70fc*3e/*—*
Opportunity Is Knocking . . .
r’ IS HEARTENING to learn that the Kivalina Vil
lage Gouincil has endorsed the Cape Thompson
AEC blast project and offer (their services to work on
the completion or it, with (the scientists.
Much experimental work has been done and is
being done in Nevada to explore the possibilities for
the use of atomic power to better mankind and there
is no ailarm felt there when underground blasts are
set off.
The Cape Thompson1 project has brought protests
from some of the villages, although the AEC has as
sured the people that it would not endanger their food
supply of fish, meat and edible plants.
The time has come for all the villages in that area
to support the work, for once this harbor has been
blasted and the method found practical, the long har
borless coastline of Alaska may benefit by other small
boat harbors so that its resources may be tapped.
Coal, iron, tin and other vital minerals are avail
able in quantity but production has been handicapped
by lack of transportation. Many foreign countries seek
these raw materials. With harbors to open up the coun
try, there will be year round jobs for the people of
northern Alaska and a more secure future for genera
tions to come. _
IdightWater the Year ’Round I
Direct From The Springs 1
■ ’' m£* '
Naturally Softened and Pure ^||'—jg' ‘;{1
Tank Too Small — No Bucket Too Large I
skan Winter Festivals
in at Anchor Point
Hie first of six 49th state win
ter celebrations will take place
In the Alaskan city of Anchor
Point, Jan. 19-21..
Hie Anchor Point Sno Festival
—complete with dog races and
weight pulling contests, snow
shoe races, skating contests, Sno
Queen beauty pageant and Coro
nation Ball guarantees Alaskan
and visitors alike a lively and
memorable weekend.
Anchor Point is located south
west of Anchorage on the Sew
ard Highway, near the tip of the
Kenai Peninsula.
Main point of interest at the
festival is probably the dog races,
which bring competing mushers
from various Alaskan cities and
native villages. Adidtional high
lights include weight pulling con
tests on ice, (last year’s winning
team of three dogs pulled more
than two tons), and ski-joring. The
latter event, being pulled on skis
by racing dog or horse teams, is
open to any visitor who brings
his skis with him to the festival.
Other Alaskan celebrations in
clude the Cordova Ice Worm Fes
tival, Feb. 10-11; the Anchorage
Fur Rendezvous, Feb. 20-25; the
Homer Winter Carnival, March
2-4; the Fairbanks Ice Festival,
March 17-25; and the Dillingham
Beaver Roundup, April 6-8.
--- — l
Letter-sis* end legal file folder* I
•t The Nugget
Actor Spencer Tracy
IHalted at Berlin Border
; BERLIN — Communist East
[German guards forced Hollywood
star Spencer Tracy to go back 38
miles for a visa to leave Berlin
by land, a United Artists repre
sentative said Saturday.
The 61-year-old actor, who had
been reported ill, departed for
Paris Friday by chauffered limou-!
sine, the studio official, Hans
Muth, reported.
Tracy was barred at first from
entering the Autobahn across East
Germany because he had no visa.
Whereupon, Tracy detoured back
to East Berlin, got his visa and
departed without incident, Muth
said.
Tracy reported in satisfactory
condition. Producer-director Stan
ley Kramer had told newsmen
Tracy was confined to his hotel
room with a kidney ailment.
ARRIVALS 8c DEPARTURES
From Fairbanks: Joe Brantley,
Herschel Clark, John Herman,
and Eugene Jameyson.
To Fairbanks: 'Frank Degnan,
Eph Wheeler, Bill Haley, W. P.
Green, Connie Nelson, Mrs. Mary
Buck, Francis Jones, Arthur Bin
ner, W. Vaughn, (Manuel Frias,
Jim Priddy, Alton Campbell, Er
nest Vance, George Spartz, Hap
Lancaster, Ash Craft, T. Thomas,
George Kost, Chuck Fagerstrom,
and Mary Pilcher.
To Kotzebue: Tygve and Dana
Jorgenson, Amelia Mills, and Joe
Brantley.
Dog Begins 50th Day
Trapped In a Cave
GILBERT, W. Va. W ~ Brownie
the hound began his 50th day in
underground confinement today
as a bulldozer chugged closer to
his rescue.
The earth-moving equipment
was brought here from Bluefield
Saturday in an effort to free 3
year-old Brownie from an aband
oned and caved-in mine shaft in
which he became entrapped while
chasing a rabbit seven weeks ago.
Brownie’s plight has brought
otters of help from persons in
West Virginia and other states.'
Brownie, the pet of Richard
Hatfield, 21, has lived on under
ground water and on food scraps
that Hatfield has been able to slip
to him through a crevice.
Three weekend searchers almost
got lost themselves while explor
ing mine corridors in an effort
to locate a possible entry to
Brownie’s chamber. They could
not leave the mine the same way
they entered because of a rock
fall, but after a time they found
another way out.
The bulldozer spent most of
Sunday carving out an access road
to the mountainside rescue scene.
March of Dimes Clinic Head Forecasts
Pre-Marital Tests for Birth Defects
Before most thoughtful young couples marry,
they do a great deal of planning for the future.
They ponder about jobs, homes of their own,
saving money for their retirement years.
All well and good, but—
The pediatrician-in-chief at famed Johns
Hopkins University Hospital, Baltimore, Md.,
wishes they would invest as much thought—be
fore marriage—in their planning for healthy
children.
Dr. Robert E. Cooke predicts the development
of pre-marital tests which would forewarn of
genetic deficiencies or flaws in either or both
parties to a marriage that could cause their chil
tory medicine.” He feels that medical students
should become much more knowledgeable about
human embryology.
“More than a quarter of a million babies with
significant birth defects are born every year in
the United States—almost 700 daily. Until scien
tific research can develop means to prevent these
tragedies, young people who are the mothers
ana fathers of future generations should under
stand how and why they happen,” he said.
Such premarital tests as Dr. Cooke advocates
are not practical today on a widespread basis
because of a lack of appropriate laboratories.
“But with increased research in birth defects,
and with improvement in our medical technol
ogy and our laboratory facilities, genetic tests
will soon become practical and feasible/’ he pre
dicted.
“Through them we may well come to the
actual detection of future birth abnormalities
and possibly prevent many by proper handling
of the pregnancy.”
He Define* *Birth Defect**
Dr. Cooke says there is a great confusion re
garding the term “birth defects.” Medically,
these are congenital anomalies caused by genetic
factors or by injury to the embryo during its life
in the womb. Most of the general public mis
takenly believes that birth defects are limited
to those apparent at birth, such as missing ex
tremities, an enlarged head (hydrocephalus) or
open spine (spina bifida). But many more subtle,
birth defects are not disclosed until maturity
and even middle age.
For example, severe high blood pressure ap
pearing in later life has been shown in many
instances to result from congenital malforma
tions of the blood vessels of the kidneys, a dis
order present at birth but unrecognizable at that
time. Birth defects also account for many cases
of diabetes, urological disorders and gout that
do not become apparent until middle life. The
list could be substantially lengthened. Dr. Cooke
pointed out.
The Birth Defects Special Treatment Center at
Johns Hopkins is one of a rapidly growing num
ber of centers in various parts of the nation
financed by National Foundation chapters using
March of Dimes contributions. They provide
comprehensive medical care for victims, with
emphasis on early diagnosis, prevention of dis
ability, rehabilitation and expansion of knowl
edge concerning birth defects.
In addition, the voluntary health organization
has established university-affiliated birth de
fects Clinical study and research centers hi
Columbus, Ohio, Oklahoma City, and Nashville,
Tenn. A similar program of March of Dimes
supported treatment and research centers in
arthritis is also in effect across the country.
“Birth defects cause 21,000 deaths each year
in the United States,” says Dr. Cooke. “That’s
twice the toil taken by tuberculosis and ten
4imes the annual number of deaths from whoop
ing cough, measles, polio and infectious hepatitis
combined. 1. •■.‘■•Iv-ikt, -
“The National Foundation-Mai eh q# Dimes
is taking a historic forward step in searching for
a preventive. Until it is found, one thing we
might do is to determine, before marriage, what
types of family genetic histories are likely to
lead to^the calamity (rf major birth defects. The
dren to be born with
serious defects due to
heredity.
Dr. Cooke speaks
from extensive knowl
edge of the problem.
In addition to his aca
demic position, he is
responsible for the
Birth Defects Special
Treatment Center at
Johns Hopkins, which
is financed by March
of Dimes contributions
from the ' Baltimore
City and County chap
ters at the National
Foundation.
The genetic tests
which Dr. Cooke sees
for the future would
bring to light gene
patterns in potential
parents that could
cause their children
to be born deaf, blind,
Dr. Robert E. Cooke
mentally retarded or malformed.
^ By the same token, the tests when adequately
)f young**rouples of the likelihood of their hav^
WhaMf^a young couple agrees to undergo
these searching tests, and the results show they
might havejtohtei^wito^genital malforma