zs NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS__
VOL. LXII No. 57 NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 1960 _ Per Copy 151
American Spy Plane Incident Changes
Picture for Ike’s Planned Russian Tour
Khrushchev ‘Horrified’ to
Learn of Eisenhower’s
Approval of Spy Flight
MOSCOW, Iff) — Soviet Premier
Khrushchev said today the spy
plane incident had changed his
estimate of President Eisenhower
and they will discuss in Paris
whether the American leader
should come to Moscow as
planned.
He made the statement as he
stood on a wicker chair talking to
correspondents amidst the wreck
age of the American plane he
claims was shot down May 1 east
of the Urals.
Khrushchev was asked: “Does
this spy plane incident change
your estimate of Eisenhower?”
“It does, of course,” he replied.
“I was not aware of the fact
that the plan was not the caprice
of an individual officer. I was
horrified to learn that the Presi
dent had approved the plan of
these flights.”
A n American correspondent
then asked whether, in view of
his changed attitude toward Eisen
hower, he would want him to
postpone the visit to the Soviet
Union now scheduled for June 10.
“I would not like to comment,”
the Premier said. “We can ex
change views with the President
on that in Paris.”
Khrushchev spoke to newsmen
in Gorky Park where the Russians
displayed what they say is the
wrcekage and some of the personal
belongings and equipment of
Francis C. Powers, pilot of the
American intruder jet.
Two wings of an aircraft were
propped up as the exhibit’s center
piece. They appeared to be in al
most perfect condition except for
a series of small holes which
looked like they were made by
shrapnel.
Great twisted pieces of metal
from the plane were also shown,
along with the personal contents
of Powers’ wallet.
Foreign Minister Andrei Gro
myko condemned President Eis
enhower’s open skies plan, first
advanced at the Geneva summit
conference of 1955, as serving the
interests of American military in
telligence. He said the Russians
naturally could not accept it.
The sky over the Soviet Union
is closed, Gromyko said, and will
remain closed.
Gromyko said newsmen would
be allowed to see Powers only
after the Soviet investigation has
been completed.
Gromyko denounced Powers’
May Day flight, which ended with
his capture as a parachutist in the
Sverdlovsk region, as a bandit
like provocation and a criminal
act.
The foreign minister declared
that any aircraft which “again
dare to make a sortie into our bor
ders will be smashed to smither
eens.” He reiterated that bases of
nations used for espionage flights
over Soviet territory will be
obliterated.
President Again Offers
Open Skies Plan, to End
‘Concealment, Suspicion’
WASHINGTON, UP) — President
Eisenhower challenged the Soviet
Union again today to join this
country in opening its skies to in
spection flights which might give
each assurance against surprise
attack.
In a news conference review of
the furor over (Russian capture
of an American spy plane, the
President called espionage “a dis
tasteful but vital necessity” lest
there be another sneak blow such
as the 1941 Japanese attack on
Pearl Harbor.
Eisenhower said the Soviet
“fetish of secrecy and conceal- ]
ment” is a major cause of interna
tional tension and uneasiness, and
forces the United States to en
gage in “below the surface” ac
tivities to gain information to
protect the free world.
“We prefer and work for a dif
ferent kind of world — and a
different way of obtaining the
information essential to confidence
and effective deterrence,” he said.
“Open societies, in the day of
present weapons, are the only
answer.
“This was the reason for my
‘open skies’ proposal in 1955,
which I was ready instantly to
put into effect — to permit aerial
observation over the United States
and the Soviet Union which would
assure that no surprise attack
was being prepared against any
one.
“I shall bring up the ‘open skies’
proposal again at Paris — since
it is a means of ending conceal
ment and suspicion/”
Eisenhower read a prepared
statement to a packed news con
ference on the matter. Among
other points, he:
1. Expressed doubt the Amer
ican U-2 spy plane was in fact
shot down from 60,000 feet as the
Russians claim.
2. Denied there was anything
provocative about actions of the
United States and its allies in re
lation to Russia.
Despite the furor caused by the
U-2 plane episode, Eisenhower
said he still is hopeful “that we
may make progress” at the sum
mit conference, starting Monday,
on what he called the great issues
of the day.
Army Sergeant Fined for
Selling Bibles to Trainees
SAN ANTONIO, Tex., UP) — A
summary court martial this week
fined Sgt. Ralph McBride $40 for
selling Bibles to trainees.
The court martial found Mc
Bride guilty of violating a memor
andum prohibiting a non-commis
sioned officer from financial trans
actions with trainees.
McBride sold 82 leather-bound,
gilt-edged Bibles for $39.95 each.
McBride said he sold the Bibles
to augment his $393 monthly
Army paycheck. He has three
young children and a wife.
FORMAL ATTIRE JUNIOR-SENIOR PROM
MULTIPURPOSE ROOM, NOME SCHOOL FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 13, 8 TO 12 ADMISSION ONE DOLLAR
West Virginia Goes
Kennedy; Hubert
Humphrey Quits
By The Associated Press
Sen. John Kennedy of Massa
chusetts , smashed triumphantly
through the West Virginia pri
mary today and headed closer to
the Democratic Presidential nom
ination.
His victory after yesterday’s
voting knocked Sen. Hubert Hum
phrey out of the race and wiped
out claims that, as a Roman Cath
olic, Kennedy could not win in
a heavily Protestant state.
New Mexico also voted in a pri
mary yesterday, but the results
had no effect on the Presidential
picture.
Humphrey conceded defeat, and
issued a statement, saying:
“I am no longer a candidate for
the Democratic Presidential nom
ination.”
Kennedy, who flew back from
Washington early today, was ju
bilant with the results.
“I had no doubt that you would
cast your vote on the basis of the
issues and not on any religious
prejudice,” he added.
The withdrawal of Humphrey
from the campaign may strength
en support for Adlai Stevenson.
Many Humphrey backers are ex
pected to switch their allegiance
to the man the party nominated
in 1952 and 1956.
Kennedy also sported the high
est number of votes in the Nebras
ka Presidential primary. But the
lustre of his possible victory there
was dimmed a good deal by the
write-in total for Vice-President
Nixon on the Republican ballot.
The only name listed on the Ne
braska Presidential preference
ballot for either party was Ken
nedy. Yet Nixon was piling up as
many write-in votes as Kennedy
received on the regular ballot.
Alaskan Humphrey Backer
Switches to Stevenson
By the Associated Press
One of Senator Hubert Hum
phrey’s chief supporters in Alaska
said today he now was inclined
to back Adlai Stevenson in the
party’s Presidential nominating
battle.
But State Rep. Richard Greuel
of Fairbanks said it still was too
early to say how other members
of an Alaska committee for Hum
phrey might go.
Greuel was co-chairman of a
Humphrey for President group in
Alaska, before the Minnesota
Senator was knocked out of con
tention last night in a West Vir
ginia primary loss to Sen. John
Kennedy of Massachusetts.
Alaska Airlines Increases
Anchorage-Fairbanks
Flights for Tourist Season
SEATTLE, (A") — Alaska Air
lines will begin five-times-a-week
morning service between Fair
banks and Anchorage next Tues
day, Stanley P. French, director
of tariffs and schedules, an
nounced Monday. The line also
announced other flight changes to
cope with the increased seasonal
traffic.
Defense Chief’s Announced Economy
Cutback at Ladd AFB, Stirs Protests
By FRITZ WITTI
WASHINGTON, UR — Alaska
members of Congress said today
they will oppose an Air Force de
cision to make a sharp cut in air
defense strength in the new state
but that they aren’t too hopeful
about getting it reversed.
The three-man delegation said
rumors concerning the reduction
were confirmed yesterday at
their meeting with top Air Force
officials.
Citing 27 Russian bases in that
part of Russia near Alaska, Sen.
Bartlett commented:
“Alaskans are mighty, mighty
close to Siberia. They are going to
be uneasy.”
Strength Reduced 25 Per Cent
The Alaska members of Con
gress said they were shocked to
learn that the 449th Fighter-Inter
ceptor Squadron at Ladd Air Force
Base is to be eliminated by the
end of the year and that the de
fensive strength in the new state
is bind reduced by about 25 per
cent.
At Juneau, Gov. Egan called the
Air Force decision “almost unbe
lievable.” He added:
“This is a shocker to me. I have
never received any information
whatsoever from the military of
its plans in this regard.”
The Alaska Governor said he had
not discussed the matter with the
Congressional delegation, but
based on press reports “It looks to
me that somehow the nation must
be made fully aware of this un
tenable position, both from a
standpoint for offense and de
fense.” /
Said Rep. Ralph Rivers!
“I thought this sort of 1 thing
might hit us about five years from
now or whenever missiles are an
established fact and are in opera
tion.”
Loss of 2.000 Persons
Generally, the Alaskans said,
the decision is to deactivate the
squadron at Ladd with its 25 air
craft and 500 officers and men.
This means a loss of about 2,000
persons to the area, when fami
Juneau Taxpayers Okay
$1 Million Bonds as Part of
Campaign to Hold Capitol
JUNEAU, Iff) — Residents of
Juneau gave decisive approval
yesterday to a proposed ohe mil
lion dollar bond issue supporters
said would help insure the city’s
position as state capitol.
The approval gives the city
authority to purchase nearly seven
acres of privately-owned land in
downtown Juneau to provide for
expansion of capitol facilities.
The proposal passed on a 1,471
to-196 vote at a serial election at
which a sales tax proposition and
a school bond issue likewise won
approval by wide margins.
The proposal calls for the city
to purchase 6.9 acres of land, ex
tending from the present capitol
site, for transfer to the state with
out charge as expansion needs
demand.
The land area here compared to
the Oregon capitol site at Salem.
lies are counted.
The move will leave 30 fighters
at Elmendorf Air Base near An
chorage the only defensive group
in the state. There is a Strategic
Air Command group at Eielson Air
Base near Fairbanks which pre
sumably would be defended by
the fighters at Elmendorf.
The Alaskans met with Joseph
V. Charyk, Assistant Air Force
Secretary, Gen. Curtis Le May,
Vice Chief of Staff, and other De
fense officials.
Sen. Gruening said main reas
ons cited for the cutbacks were
budgetary and that “The missile
picture is changing.”
“We can operate from the West
Coast with long range airplanes
as well as from Alaska,” LeMay
was quoted as saying.
“Alaska does not loom as hav
ing much strategic importance,”
Bartlett said LeMay told them.
All three Alaskans agreed the
decision would have a strong im
pact on the economy and morale
of Alaska.
The State’s Chief Executive, in
an interview at Juneau, said he
felt the United States “must make
a complete re-evaluation of the
Defense Department command."
Said Governor Egan:
“•It’s almost unbelievable that
such an attitude could exist, par
ticularly in view of the current
threats we’ve been receiving from
Mr. Khrushchev that Russia will
use rockets on any American base
from which reconnaissance flights
are made.”
John D. Jr., Father
of Gov. Rockefeller
Dead at Age 86
TUCSON, Ariz., — John D.
Rockefeller Jr., who used a vast
fortune to promote the welfare of
his fellow man, died shortly before
noon today in a Tucson hospital.
He was 86. -
For many years a winter visitor
to Tucson, Rockefeller spent most
of his last winter in Tucson Medi
cal Center.
His condition took a turn for
the worse Monday night and
members of the family, including
his son, New York Gov. Nelson
Rockefeller, were summoned to
his bedside. The New York gover
nor arrived by plane a few hours
before his father’s death.
Rockefeller’s name, like that of
his father, was synonymous with
worldwide philanthropy.
The two of them made capital
gifts totaling more than 875 mil
lion dollars. In addition, Rocke
feller endowments financed nu
merous organizations such as the
Rockefeller Foundation, General
Education Board and Rockefeller
Institute for Medical Research.
The known gifts of the younger
Rockefeller were well in excess of
350 millions.
Rockefeller Jr. was responsible
for construction of Rockefeller
Center in New York, an imposing
group of 16 modern steel, glass
and limestone buildings in mid
town New York City.