed
that the “Land of Franz Josef”
was the spot to be used for the
launching of the Russian space
satellite.
He said that to the best of his
knowledge this was the first dis
closure of where the Sputnik was
sent aloft on its north-south orbit, j
Franz Joseph Land Island, con- j
taining 7,050 square miles, is deep
in the arctic at the upper end of
the Barents Sea due north of
European Russia.
Spector said the Literary Ga
zette article also reported the
Russian icebreaker Ob would
launch “meteorological rockets”
from its decks in the antarctic.
Both projects were listed as
Russian contributions to the In
ternational Geophysical Year.
Nation’s Armed Strength
Will Be Reduced by
48,000 by Mid-1958
WASHINGTON, Iff)—Secretary
of the Army Wilber Brucker said
today the armed strength at 14
military posts will be reduced by
48,000 by mid-1958 in order to cut
back to a personnel ceiling fixed
for that date.
He said no major post would be
inactivated during fiscal year
1958, ending next June 30. He
said the reductions will be accom
plished largely by cutting down
on the number of trainees, trans
fers and inactivation of some
units.
Brucker outlined to members
of Congress in letters specific
manpower reductions to be ac
complished by June 30, 1958, in
cluding Ft. Lewis, Wash., 4,580.
Eisenhower Proposes Pooling of
NATO Brains in Answer to the
Russia’s Challenge in Missiles
By JOHN M. HIGHTOWER
WASHINGTON, OP)—President
Eisenhower is developing a far
reaching proposal to pool the sci
entific brain power and creative
resources of the North Atlantic
alliance. The aim is to meet the
challenge of Russia’s weapons ad
vances as well as its progress in
the conquest of space.
The first hint of a program
along this line came in the toast
Eisenhower proposed to Britain’s
Queen Elizabeth last night.
British Prime Minister
Informed officials said today
the project may be the major
I topic of discussion when Eisen
hower meets British Prime Min
ister Harold MacMillan here next
Wednesday.
What the President has in mind,
according to persons familiar with
his planning, is broader than a
British-American partnership. It
is designed to bring into play the
resources of the whole 15-nation.
NATO alliance.
In his toast to the Queen Eisen
hower said:
“. . . We have the power. The
only thing to do is to put it to
gether. *
NATO Not Only Military
“Our scientists must work to
gether. NATO should not be
thought of merely as a military
alliance. NATO is a way of group
ing ability—of our manhood, our
resources, of our industries and
our factories.”
Eisenhower said the total assets
of the free world are far greater
“than those of our potential en
emy,” but he added “we are much
too separated by things that con
cern us locally.” '
Sharing Atomic Secrets
Presumably the President’s pro
posal would lead eventually to a
request by him for modifications
in the law barring the disclosure
of much basic atomic weapons in
formation to Britain or any other
country. The British government
has long sought re-establishment
of its World War II partnership
with the U.S. and Canada which
produced the first Atomic bomb in
1945.
More immediately, however,
the Eisenhower proposition, fol
lowing a long series of meetings
with his science advisers and oth
er officials over the past two
weeks, is evidently designed to
deal with the challenge of Rus
sia’s intercontinental missile and
its launching of history’s first
man-made earth satellite.
PRIEST NOTED FOR
ABILITY TO OPEN
SAFES DIES AT 79
SAN FRANCISCO, WV-The Ro
man Catholic Church has lost a
Jesuit priest known for his ability
to open locks and safes.
The Rev. Anthony R. Drath
man, S.J., who died Sunday, first
opened a safe under unusual con
ditions in 1912 at Juneau, wherfe
he was a parish priest.
Father Drathman opened the
safe, which had been shut tight
for 10 years, in 15 minutes. Law
officers had worked for six days,
supposedly with the right combi
nation.
In 1918 he amazed San Fran
cisco police with a lecture on how
safes can be opened by feeling out
the tumblers. He also demon
strated how to use nitroglycerin
to blow open a safe with neatness
and dispatch.
Word of his fame spread into
the underworld. Burglars, posing
as professional locksmiths, sought
instruction from him. •
The talent came easily to Fath-^
er Drathman, so he developed it
as an avocation.
Father Drathman, who was 79,
was for many years an adminis
trator at St. Ignatius College, now
the University of San Francisco.
Canada Alerted by Sightings of
• Subs Off East and West Coasts
HALIFAX, N.S., M—Canadian
ships and planes are searching the
cove-slashed coastline of New
foundland for submarines report
ed seen by at least a dozen fisher
men in scattered hamlets.
Rear Adm. Hugh F. Pullen,
chief of the Canadian navy’s At
lantic Command, said last night
the search force is “operating in
Newfoundland waters trying to
locate and identify submarines re
ported to have been sighted there
during the last few months.”
Defense Minister G. R. Pearkes
told Parliament Wednesday the
search had been going on “during
the past few weeks.” Naval au
thorities refused to disclose how
•large a force was participating be
cause “that would defeat the pur
pose of the whole operation.”
On the other side of Canada the
Vancouver Province said today a
reliable waterfront source had re
ported that a Soviet freighter had
recently rendezvoused with two
Russian subs in the North Pacific,
apparently to refuel them.
The newspaper said the subs
had been off the coast of British
Columbia for the last three weeks.
It identified the ship as the
Alexander Nevsky, one of about
15 Soviet ships expected in Van
couver for wheat.
Rear Adm. H. S. Rayner, Pacif
ic flag officer for the Royal Ca
nadian Navy, said: ' •
“In recent month there has
been considerable evidence of un
known submarines in the North
Pacific. Naturally, every report is
fully investigated.”