THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
NOME, ALASKA
E. P. BOUCHER . Managing Editor
CLINTON GRAY .„. Production Manager
Telephone: Main 125 $1.50 PER MONTH
P.O. Box 618 $16.00 A YEAR
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943 at the
postoffice tit Nome, Alaska, under Act of March 3. 1879
Subscribers not receiving tneir papers by 5:30 p.m. call
Main 125 for special delivery. After 5:30 call Black 102
ANOTHER RESERVATION
(Daily Alaska Empire)
No matter how you cut it, 2,924 square miles of
land is a mighty big chunk of real estate. This is the
amount of land the Fish and Wildlife Service proposes
to turn into a reservation in Alaska for duck breeding
purposes. ,
The proposed reservation is in the Hazen Bay area,
west of Bethel. The FWS says that turning this region
into a reservation will not work to the detriment of
the native residents of the area. This may be true.
But it is hard to see how grabbing off such a big
chunk of land can benefit anyone but the ducks. This
is pretty serious business—withdrawing land which
might forever after be closed to commercial develop
ment. Once the federal government gets control of
that land, chances are it never will relinquish that
control.
Of course, the FWS is not concerned with anvthing
but the preservation of our fish and wildlife. It isn’t
expected to be. It isn’t expected to be concerned about
the deterrent to development, present or future, which
goes hand in hand with federal land withdrawals.
But Alaskans are. They know from past experience
that progress is choked off in the process of establishing
federal reservations. They know how difficult it is to
secure leases in areas which have been set aside by the
federal government for one reason or another.
No one objects to establishing game reserves pro
viding the size of the area is not prohibitive and that
provisions are made to permit mineral and other kinds
of exploration and later development if the prospects
are favorable. But past history has been that once the
federal government sets aside an area it is for all practi
cal purposes closed forever to commercial development.
This is not to say that the FWS request is neces
sarily bad. This is to say that a hasty decision on the
service’s application might be unwise. This is to say
that Alaskans should be consulted about this proposed
withdrawal before the decision is made.
There can be no question that it is an almost uni
versal conviction in Alaska that turning more of the
territory into federal reservations is harmful to the
people’s longrange interests. There is the constant fear
that such lands one day might prove suitable to com
mercial development of one kind or another. Private
capital tends to hesitate when it faces the unhappy
prospect of struggling through miles of red tape to
obtain leases on federally controlled land.
There may be nothing wrong in the FWS’s propo
sition to set up another reservation in Alaska. But it
sure would be comforting to know that due considera
tion will be given to the interests of Alaskans before
this land is withdrawn for the exclusive use of ducks.
HIS ANNUAL SACRIFICE
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Committee Passes
Revised Alaska
Mental Health Bill
WASHINGTON, MV-With a
Democratic-enforced limitation on
debate, the House Territories sub
committee approved a bill yester
day to revise commitment proce
dures for Alaska’s mentally ill
and gradually turn the program
over to the territory.
Approval came on a voice vote
with only Rep. Saylor (R-Pa) vot
ing against the bill. It is expected
to be brought before the full
Interior Committee tomorrow.
The subcommittee adopted an
apnendment by Rep. Miller (R
Neb) doubling to 1,000,000 acres
the grant Alaska would be per
mitted to select for helping to
finance the project.
It also wrote in language spell
ing out that a $6V£ million grant
to the territory for construction
of hospitals and other treatment
facilities would be the total fed
eral contribution for that purpose.
The bill also includes a six mil
lion dollar grant for treatment
over a 10-year period.
The session opened with Rep.
Rogers <D-Tex) moving to end de
bate on the bill within 30 minutes
Miller threatened to walk out, ac
cusing the Democrats of seeking
to railroad the bill. He finally re
sumed his seat when other Demo
crats submitted a substitute mo
tion adding 30 minutes to the de
bate time. This motion was adop
ted.
Three Turncoats
(Continued from Page One)
None would say specifically what
they had done, although Griggs
spoke vaguely of writing an arti
cle hostile to America.
The three also pleaded youth,
stupidity and the appeal of clever
Communist propaganda. “A child
decided not to go home—a man
decided to go home,” said Cowart.
“I had Communism placed be
fore me,” he declared, “but never
accepted Communism. I decided
not to come home because of fear
of political persecution, but I’m
not afraid of that any more. I
would sooner have Hitler come
back than have Communism. Hit
ler only destroyed the body but
Communism destroys the mind.
The society of China is built on
fear—fear of each man of the
other.”
Griggs said he was one of “those
poor fools who fell for” Red prop
aganda in the POW camp. But he
said he no longer believes in Com- '
munism “because I have now seen
the contradictions between what
they say and what they do.”
It has been estimated that half
the lakes of Minnesota will be
dry within 50 years.
SHEEFISH AT KIANA
REALLY JUMPIN’
KIANA—(Special)—A scene that
makes the blood of every true
sportsman run hot in his veins—
that of the shee fish fighting hook
line with all his flashing weight—
is being enacted here each day.
Known by fishermen as the
“arctic tarpoon,” the' shee fish
lives up to its appelation, accord
ing to those who have found one
on the receiving end of a rod.
Some days the shee will plunge
-deep and fight it out from the
bottom of the river, giving the
fisherman that steady throb on
the pole which is half the thrill of
fishing. But generally the arctic
tarpoon will stay on top and do
acrobatics which make him the
envy of a good number of top
performers.
As for eating, the shee can not
be beat. A member of the salmon
family, the fish is exclusive to the
Kobuk River district of Alaska.
Until recently, little was known
about it, and even now it is one
of the least touched by scientific
knowledge.
Accommodations for sportsmen,
including cabins, meals, boats,
motors and fishing gear are avail
able at a fishing camp here. Res
ervations and information may be
gained from Wien Alaska Airlines
in Fairbanks.
Letter-Size File • Folders For
Sale At The Nome Nugget Office*
Huge C-124s Begin
Largest Aerial
Troop Movement
ASHIYA AIR BASE, Japan, UP>
—Three huge C-124 Globemasters
loaded with paratroopers from
the United States arrived Satur
day in the vanguard of the larg
est aerial troop movement in
history.
Thre three sky giants, ahead of
schedule, were the first of 43
C-124’s which will shuttle 7,000
troops between Japan and Ameri
ca in the next few days.
The first plane, 6 hours 6 min
utes ahead of schedule, landed at
this base 700 miles southwest of
Tokyo.
First paratrooper off was Cpl.
Daryl Roark, Albuquerque, N.M.,
a driver for the 508th Airborne
Regimental Combat Team, which
is coming to Japan enfhasse from
Ft. Campbell, Ky.
“The trip was uneventful,”
said an arriving pilot, Capt. Gre
gory E. Loucks, Oakland, Calif.,
Flying time from Wake Island
was 10 hours.
The same 43 planes now bring
ing the 508th Airborne RCT to
Japan will, starting Tuesday,
shuttle 3,000 men of the 187th
Airborne RCT over the Pacific to
a new assignment at Ft. Bragg,
N.C.
Fine Job Printing ai The Nugget
Alaskan Titles Again Available
THE FLYING NORTH
Porter
ALASKA’S ANIMALS AND FISHES
Dufresne
ALASKA CALLING
Rossi ter
FRIENDLY ARCTIC
Stefanssen
WHERE ELSE BUT ALASKA
Machetanz
RICK OF HIGH RIDGE
Machetanz
ESKIMO BOY
Freuelien
50 YEARS BELOW ZERO
Brower
50 YEARS IN ALASKA
Lomen
NOTICE OF SALE
The Alaska Department of Health
announces the Invitation to Bid for
purchase of the following vessels on
an “as is’’ and “where is” basis:
M/V HEATH—Located at
Lake Union Dry dock Co.,
Seattle, Washington
McV YUKON—Located at
Nenana, Alaska
M/V HAZEL B No. 2—Lo
cated at Nenana, Alaska
Interested bidders may secure bid
forms and specifications by writing
to the Alaska Department of Health,
Alaska Office Building, Juneau,
Alaska.
Sealed bids in duplicate copy will
be received until 11:00 A.M., August
8, 1955, and then publicly opened.
C. Earl Albrecht, M.D.
Commissioner of Health