m NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LVII No. 53 NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 1955_ Per Copy—15*
Viet Nam Leaders
Demand Bao Dai
Surrender Powers
SAIGON, South Viet Nam, l/P)
— Vietnamese leaders met tod^y
to indict ex-emperor Bao Dai, the
absentee chief of state, and de
mand he turn over his powers to
an elected national assembly.
But tffe United States, which is
pouring millions of dollars in aid
to free South Viet Nam, was re
ported to believe a constitution
al monarchy would be the best
•form pf government because of
the country’s political immatur
ity.
About 700 Vietnamese provin
cial and municipal councillors
met in a “states general” assem
bly, one of the closest things to
a sounding board of national
opinion yet achieved in Viet Nam.
They cheered Premier Ngo
Dinh Diem, who called the con
ference to act on a national revo
lutionary commitee’s demand for
Bao Dai’s ouster. They debated a
government - backed resolution
which accused Bao Dai of various
things, from being too long ab
sent in France and out of touch
with things at home, to conduct
ing himself in a way that “profit
ed only the colonialists and the
Communists.”
Diem’s success in routing the
rebel Binh Xuyen Society which
attempted to overthrow his gov
ernment by armed force last
week, apparently has brought
him at least tacit support from
the French.
Sources in Paris said last night
that Premier Edgar Faures gov
ernment was ready to support
the doughty Vietnamese national
ist leader provided he can give
his country a strong, stable gov
ernment representing a wide
range of its population.
I Egan Takes Exception To
Statements Made By
Arnold of Alaska Salmon
VALDEZ, UP—Territorial Sen.
William A. Egan today took ex
ception to statements by W. C.
Arnolld, manager of Alaska Sal
mon Industry, Inc., in connection
with the crisis brought on by the
depletion of Alaska Unemploy
ment Compensation fund.
Egan said Arnold has been
quoted as saying the territorial
legislature refused to authorize
Gov. B. Frank Heintzleman to
seek a federal interest-free loan
to be used to bolster the fund.
The Valdez legislator, head of
the Democrats’ legislative policy
committee, pointed out that the
extraordinary session of the 1955
legislature “empowered and di
rected” the governnor to obtain
advances of funds from the fed
eral unemployment account for
the purposes of (a) reimbursing
the general fund of the territory
for loans made to the unemploy
ment fund and (b) maintaining
sufficient funds in the unemploy
ment compensation fund to pro
vide for prompt payment of un
employment compensation insur
ance benefits.
Egan said the bill, carrying an
emergency clause, was approved
by Governor Heintzleman April
9. He added that if reports of
Arnold’s testimony were correct,
“It is hard to comprehend why
Arnold insisted upon giving such
an erroneous impression to com
mittees of Congress.”
TALL STORY
AMERICAN FALLS, Idaho, Uf)
— Police are looking for a tall,
tall thief.
They started their search after
two miles of electrical wiring was
stolen from utility poles at the
American Legion boat dock. The
: wire was clipped neatly at the
| insulators of each pole.
Highlights Of
Presidential
News Conference
WASHINGTON, ifr— President
Eisenhower said today he has
given all sorts of consideration
to federal controls over distribu
tion of Salk polio vaccine but he
still thinks the voluntary method
is best.
The President told a news con
ference the government intends
to see to it no child ever goes
without the vaccine because of
inability to pay for it.
Volunteering his remarks about
the vaccine program, Eisenhower
also said government officials are
convinced the present inoculation
program should go ahead despite
development of paralytic polio by
a few youngsters who have re
ceived vaccine produced by one
firm.
The President said that in his
opinion it is both safe and wise
to go ahead with the inoculations.
Eisenhower also dealt with
these other topics:
Cease-fire — Eisenhower said
that at the moment the United
States is in a sort of wait-and
see position with respect to pos
sible talks between this country
and Red China on a cease-fire in
the Formosa area.
Mrs, Eisenhower — The Presi
dent said Mrs. Eisenhower’s
health is not as robust and strong
as that of some people, but she
is a good healthy person despite
what he termed her inability to
throw off the effects of a very
serious virus infection which she
developed last March.
The reporter who put the ques
tion about the first lady’s health
said it was prompted by two
things: Democratic National
Chairman Paul Butler’s state
ment in March the President
might not seek a second term be
cause of the state of Mrs. Eisen
hower’s health, and secondly,
cancellation of all Mrs. Eisen
hower’s social engagements for
this week on orders of her phys
ician.
Postal pay—Eisenhower avoid
ed saying whether he will veto
a bill to increase the pay of
postal workers an average of 8.8
per cent. He indicated a few
weeks ago he would refuse to
sign any bill providing for a
greater hike than 7.6 per cent.
But to questions today, Eisen
hower said only that he looks for
the bill to be on his desk shortly
and he will give it careful study.
Hoover Asserts Budget
Could Be Balanced If
Govt. Is Reorganized
WASHINGTON, UP! — Former
President Herbert Hoover said
today the federal budget “could
be balanced overnight” if the
views of his commission on gov
ernment reorganization were
adopted in full.
Nearly 3,500 delegates to the
43rd annual meeting of the United
States Chamber of Commerce ap
plauded Hoover’s words, but he
warned them:
“Don’t get too enthusiastic
about the possibility of vanquish
ing the opposition.”
The ex - President’s economy
plea was seconded by Sen. Byrd
! (D-Va) who told the business
men’s group that balance could
be achieved in the year begin
ning July 1 through a 4 per cent
reduction in the budget proposed
by President Eisenhower.
William Strand Becomes
Special Assistant To
Interior Secty. McKay
WASHINGTON, UP) — William
C. Strand, former Washington,
Chicago and Alaska newspaper
man, was sworn in yesterday as
information director of the Inter
ior Department and special assist
ant to Secretary McKay.
Anthony T. Lausi then was
sworn in to succeed Strand as
director of the Office of Terri
tories. He had been deputy dir
ector since July, 1953.
Strand succeeds Larry Smyth,
who is returning "to the staff of
the Oregon Journal in Portland,
Ore. He is a native of Chicago.
McKay told a large group as
sembled in his office for the
double cerAnony that Strand had
turned down a job offer carry
ing a much higher salary in order
to remain in government ser
vice because he is “so sold on
the Eisenhower administration.”
During the ceremony, McKay
recognized Sen. Aiken (R-Vt),
Rep. Prouty (R-Vt) and Delegate
Farrington (R-Hawaii). Saying he
was not predicting the outcome
of pending statehood legislation
for Hawaii and Alaska, McKay
told Mrs. Farrington he wants to
go to Hawaii for Statehood Day
and he hoped it would be this
year.
Louis Breguet, French
Aviation Pioneer, Dies
PARIS, (#) — French aviation
pioneer Louis Breguet, 75, a con
temporary of the Wright Bro
thers, died today at his home in
St. Germain En Laye.
He founded one of France’s
first aviation companies and his
designs were used in both World
I and II.
Breguet belonged to the small
band of engineers and inventors
who began to experiment with
heavier-than-air flight at the turn
of the century.
He was also a founder of
France’s first airline which later
developed into the present Air
France line.
104,000 Guesses
Made in Nenana
Breakup Game
NENANA—A "net” total of
104,500 guesses on the time of the
Tanana River breakup were sub
mitted this year.
Nenana Ice Classic officials
made this announcement recently
as totalling of the guesses was
completed.
They said the 104,500 does not
represent the total number of
guesses. It is the number of in
terest to participants after invalid
and incomplete guesses and other
subtractions have been made.
Oldtimers here still predict a
late breakup as the weather con
tinues cool in interior Alaska and
the ice in the river remains solid.
Most of the “experts” are pick
ing dates between May 10 and
May 17 as the time the ice will
go out.
ICEBREAKER HERE
The USS Burton Island, Navy
icebreaker, appeared in the Ber
ing Sea ice off Nome this morn
ing, just one day later than last
year. The ship is on its arctic
resupply mission.
Helicopters from her decks
were ferrying some of the crew
to Nome today.
Air Force Plans
Withdrawal From
[ Nome Field In Oct.
ANCHORAGE, L?)—Alaskan
Air Command officials an
nounced loday ihe Air Force
plans io withdraw from Nome
Field by the end of October.
Nome Field, formerly Marks
Air Force Base, has been‘used
as a resupply base for the Sew
ard Peninsula area. The Air
Force said the Civil Aeronau
tics Administration will take
over and operate the field and
its navigational aids.
The Air Force said the in
creased use of commercial car
go carriers and an increase in
its resupply capabilities led to
the decision io leave Nome.
The field was constructed
during World War II as a fight
er base and a refueling stop for
ferry planes flying from Ladd
Air Force Base to Siberia.
Strikes Plague Former
Alaska SS Liner Alaska
VICTORIA, B.C., (A*)—A strike
against a former American ship
that has been the subject of a
diplomatic protest to Ottawa may *
be settled at a meeting today.
The disputing parties in the
strike of -shipyard workers
against the Greek Margo-Pacific
Lines vessel Mazatlan planned to
meet, and one union spokesman #
said “There is a possibility that
every one concerned will be
quite happy.”
The trouble-plagued ship, for
mer Alaska Steamship vessel Al
aska, was picketed and then
struck against when it arrived at
Yarrows Shipyard for engine re
pairs.
She had twice been picketed in
the United States in protest
against her transfer to Liberian
registry. The Canadian Seamen’s
International Union picketed her
here and the Victoria and Van
couver Island Metal Trades
Council refused to work on her.
H. A. D. Oliver of Vancouver,
Liberian consul, warned that the
strike may force Liberia to close
the port to the fourth largest mer
chant fleet in the world. He sent
a formal protest over the strike
to Ottawa.
■ i - .. — - i ii . *
Dozens of Greenland
Fishermen Stranded On .
Drifting Ice Floes
JAKOBSHAVN, Greenland, lto
— Rescue boats fought through
drifting ice today in an attempt
to save dozens of fishermen ma
rooned on three ice floes off the
west coast of Greenland.
The men, including 25 from
Jakobshavn and an undetermined
number from other districts were
fishing from the shore ice Mon
day night when the ice broke off
the main mass and drifted .to
ward the ocean sea.
TUESDAY BASEBALL
American League
Cleveland 7, New York 4 '
Kansas City 4, Baltimore 1
Chicago 5, Washington 3
Detroit 4, Boston 2
National League
Chicago 6, New York 0
Cincinnati 7, Philadelphia 5
Pittsburgh 4, Milwaukee 0
Pacific Coast League
Seattle 2, Sacramento 0
Oakland 2, Los Angeles 1
Portland 5, San Diego 2
San Francisco 6, Hollywood 0
25 Japanese Girls, Disfigured By 1945
Atomic Blast, To Be Flown To New
York For Plastic Surgery Treatment
HIROSHIMA, Japan, LPV—“The«
night before the choice was an
nounced the girls prayed,” the
New York physician said.
“We were told they prayed not
that they would be the ones pick
ed but that we doctors would not
feel anguish at having to leave
some of them home.”
That is the litle story behind
the story of 25 Japanese girls,
disfigured by the atomic bomb
10 years ago, who were selected
for free plastic surgery treatment
in the United States.
Dr. William M. Hitzig, a New
York physician who helped to
make the selections, told the
story as the 25 excited girls pre
pared for the first and most im
portant airplane trip of their
lives. The girls, all in their
twenties, leave tomorrow.
“It is hard to believe how
gentle and happily they acted
during the long selection pro
cess,” Hitzig said.
“We explained to all the girls
we examined that we could pick
only a certain number, those who
could best stand the long trip
and who would benefit most from
the surgery and that we would
do our best to make a wise sel
ection.”
The girls were told they may
be gone a year. They may face
up to a dozen operations. Yet all
are filled with hope and are in
»
unbelieveably good spirits, said
Hitzig.
They hope that the treatment
will remove the scars that were
left after the atomic wrath came
out of the skies in 1945. The
scars have shut them off from
normal social activities. One
wears a mask.
The trip to Mt. Sinai Hospital,
New York, is being financed by
private contributions. Families in
New York have agreed to lodge
them.
The project was organized by
Norman Cousins, editor of the
Saturday Review; Mt. Sinai Hos
pital, and Kiyoshi Togasaki,
president of the Nippon Times of
Tokyo.
The U.S. Air Force supplied a
four-engine C-54 equipped with
airline seats and a galley for the
long trip. The plane will fly to
Mitchell Air Force Base, N.Y., by
way of Hawaii and Travis Air
Force Base, Calif. It is due in
New York Monday morning.
PROVIDENCE, R,I.,(JV-Motor
ist John Ruth pleaded innocent
to a speeding charge yesterday
qnd offered what turned out to
be a perfect defense in district
court.
He proved the speedometer on
the arresting officer’s car was in
accurate.