m NOME NUGGET
_ OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LVH No. 23NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1955Per Copy—15^
NATIONALISTS USE
U S. SABRE JETS
IN PATROL ACTIVITY
* «
TAIPEH, Formosa, (A*)—'More
than 100 Nationalist Chinese war
planes hurled dawn-to-dusk air
blows at Communist military in
stallations on the Taishan Islands
and nearby Peichishan today, Air
Force headquarters announced.
The Nationalists also reported
their first patrol activity over the
Formosa Strait by F-86 Sabre jets,
recently acquired from the United
States.
The Taishans are a Red build
ing base 30 miles southwest of
Nationalist Nanchishan, which is
140 miles north of Formosa,
Peichishan is one of four Red
islands 12Vfc miles north of
Nanchishan.
*
Defense Asked for
Reason Its Against
Alaska Statehood
WASHINGTON, UO—Chairman
Jackson <D-Wash) of the Senate
Territories Subcommittee today
pressed the Defense Department
for a quick outline of specific
reasons for its opposition to state
hood for Alaska.
Jackson told newsmen he was
not satisfied with the statement
* of James H. Douglas, undersecre
tary of the Air Force, that the
military prefers the territorial
system at the present time be
cause the transition to statehood
is bound to create defense prob
lems of an uncertain nature.
. Sen. O’Mahoney (D-Wyo) also
demanded an explanation of' the
Defense Department position, not
ing it clashed with the State De
partment’s flat statement in favor
of statehood for both Alaska and
* Hawaii.
Russians Making Propaganda
Jackson said that Russia, from
time to time, has been laying
claim to the territory of Alaska
in domestic propaganda broad
casts on the ground the present
government does not recognize
the sale to the United States by
the Russian czar.
“Certainly, the reluctance of
the Defense Department to con
firm the complete sovereignty of
the United States over Alaska by
making it a state will continue to
give opportunity to further this
alleged claim,” he commented.
Douglas told the committee yes
terday that neither the Defense
Department nor Gen. Nathan
Twining, Air Force chief of staff,
is opposed to statehood for Alaska
as a matter of policy.
“If it is the judgment of Con
gress that statehood should come
at this time, the military will per
form its defense function and I
think with success,” he said.
Twining Reversal
Douglas said Twining, who for
merly endorsed statehood for Al
aska, “at the present time in this
world situation would be some
what reluctant to see any new
problems” imposed on the mili
tary there.
Miles Brandon of Anchorage,
Alaska, urged the committee to
arpend the Alaska section of the
bill “to make certain there is no
danger to native land claims” and
to delete clauses providing for
dispersal of the Tongass National
Forest timber funds and right of
the secretary of interior to create
reservations. Brandon testified for
the Congress of American Indians
on behalf of the Alaska Native
Brotherhood and Sisterhood.
Russians Worked
In Canadian Arctic
Pamphlet Reveals
By DAVE McINTOSH
Canadian Press Staff Writer
OTTAWA, (#»—A group of Rus
sians working on the polar ice cap
was operating in Canadian far
north waters last fall, it was
learned today.
The Russians have established
two permanent polar research
station in polar drift ice.
One station, known as “North
Pole III,” was established at 86°
north, 176° west, and its last
known position, in September,
1954, was 89° north, 54° west.
This means the drift station at
one time was working in territory
which Canada claims. The area is
near the north pole.
The information is contained in
a pamphlet published by the Rus
sian Arctic Research Institute
concerning Soviet explorations in
the central arctic.
The pamphlet recently came into
Canadian hands. A competent of
ficial here said there is no reason
to doubt the information con
tained in the booklet.
This same authority said it is
probable the Russians working on
the drift station will also be oper
ating in Canadian territory again.
The Soviets for years have been
engaged in systematic research in
the arctic to find a northern sea
route.
Legislators Skeptical of Proposal for
Alaskan Control of Sports Fishing
By JIM HUTCHESON
JUNEAU, UP—A prospective fed
eral government offer to Alaska
of control of its wildlife and
sports fishing, but withholding
control of commercial fishing,
was greeted with skepticism by
prominent legislators yesterday.
One of the conferees, Rep. Har
ry Palmer, Anchorage Democrat,
said the proposal seemed to him
“only half a loaf, and we could
die of malnutrition on it.”
The issue came up at a confer
ence of the House and Senate
Resources Committee on a bill re
ported under consideration by the
Interior Department at Washing
ton, D.C. Clarence Rhode, Alas
ka’s executive officer of the Fish
and Wildlife Service, and mem
bers of the Alaska Game Commis
sion sat in on the afternoon ses
sion.
The House had met only briefly
in the forenoon and the Senate
did not meet at all on the holiday,
although committee work was
taken up by the upper branch’s
Regional Administrator
Of CAA Transferred
WASHINGTON, UP—'The Civil
Aeronautics Administration an
nounced yesterday the transfer of
Walter P. Plett, regional adminis
trator at Anchorage, to the States.
Plett will become deputy re
gional administrator for the 11
western states, succeeding James
Bread, who is retiring. The area
embraces California, Washington,
Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Montana,
yoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona
and New Mexico.
Plett will be replaced at An
chorage by Allen D. Hulen, who
has been deputy regional admin
istrator there since 1948.
Harry L. Newman, executive
assistant in the Alaska region
since 1946, moves up to deputy
regional administrator there.
Raymond Paul, 26,
Wins 100-Mile Dogsled
Race at Fur Rendezvous
ANCHORAGE, UP) — Raymond
Paul, 26, Galena, mushed through
a driving snowstorm today to win
the 1955 Anchorage Fur Rendez
vous 100-mile dogsled champion
ship, repeating his triumph of a
year ago.
His elapsed time for the four
days’ runs was 9 hours, 15 min
utes, 36 second.
The victory was worth $1,500
in prize money for him.
Tiny Kit Maclnness, Anchor
j age, only woman entered in the
; long grind, finished second with
1 a total elapsed time of 9 hours,
40 minutes, 33 seconds. It was
worth $1,000 in prize money.
Other finishers, in order, and
their winnings, were:
Oroville Lake, Anchorage, $700;
Earl Norris, $500; Clem Tellman,
Knik, $400; Bob Bacon, Anchor
age, $250; and Engval Samuelson,
Unalakleet, $150.
PAUL CLAUDEL, FRENCH
DIPLOMAT AND POET, DIES
PARIS, UP)—Paul Claudel, 86,
veteran French diplomat and a
noted poet, died early today after
a heart attack.
Claudel had close ties with the
United States. He began his dip
lomatic career as vice consul in
New York in 1893 and served as
French ambassador in Washing
ton from 1927 to 1933
members.
Boost Fees to Cover Costs
The suggestion was made at the
conference that a boost of the
present $2 resident hunting-fish
ing license fee, to as much as
$7.50, might be a way of financing
the added burden if and when the
territory should assume it.
The text and complete terms of
the bill have never been made
public and Rhode said he had
seen only a rough draft. It defin
itely excludes any transfer of con
trol of commercial fisheries to
the territory.
Rhode, describing the wildlife
and sports fish project as an ex
pensive one, suggested that li
censes might be raised to $4 for
hunting, $4 for fishing and $7.50
for a combined license.
Quite a Jolt to Alaskans
“That would seem like quite a
jolt to Alaskans,” he said, “but it
would not be out of line with the
scale in the States.”
He estimated such an increase
in licenses might raise as much
as $400,000 a year—which he said
still would be short of the cost of
the wildlife and sports fishing
program. He said the FWS spends
about $480,000 a year, plus some
annual construction.
Rhode counselled the legisla
tors against any undervaluing of
the sports fishing and wildlife
potentialities. He said they have
outstripped commercial fishing as
an asset in the States and he ex
pects them to grow tremendously
in importance in the territory.
NEW SOURCE OF ENERGY
AT PARIS EXHIBITION
PARIS, UP—Star attractions at
the annual household arts exhibi
tion opening in Paris tomorrow
will be an electric razor, a kitchen
mixer and a vacuum cleaner—all
worked by electricity generated
from cosmic rays.
Eisenhower Says Democrat Proposal
To Cut Taxes $20 Per Person Is
Height of Financial Irresponsibility
Nome School Addition
Plans Will Be Ready
In About Two Weeks
In response to a deluge of tele
grams to Juneau concerning the
delay in getting out the bids on
the Nome School addition, Mayor
Andersen received word from the
architect, Lynn Forrest, that the
plans are further along than be
lieved, and stating that they are
“90 per cent” completed and that
they will be ready in two weeks.
As the plans were expected to
have been ready by Jan. 1st, this
will delay things by about two
months.
The City of Nome, the School
Board and the Chamber of Com
merce all took action with tele
grams to legislators and to Alaska j
Public Works officials to get!
action so that the materials for |
the school would be on the first
boat.
Pacific Air Arm
To Be Strengthened
To Meet Red Threat
HONOLULU W—Maj. Gen. Sory.
Smith, Pacific Air Force com
mander, indicated last night the
Pacific air arm is being strength
ened to meet any Communist
threat from Hawaii to Southeast
Asia.
Smith told the Hawaii reserve
officers:
“For obvious reasons I am un
able to detail for you the Air
Force units that are now and will
be transferred to my command . . .
however we will possess those
forces necessary to maintain a
military position against Commu
nist aggression, including air de
fense forces for U.S. positions in
the Pacific.”
Neuberger Tells Senate
McKay Dragged His Heels |
On Alaska Statehood
WASHINGTON, l#>—Sen. Neu
berger (D-Ore> yesterday deliv
ered to the Senate memorials of
the Oregon State Legislature fa
voring statehood for both Alaska
and Hawaii.
In doing so, he told the Senate:
“These memorials, in my opin
ion, are not so much directed to
us of the Congress, but to the
secretary of the interior, who is
a former governor of Oregon and
a former member of the Oregon
legislature.
“Secretary McKay has dragged
his heels on Alaskan statehood,
repudiating his one-time support
of such a step. He even went to
Alaska arid scolded the upright,
pioneering citizens of that great
territory for crusading in behalf
of self-government.”
Neuberger said McKay has pro
posed “a kind of twilight zone
plight for Alaska—half military
reservation and half state . . . sort
of a centaur, half man and half
horse, but actually not a very ad
equate version of either.”
The Oregon legislature’s mem
orials urged “early admission” of
both territories and declared the
“security and economic develop
ment” of the two territories is
“essential to the well-being of the
United States.”
WASHINGTON, Uf>—President
Eisenhower today tabbed the
Democratic proposal to cut taxes
$20 a person next Jan. 1 as some
kind of a height in fiscal irrespon
sibility.
The President told a news con
ference the Democratic sponsors
of the plan in the House did not
have the courage to offer it as a
separate bill. Instead, he said,
they have offered it as an amend
ment to legislation to continue
corporation and excise taxes at
present rates.
Would Be Difficult Situation
The administration has asked
for continuation of the corpora
tion and excise tax rates now in
effect. By tieing the proposed in
come tax cut with this, sponsors
would present Eisenhower with
a situation where he could not
veto the $20 cut without also kill
ing the rate extensions.
Speaking with a marked show
of irritation, Eisenhower said that
when anyone talks about cutting
federal revenue when spending is
greater than income, then we are
reaching some kind of a height in
fiscal irresponsibility.
Eisenhower declined to give a
flat answer when asked whether
it would be possible to cut taxes
next year, but he again expressed
the hope it can be done.
Budget Need Not Balance
In response to another question,
he said, he was not insisting that
the budget be in perfect balance
before taxes are cut.
The President also dealt with
these other matters:
World Disarmament— On the
basis of past history, Eisenhower
said, he sees no reason for any
tremendous optimism with re
spect to disarmament. First, he
added, there must be evidence
that eaclji party to any such dis
armament was acting in good
faith. Given that, the President
said, then this country would like,
as he phrased it, to put every
thing in the pot and go just as far
as anyone else.
Congress Relations—The Presi
dent said that so far as he person
ally is concerned, Republican re
lations with the Democratic-con
trolled Congress are completely
satisfactory. They have been on a
most friendly basis, he added.
Eisenhower took issue when a
reporter told him House 'Speaker
Sam Rayburn, a Democrat, has
complained that the only way he
ever gets advance knowledge on
a presidential message for Con
gress is through the Republican
leaders.
Must Be Some Mistake
Bristling, the President said
Rayburn is an old, old friend and
he just can’t believe the speaker
would use any roundabout way to
set forth a complaint about White
House matters.
Eisenhower recalled that Ray
burn represents the Texas district
in which the President was born.
He said he just can’t believe Ray
burn feels there has been any lack
of cooperation on Eisenhower’s
part.
Rayburn knows, Eisenhower
said, that all he has to do is to pick
up a telephone to get in touch
with the President.